07/10/2026
UNDERGROUND LIGHTING
Five stations. Five identities.
One city. One journey through light.
Munich underground by Ingo Maurer.
An exploration of how new ideas of light meet existing architecture, bringing artistic vision together with technical demands and regulation of public space.
Let‘s start with WESTFRIEDHOF, one of Munich‘s most photographed underground stations. Its distinctive design has become an icon on its own right, even making its way onto a German postage stamp in 2024.
WESTFRIEDHOF 1998
Eleven aluminium canopies, each 3.80 metres in diameter, hover above the platform. Their interiors in blue, red and yellow turn light itself into a defining element of space.
WESTFRIEDHOF 1998
Blue light above the canopies washes the raw concrete walls and ceiling in an almost surreal atmosphere. Architecture and light merge into an underground landscape of colour.
MÜNCHNER FREIHEIT 2009
The blue-tiled columns are part of the station‘s original design. Ingo Maurer illuminated them from above with blue LED light, making the column themselves appear to glow.
MÜNCHNER FREIHEIT 2009
The pale yellow walls create a complementary contrast with the blue columns and play a key role in shaping the station‘s appearance.
“I find the combination of complementary colours, and therefore strong contrast, very stimulating. That is why we chose vibrant yellow. I hope people will be inspired by the energy and freshness of this colour and experiencing their time in the station, perhaps even unconsciously, as a moment that lifts their spirits and brightens their mood.“ – Ingo Maurer
MÜNCHNER FREIHEIT 2009
The highly polished stainless-steel ceiling reflects the light and columns, visually expanding the height of the station. Freely arranged light panels, tilted at different angles, deliberately break with the strict geometry of the architecture.
MARIENPLATZ 2015
On the mezzanine level of the busy underground and suburban railway station beneath Munich Townhall, light serves as a point of reference. A warm, glowing orange-red ceiling delineates the central area and gives the low-ceilinged space a strong identity of its own.
MARIENPLATZ 2015
Groups of three LED lines
