Completed in 2021, the Museumsinsel subway station in Berlin establishes an underground link between city, stage, and built heritage. Architect Max Dudler designed the station as an homage to Karl Friedrich Schinkel—specifically his stage design for Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. The result: a spatial interpretation of eternal night, culminating in a vaulted hall of stars.
Address/Directions
U-Bahnhof Museumsinsel
Unter den Linden
10178 Berlin
Directions
“Our conceptual idea amplifies the architectural themes already present here: Schinkel and Berlin Classicism, the infinite darkness of these tunnels, the vestibule of Museum Island ... I believe people sense this resonance.”
As the final link connecting the U55 and U5 lines between Brandenburger Tor [A1] and Alexanderplatz, the Museumsinsel station occupies a prestigious location near Berlin Cathedral, the Humboldt Forum, and renowned museum buildings. The design takes inspiration from Schinkel’s 1816 stage set, which featured a radiant starry sky. Dudler recreates this atmosphere underground.
Suspended above the platforms is a luminous ceiling of ultramarine blue, embedded with 6,662 points of light. Due to structural constraints, a conventional suspended ceiling was not possible. Instead, Dudler developed an arched substructure assembled from individual segments. These were coated, painted ultramarine, and mounted as a seamless canopy.
In reference to Schinkel’s fondness for colonnades, a hall of robust columns now lines the central platform—a kind of subterranean pergola beneath the stars. The pillars, walls, and floors are clad in varying formats of bluish-gray Kösseine granite: laid in a random pattern on the walls and a Roman bond on the floor. With the exception of the starry ceiling, the rest of the station features smooth white plaster finishes.
Four understated entrances, kept deliberately simple in deference to the historic context, lead visitors down to the station. Integrated horizontal lighting elements provide soft illumination along staircases and corridors. On the lower level, similar linear fixtures are embedded in the platform columns. These, along with custom railings and handrail lighting, were developed specifically for the station.
To complement the granite and stainless steel detailing, Max Dudler selected two hardware models: the FSB 1076, a miter-welded round-bar lever, and the FSB 1016 by Robert Mallet-Stevens, both in finely brushed stainless steel. Their minimalist geometry resonates with the building’s material clarity while remaining visually restrained. Doors—either black-lacquered or faced in stone—are fitted with matching hardware, including the robust FSB 7575 security trim, chosen for its durability under heavy use. The handles embody Dudler’s architectural ethos: quiet strength through refined detail.
