Naples, Duomo subway station opens to the public, designed by Fuksas

In Naples, the new Duomo subway station opened its doors to users from yesterday, Friday, August 6. The opening of the new stop concludes work on the Dante-Garibaldi section on Line 1. The Duomo station is a kind of work of art and museum together: it was designed by architects Doriana Mandrelli and Massimiliano Fuksas, who had to work (and will have to continue to work) respecting the need to show the archaeological finds that have been unearthed at the site. In fact, from the excavation emerged a portico from the Flavian age, the Gymnasium, that is, the temple dedicated to the Isimpian games wanted in 2 A.D. by Emperor Augustus, and more statues and burials. The station was designed in such a way as to allow viewing of the remains: this part of the construction site is still in operation, so at the moment it is not yet possible to see the remains(this is what it will look like).

The findings constitute a true monumental complex that was built in honor of Emperor Augustus on the model of the games of Olympia: Naples, at the time, was considered the most Greek city in the West. It is for this reason that the work was prolonged beyond what was necessary: the city administration, the concessionary company and the Soprintendenza Archeologica had to develop the design hypothesis of a Station-Museum, in which to proceed with themuseographic arrangement of the emerged remains, while guaranteeing the functionality of the metro station. The complexity of the archaeological excavation work and the enhancement of the unearthed remains therefore forced the administration to seek additional funding and to revisit the initial design of the station, in order to allow for the relocation of the Temple and the possibility of showing it to the public when the work is completed.

The Duomo station is about 40 meters deep and has four levels. The first level, of 7700 square meters, will house the Temple: as soon as the works are completed, the Temple will be visible from the outside, through a glass roof, and can also be visited through a route independent of the subway. The second level, which is as wide as the first, constitutes the mezzanine of the station, where the turnstiles have been placed, beyond which, through a system of escalators and elevators, it is possible to reach the next levels up to the train platforms. The path to the platforms is characterized by backlit steel panels carved with hexagonal shapes, which change color according to the time of day, accompanying travelers on a journey that fades from the light blue of day to the orange of sunset to the twilight of night, without ever losing contact with the light. The coverings of the four levels described are made of stainless steel.

The floors and stairs are made of travertine, while the exit staircase is made of lava stone. For the remaining intermediate floors open to the public, painted “aquapanel” type cladding and travertine flooring were used. For the realization of this work it was necessary to work through as many as eleven phases to ensure the viability and passage of people at all times. Also numerous and demanding were the works to guard the buildings, which were constantly monitored during the execution of the works. A total of 6,200 square meters of diaphragms, 59,100 cubic meters of excavation, more than 19,000 cubic meters of concrete and 16,000 tons of iron were used. For the linings, about 6,800 square meters of stainless steel and 4,300 square meters of travertine.

“It’s like a walk along the hours of the day,” comments Massimiliano Fuksas. “The colors change, ranging from light blue to the orange of the sunset and beyond to the night. It’s almost the walk of an astronaut who sees the earth from the moon and observes the phases of the day as they go by.”

Naples, Duomo subway station opens to the public, designed by Fuksas

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