The roof to the new station consists of a series of ribbed vaults formed in laminated and glued wood stiffened by various frames and serving as the cover to the tracks and platforms of the station. These frames are, in turn, supported by very slender treelike columns.
The roof is fitted with a number of open skylights to allow the entry of natural light to the platform areas while, at the same time, impeding the entry of rain.
The roof has been designed to resist the important seismic stresses prevalent in the area. For those who can see it from above, the ceramic on the roof presents different images, among which Virgilio is currently in pole position, as a symbolic character of Naples.
The project started in 2004, when the Naples city commissioned international architects to design a new train station for the city's metropolitan line. The list of architects included Alvaro Siza, Karim Rashid, Domenique Perault, Massimiliano Fuksas, Sir Norman Foster and Benedetta Tagliabue.
Centro Direzionale station by EMBT. Photograph by Paolo Fassoli
Project description by Miralles Tagliabue - EMBT
The city of Naples embarking on the regeneration of city life on an existing urban megastructure. The Centro Direzionale area, where the new metro station will be located, is a complex of towers and platforms designed in the 70s. This new station would be an improvement in the connectivity between this area and Naples’ town centre. The new public spaces would allow different, fresher uses.
Our aim is to improve the access and appearance of public transport in order to make it more attractive to use. The station’s great roof creates shaded resting areas at the level of the square, a square that is currently hardly usable during the hot spring and summer weather as it is completely exposed to the sun. The new surrounding green areas will help to control the temperature. The roof lets natural light in, giving the station a hybrid character of interior and exterior, whilst also reducing the cost of artificial lighting during the day.