Naples metro station made of wood

A metro station in the Centro Direzionale area of Naples will be built of solid wood. The neighbourhood where the station is located was designed in the 1970s by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange in a very modern style, with skyscrapers, reflective glass and lots of concrete. The office-heavy area is very active during the day, but becomes deserted and lifeless after 5pm. Because of this the neighbourhood seems cold and artificial, totally unspecific to Naples, to Italy in general. This is one of the reasons why the architecture studio Miralles Tagliabue EMBT proposed to build the local metro station out of wood, adding naturalness and warmth to the space and linking it to the spirit of the old Italian city.

Wood was used for its natural appearance, but also for its much lighter weight than other building materials

The station is built on the foundations of the old metro station, which was more of a concrete roof over the stairs leading underground. The old structures are still in use, with the concrete columns being extended with those of laminated wood (glulam). In addition to its aesthetic and natural appearance, wood was also chosen because it is a lighter building material than concrete. The area of the new station is 10,000 m² and because the old resistance structures are to be included in the project, a material that does not overload them was chosen.

The architecture of the station combines wooden columns and arches suggesting a tree line where you can walk. The roof has skylights that make the station much brighter and will reduce electricity consumption in the future. The vaulted shape of the wooden dome also reminds us of the old railway stations with their curved roofs, making a link with the past.

AAA - Architecture, Art, Archaeology

The new station is part of a wider project to renovate old metro stations in Naples under the slogan AAA - Architecture, Art, Archaeology. The stations included in the project are designed by famous architecture studios and are to combine elements from all these fields. In the case of the Centro Direzionale station, the wooden roof will incorporate a piece of art that will reproduce a figure from a vessel discovered by archaeologists in Pompeii. Thus the special architecture suggesting nature will also incorporate the other requirements of the slogan.

Naples, like the whole of Italy, is built on history, so linking new projects with the past and archaeology is not difficult. There have been times when work has had to be interrupted, postponed or extended because new remains were discovered during excavations. This is the case of the Fuksas studio which had to be interrupted because an ancient Roman temple was discovered. When work resumes here, a museum will be included in the project.

The Centro Direzionale station project also includes green spaces around the building that will link the entire structure, forming a much-needed oasis in the sea of concrete and glass. However, the pandemic has led to a delay in work, with a completion date not yet advanced.

Read more about the ongoing project in Naples in Dezeen magazine. Photos: Paolo Fassoli