Skip to content

Bremen – Submarine Bunker Valentin

Luminaires
Planea Mini LS, Bergmeister Leuchten
Lighting design
OC|Lichtplanung, Diepholz
Landscape planning
p+t protze + theiling GbR, Landschaft Stadt Freiraum Planung und Forschung, Bremen
Client
Landeszentrale für politische Bildung, Denkort Bunker Valentin, Breme
Project year
2018/2019

LIGHTING PLANEA FOR THE VALENTIN BUNKER

How do you illuminate a historical site that recalls the darkest times of German history without becoming overly sentimental? This challenging question faced the lighting designers (OC|Lichtplanung) and landscape architects (p+t protze + theiling) who developed a new lighting concept for the “Bunker Valentin” memorial in Bremen.

The Valentin Bunker served as a U-boat construction site for the German Navy during World War II. Today, the ruin stands as a massive relic of Nazi armament for naval warfare and a memorial to the crimes of the Nazi regime, where many people perished due to forced labor. A 1.5 km circular path runs along 25 stations around the bunker. Simple lighting columns from the “Planea” product line were chosen for illumination—crafted by Bergmeister Leuchten. With a restrained minimalist design, the lights integrate seamlessly into the historical context, enhancing the site’s testimony with their clear and elegant form, while allowing the bunker to remain stark and unglorified. The lights are understated yet draw attention through their refined design.

The exterior lighting at the Valentin Bunker is based on thoughtful planning and flexible lighting technology. The requirement was to precisely illuminate the long pathways and smaller areas along the bunker. With exact path lighting, the installation appears imposing even at dusk, revealing the scale of the over 500-meter-long and more than 20-meter-high bunker. This precision was achieved through custom configuration of the lights: lenses and LED modules were individually selected, and various optics were integrated into the fixtures as desired by the designers. The light distributions were optimized to minimize stray light off the path. The installation at the Valentin Bunker required a sensitive approach to lighting. With the new illumination, the memorial appears as a complete unit, hinting at the historical significance of the structure.

Project lamp