EMBT Finishes Naples Underground Central Station Featuring Vaulted Timber Canopy
Spanish firm EMBT has completed the Naples Underground Central Station, featuring a distinct curvilinear timber roof designed to soften its 1970s modernist surroundings. As Dezeen reports, the project replaces a previous entrance with a 10,000-square-metre structure and public plaza intended to better integrate the transport hub with the historic identity of the city.
Context from Industry Pulse
The completion of the Naples Underground Central Station highlights a shift toward using organic materials to mitigate the rigid aesthetics of 20th-century modernism. By placing a glulam timber structure within Kenzo Tange’s 1970s Centro Direzionale, EMBT addresses long-standing criticisms regarding the district's lack of integration with the rest of Naples. This development follows a broader trend of artistic and architectural interventions in the city's transit system, including steel and aluminium works by Anish Kapoor. The project aligns with other global infrastructure developments, such as Snøhetta’s mirrored station in Saudi Arabia and RSHP’s work in Melbourne, which prioritize creating distinct public identities for underground transport hubs.
The new station is situated in the Centro Direzionale, a business district originally designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. According to Dezeen, the Spanish studio EMBT utilized a glue-laminated timber roof to contrast the artificial feel of the existing reflective skyscrapers and concrete piazza. The vaulted canopy is supported by glulam arches and beams that rest partly on the station's original concrete infrastructure, providing shelter for travelers while extending into a new paved plaza.
The interior finishes utilize local materials, including Etna and Trani limestone for the flooring. EMBT founder Benedetta Tagliabue informed Dezeen that the branching columns were intended to mimic the experience of walking through a forest, referencing the historic aesthetics of traditional railway stations. The exterior geometry of the roof mirrors the path of the subway tracks below, making the subterranean layout visible to the public at street level.
Beneath the surface, the design shifts to a vibrant color palette. As Dezeen notes, the station platforms feature striped panels in red, yellow, and orange, which were inspired by the frescoes found in Pompeii. These colors and silhouettes continue to the ground level, serving as a cultural link to the region's archaeological history. The station also includes new landscaping, with a north-facing church view and a green area to the south.
This project joins other high-profile infrastructure updates in the city, such as the sculptural entrances designed by Anish Kapoor and AL_A. The station has been shortlisted for the infrastructure category at the 2026 Dezeen Awards. The design aims to provide a more domestic and natural atmosphere within a neighborhood dominated by glass and concrete, emphasizing warmth and texture through its material choices.
The Industry Pulse Bottom Line
EMBT’s use of timber and Pompeian color palettes demonstrates how infrastructure can serve as a restorative tool, bridging the gap between cold modernist urban planning and the cultural heritage of a city.