The University of Naples subway station is highly trafficked by a multi-cultural, academic community of thousands of passengers a day.
For the station we designed a creative concept that communicates and embodies knowledge in the new digital age, language in the shrinking global landscape, innovation and mobility in this third technological revolution. Naples is no longer just a historic southern city of Italy, but an integral intellectual haven that extends its reach throughout the world. This is the changing Italy, and Universita station is a metaphor of the new wired global condition. The concept integrates the station with its surroundings, as well as provides a platform for innovative, cutting-edge design strategy. Entering into the station from the piazza the visitor will walk though a space clad with tiles, each one printed with new words created in this last century. Visitors will be impacted by the soft nature of the space, and the striking palette of colors and patterns. Lenticular icons change color and perspective, providing an interesting siteline as commuters proceed from the lobby level to the platforms below. A sculpture reflecting the nodes and synapses of the brain intersects the space between two head profile benches. While descending to the subway platforms via escalator the visitor experiences a transition from the busy piazza to a more intimate, focused environment. Various artwork serves as a focal point. These abstract images invoke the user to shape the environment according to his/her own creative interpretations.The platform steps feature abstracted portraits of Dante and Beatrice. The accent colors lime and pink guide visitors through the descent to the final destination.
Appealing to where commuters will spend most of their time, the platform level walls feature backlit artwork, providing a continuous soft glow in the space. The digital artwork becomes animated through persistence of vision as commuters pass by on the train. A subway station is a temporal, transitional space, yet the commuter is contained for a short period of time before continuing his/her journey. Our concept focuses on the commuter experience within the train station, and how the surrounding environment can serve as a respite in a days schedule.