MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, has completed the restoration of the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel in Japan’s Niigata prefecture. The revitalisation project sees the installation of several permanent artistic spaces along the historic lookout tunnel, with the intention of bringing back the cultural energy that once empowered the region. The Tunnel of Light opened on the occasion of the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Triennale.
Road and rail tunnels are not often associated with inspirational design but this tunnel portal building in Austria, defined by perforated Nordic Brass copper alloy from Aurubis, heralds a new role in this typology for architects.
