Lighting for the Duisburg Marine Museum

Duisburg’s Museum of Inland Navigation, housed in the former Ruhrort Art Nouveau bathhouse, represents a remarkable architectural renovation. This historic building, revisited by Architekturfabrik Aachen (afa) in collaboration with artist Ron Bernstein, combines respect for heritage with contemporary museography. The original architecture, with its majestic vaulted ceilings and delicate mosaics, now dialogues with exhibition spaces redesigned to showcase the history of German river navigation.

Lighting, the central element of this redesign, accompanies the architectural lines with sobriety and precision. The carefully integrated lighting fixtures reveal the details of the historic structures, while providing a clear, even illumination of the exhibits, such as the 1913 cargo sailing ship Goede Verwachting, majestically installed in the former men’s pool. The soft, controlled light sculpts the volumes, emphasizes the perspectives, and accompanies the visitor’s journey without altering the identity of the site.

With sustainability in mind, the museum opted for high-performance LED solutions, replacing obsolete installations with energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting. This modernization, supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, not only reduces the site’s carbon footprint, but also enhances the visitor experience through optimized visual comfort.

At the Musée de la Navigation Intérieure, light doesn’t just illuminate: it tells the story, guides and sublimates the architecture, reinforcing the link between history and the present. Lighting is conceived as a genuine architectural component, at the service of heritage and memory.

Location: Duisburg, Germany
Credits: ©Alain Caste, Sammode