Light Tunnel

ABOUT

This simple architectural and narrative device simultaneously defines and unites the old Reichsbank Building that has been renovated as the German Foreign Ministry and its new extension.

The spaces are linked by the Light Tunnel that is a liminal space between past and present, old and new, highlighting the gap between the buildings and symbolising the period of division in the country.

The central space of the tunnel is conceived as a void crossed by a floating path and the materials and lighting are intended to de-materialise the space. Through the use of translucent surfaces on water-white glass with a reflective back surface, the diffused reflections imply infinite space beyond the walls contrary to the mass of the buildings above.

The floor is a raised wooden platform to provide a visual contrast to the surfaces of the adjacent spaces, and highlights the sound of footfall echoes which reinforces the notion of crossing a void.