La stazione Garibaldi della Metropolitana di Napoli: tra riqualificazione urbana e nuovi usi degli spazi sotterranei

The large square facing the main railway station in Naples, Piazza Garibaldi, and the neighborhood around it, have been an area of urban blight since the creation of the square in the late '50s. Taking advantage of a significant influx of European and Italian capital for an important subway project, one of the city's administrations launched a project to regenerate the Piazza Garibaldi area, focused on a large subway station which would connect the hill and northern part of the city with the railway station. The subway station, now almost completed, was designed by French "archistar" Dominique Perrault. One of its main features will be a large underground square (about 7.000 m², 8 m below the surface), which will connect Piazza Garibaldi to the subway station 40 m below the surface. This area should be lit primarily by natural light through a transparent dome, and act as both a transportation hub, allowing interchange between the train and subway lines converging towards the existing railway station, and a shopping mall. The project will completely redesign the existing square, using the reticular dome of the underground square to give it a strong architectural identity, and transforming it into a vehicle-free space with green areas and a new organization of temporary commerce. Once completed, it will contribute significantly to the regeneration of the square. This article analyzes the project, focusing on the comparison with similar case studies around the world, in which the renewal or outright construction of stations has featured the use of underground spaces to improve the quality of surface space.