Light Guide

Dutch artist Herman Kuijer has transformed two highway underpasses into permanent light art installations.

2 MIN READ
The Marstunnel underpass

Herman Kuijer, Photo: Jannes Linders

The Marstunnel underpass


The latest work from Dutch artist Herman Kuijer is a duo of permanent light art pieces for two highway underpasses-the Marstunnel and the Kostverloren tunnel-in Zutphen, Netherlands, a city situated along the IJessel River. Commissioned by ProRail, the country’s railway network, in collaboration with the city, the installations took five years to realize and showcase Kuijer’s experiments with light, color, and space. Bands of colored light, using LED fixtures, create an inviting gateway from the newer, outlying areas to the city center, providing an artistic expression that is also functional. For each artwork Kuijer worked with a different team of architects and engineers to produce a visually engaging experience while ensuring that the installations met all the functional requirements for roadway lighting.

Marstunnel

Herman Kuijer, Photo: Jannes Linders

Marstunnel

For the design of the Marstunnel, Kuijer worked with the architect Mari Baauw and engineer Bert Jongstra, both at Royal Haskoning, an international engineering and project management firm that specializes in infrastructure related projects. The underpass has two sections, one for automobile traffic and another roadway for cyclists. Trains pass overhead.

Marstunnel

Herman Kuijer, Photo: Jannes Linders

Marstunnel

Marstunnel

Herman Kuijer, Photo: Jannes Linders

Marstunnel

The color scheme and the changing cycle of light are meant to emulate moving water, a nod to the IJessel River nearby. To determine the proper light levels, Kuijer enlisted the help of light engineer Nico de Kruijter. The space had to feel safe and incorporate the light fixtures in such a way so as not to interfere with drivers’ and cyclists’ visual site lines. Each section of the tunnel changes color, randomly with the aid of a computer-program so that the color sequence slowly washes the ceiling, walls, and roadway in different hues. Several mock-ups and a 1:1 scale model built by LightInternational Purmerend enabled the team to test the light output.

The Kostverloren tunnel is a pedestrian and cyclist-only underpass.

Herman Kuijer, Photo: Jannes Linders

The Kostverloren tunnel is a pedestrian and cyclist-only underpass.

Kostverloren underpass

Herman Kuijer, Photo: Jannes Linders

Kostverloren underpass

The Kostverloren tunnel, designed with architecture firm Maurer United, an interdisciplinary design studio, is for pedestrians and cyclists only, while rail lines run above. Here, parts of the concrete structure are actually painted so that as the light changes, also by way of a computer-program, the surfaces also morph in their tones. A custom-designed LED luminaire is ceiling-mounted.

“It was a great challenge to work in this specific urban context where aesthetics are paired with accessibility and the safety of the user,” said Kuijer in a prepared statement. “My task was to create a sustainable work to allow people to pass safely through and also experience in the Netherlands.”

Kostverloren underpass

Herman Kuijer, Photo: Jannes Linders

Kostverloren underpass

About the Author

Elizabeth Donoff

Elizabeth Donoff is Editor-at-Large of Architectural Lighting (AL). She served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2017. She joined the editorial team in 2003 and is a leading voice in the lighting community speaking at industry events such as Lightfair and the International Association of Lighting Designers Annual Enlighten Conference, and has twice served as a judge for the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section’s (IESNYC) Lumen Award program. In 2009, she received the Brilliance Award from the IESNYC for dedicated service and contribution to the New York City lighting community. Over the past 11 years, under her editorial direction, Architectural Lighting has received a number of prestigious B2B journalism awards. In 2017, Architectural Lighting was a Top Ten Finalist for Magazine of the Year from the American Society of Business Publication Editors' AZBEE Awards. In 2016, Donoff received the Jesse H. Neal Award for her Editor’s Comments in the category of Best Commentary/Blog, and in 2015, AL received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Media Brand (Overall Editorial Excellence).Prior to her entry into design journalism, Donoff worked in New York City architectural offices including FXFowle where she was part of the project teams for the Reuters Building at Three Times Square and the New York Times Headquarters. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., and she earned her Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.

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