Schoyerer Architekten_SYRA

Existing Conditions

The approximately 120-meter-long Goethe Tunnel in Mainz, more than 130 years old, runs beneath the tracks of the main railway station and serves as a highly frequented connection between the Neustadt district and Hartenberg-Münchfeld. Despite its functional importance, the tunnel had come to be perceived as an urban “non-place” and an area of insecurity. Darkness, neglect, and a lack of maintenance meant that the Goethe Tunnel was no longer recognized as an appropriate gateway to Mainz Neustadt. In response, the City of Mainz commissioned a targeted architectural transformation.

Concept

The redesign of the Goethe Tunnel deliberately avoided purely cosmetic measures such as repainting or conventional lighting, which would have been neither sustainable nor vandalism-resistant. Instead, SCHOYERER ARCHITEKTEN_SYRA consolidated the parameters of light, color, and form into a continuous, box-like band conceived as an integral intervention. The design employs industrial mass-produced components — including energy-efficient LED technology and contemporary radiant film technology — both economically viable at the time of planning. The objective was to create a durable, robust, and identity-forming solution for inner-city infrastructure.

Architectural Design

The linear light band extends throughout the entire length of the tunnel, generating a shifting interplay of color and illumination. LED technology ensures uniform lighting with low energy consumption, while the radiant film refracts the light into iridescent, rainbow-like tones depending on the viewer’s position and movement. The result is an interactive spatial experience with continuously changing atmospheres. The historic tunnel walls remain untouched in both surface and texture. Their archaic character, shaped over more than 130 years, forms a deliberate contrast to the contemporary light installation. The superimposition of historic fabric and modern technology imbues the infrastructure with a new urban presence and spatial quality.

Construction

The lighting system is conceived as a robust, low-maintenance element. The combination of LED technology and specialized film significantly reduces energy consumption and operational costs. As an additive installation, the intervention leaves the historic structure intact. The measure sustainably transforms the tunnel from a perceived space of insecurity into an identity-defining urban link between the main station, Neustadt, and Hartenberg-Münchfeld.