Passage of the Imaginary

Beneath the A6 motorway in Savigny-sur-Orge, this pedestrian tunnel in the junction between two fragments of the city, is a narrow, dark and uninhabited space. The exploration developed by atelier dada begins with a simple question: how can this mundane space become a place, a link, a Passage which is truly luminous, both literally and figuratively?

We called "Passage of the imaginary" with the idea to gently wrap the tunnel into a tube-like form, and reshape its entrances into circular or keyhole-like thresholds. A first intuition. A subtle echo of childhood passages, not leading merely elsewhere, but into another quality of space. The tunnel ceases to be a constraint. It becomes a threshold, a transition, a perceptual shift.

The project relies on a single gesture, minimal, precise, and carefully controlled in both design and cost. A sequence of luminous lines, integrated into the architecture, follows the geometry of the passage and structures the interior space. Visible from one direction, hidden from the other, they primarily reveal their effect through the surfaces, transforming them into successive luminous grooves.

This device generates two distinct experiences depending on the direction of movement.
From the city towards the park, the light remains discreet, almost immaterial. The lines dissolve from view, leaving a soft, continuous, ethereal atmosphere.
In the opposite direction, from the park towards the city, the lines become visible. The rhythm intensifies, the presence of light asserts itself, and the passage becomes more urban, more signal-like.

Soft and colored light acts here as a spatial material. It opens, softens, and clarifies the space. It accompanies the body, alters the perception of distance, and transforms a constrained passage into an inhabited moment. Time seems shorter as the experience becomes richer. One no longer simply crosses. One experiences.

This proposal is part of Atelier dada’s ongoing research into the capacity of light to transform constrained public spaces through a precise, viable and low-maintenance gesture. A way to restore usability, presence, and a subtle thread of imagination to the everyday.

© Atelier dada.

This conceptual exploration, including its texts, visuals, and design principles, is an original creation by atelier dada @ Marie-Ikram Bouhlel. Any reproduction, adaptation, use, or distribution, in whole or in part, without prior written authorization, is prohibited.