KIT — Kunst im Tunnel This stunning rendezvous for contemporary art came into being in the shape of KIT (Kunst im Tunnel), located beneath the beloved promenade along the Rhine Embankment in a dormant space between the bores of the road tunnels, which had lain unused up until 2006. In addition, the entrance area on the promenade — a glazed pavilion facing the Rhine — has become a great new place to eat and drink on the Rhine Embankment. The so—called »tunnel overspill area« in technician—speak is situated opposite the Ministry for Family Affairs and the old State Chancellery on the Horionplatz. It had already been used for events after completion of the Rhine Embankment promenade project in 1995. However, a more permanent usage — keenly promoted above all by the art scene — was out of the question under the then prevailing conditions, chiefly because at that time access to the tunnel site was limited to a small entrance with only two provisional stets of stairs. In 2006 — Quadrennial year — the art world's dreams were to be fulfilled. Fritschi, the firm of architects who had already provided the plans and design for the Rhine Embankment promenade, was asked for a workable concept for this project; the plans were subsequently discussed at committee level and finally approved. The company IDR was appointed as the developer, with whom the city's corporation negotiated a 30—year lease. The construction costs for this unusual project ran to EUR 3.4 million. The visible entrance to KIT is the new, glazed pavilion facing the Rhine. It covers around 130 sq. metres has been equipped with a kitchen and functions as a café/bistro catering for up to 50 customers at a time. When the weather is fine, customers can sit outside on a generously apportioned terrace and be served in the shade of the plane trees on the promenade. Two emergency sets of stairs were also added. It was necessary to open up the ceiling of the tunnel again to accommodate one of these sets of stairs.