Pink Munich underpass

Munich has many beautiful places. But the Orleansstraße/Friedenstraße railroad underpass at Ostbahnhof, which connects Berg am Laim with Haidhausen, was not one of them until now. Now the Munich collective “die Städtischen” has transformed the underpass from drab gray to bright pink. Find out more about the creative redesign of the Munich underpass and what the “art corridor” is all about here.

Francesco Sormani has often passed through the aforementioned Munich underpass. And like many other tunnels, this one was a classic anxiety zone: dark concrete, flickering neon lights and inappropriate graffiti. So Sormani took to the paint himself and sprayed “We are all one” and a red heart on the wall. But his attempt to beautify the tunnel ended in a fine of around 1,000 euros when a police officer caught him in the act. Sormani then launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs and also promised to redesign the underpass in Munich.

So Sormani turned to the young, interdisciplinary collective from Munich called “die Städtischen”. This group of creatives from various disciplines is committed to enhancing public spaces and bringing people together. One of their projects, for example, is the cultural island in front of the Gasteig HP8.

Städtische shared his view that the 160-metre-long Munich underpass had potential – both for those who pass through it and for the adjacent neighborhoods, which would benefit from a better welcoming gesture. So they presented the idea to the local district committees. But at first they didn’t see any need for change. “They weren’t really aware that this place was a place of fear and how much potential this underpass had for creative processes. Our first goal was to make this clear to those involved,” explains Sormani, who is now project manager at the municipal authorities.

The Munich underpass is the property of Deutsche Bahn. This meant that they first had to give permission for a creative redesign. This was a lengthy process lasting two years. The next step was for the municipal authorities to seek financial support. After many discussions and persuasive efforts, both districts were won over to the idea and around 30,000 euros in funding was obtained from the Department of Culture. However, the public funds were not enough to realize the project. In the end, neighboring companies, especially from the Werksviertel, financed two thirds of the project with around 90,000 euros. The implementation was also a participatory process. In the end, around seventy people took part in the redesign. Within a month, the gray Munich underpass was transformed into a cheerful color highlight.

No structural changes were made to the tunnel. Instead, the collective worked exclusively on the design. The aim was to make the underpass as pleasant as possible for passers-by. For example, the use of amorphous circles serves to visually shorten the tunnel. Everything was kept in pink – walls, ceiling and floor. According to the architect involved, Hanna Fastrich, pink balances out aggression, has a calming effect and makes people feel optimistic. The lighter color also makes the tunnel appear wider. And to ensure that the effect of the campaign lasts as long as possible, graffiti protection was applied to the walls. In addition to the color changes, the municipal authorities also worked with urban planning measures. For example, they installed litter garbage cans in the tunnel to keep it clean.

The municipal authorities always pursued an inclusive and participatory approach when redesigning the Munich underpass. They involved not only local residents, users and businesses, but also experts in urban development and inclusion. However, the main difficulty was that they had to solve all the problems at the same time. For example, the four-week closure of the tunnel during the redesign and the associated traffic detour was a huge bureaucratic effort.

But the collective didn’t just change the color of the tunnel. They also created the “Metamorphosis” art corridor. This consists of an installation of frames. This is intended to herald a long-term concept. After all, the redesigned tunnel will probably only exist in its current form for two to three years. Thanks to the art corridor, the Munich underpass can now continue to be used professionally and curatorially. At the same time, it serves as a public gallery. And indeed, many local artists are asking for ideas and concepts.

The project has met with a positive response from 95 percent of people. The neighborhood and users of the Munich underpass are grateful for the changes. “Many people tell us how bright this tunnel now looks. They used to be afraid, but now they look forward to the tunnel when they drive home from work in the evening,” says Sormani. “People from all over Germany get in touch with us and the project is catching on. They ask for tips and information or want us to implement similar projects in their municipality or town. Many urban development organizations invite us to exchange ideas. The politicians involved have thanked us.”

The municipal authorities have even more projects in the pipeline. These include the redesign of public infrastructure in Munich. But for now, we are looking forward to the official opening of the new, pink Munich underpass in August 2024. It is already accessible and invites you to discover it.

Also interesting: In Hamburg, employees at the New Beiersdorf Campus can also work outdoors. More about the outdoor facilities by Mertins Landschaftsarchitektur here: New Beiersdorf Campus