Naples metro station made of wood

A metro station in the Centro Direzionale area of Naples will be built in solid wood. The neighborhood 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 neighborhood seems cold and artificial, totally unspecific to Naples, to Italy in general. It's one of the reasons why the architectural studio Miralles Tagliabue EMBT proposed to build the local metro station in 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 look, but also because it weighs much less than other building materials

The station is built on the foundations of the old subway 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 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 new station covers an area of 10,000 m², and because the old supporting structures also had to be incorporated into the project, a material was chosen that would not overload them.

The architecture of the station combines wooden columns and arches, suggesting a tree-lined walkway. Skylights in the roof make the station much brighter and will reduce future electricity consumption. Also, the vaulted shape of the wooden dome is reminiscent of old railway stations with their curved roofs, thus linking to the past.

AAA - Architecture, Art, Archaeology

The new station is part of a larger 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 architectural 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 reproducing a figure from a ship 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 hard to do. There have been times when work has had to be interrupted, postponed or prolonged because new remains have been discovered during excavations. This is the case with the Fuksas studio which had to be interrupted because an ancient Roman temple was discovered. When the work is resumed, a museum will be set up here as part of the project.

In the Centro Direzionale station project, green spaces are planned around the building that will tie the entire structure together to form a much-needed oasis in a sea of concrete and glass. But the pandemic has delayed the work, with a completion date not yet advanced.

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