The design project for the Catania Metro Station by the architects Loredana Cucinotta, Antonio Trapani, Daniele Zito, Emanuele Perrotta and Ignazio Lutri has received a special mention in the Grand Prix architecture competition, for the following reasons:
“In addition to responding to the requirements of functionality and resistance typical of transit areas, the layout employed and the different tile shades used create an abstract pattern that indicates the routes to be followed, thus combining a visual information purpose with a pleasing overall appearance.”
The design project and its realisation were part of a process to develop and transform the Ferrovia Circumetnea rail system, as a metro line within the urban area of Catania, linking the city with other towns and villages in the area. Specifically, the project regarded a 1.75 km extension of the section leading to the centre of Misterbianco, where the two stations of Fontana and Monte Po are located, with connections to hospital facilities and the densely populated districts in the north-western area of the city.
All the interior floors and walls were tiled with a total of 17,500 square metres of porcelain stoneware from the Pietre di Sardegna collection (in the colours Cala Luna, Porto Rotondo and Stintino) and the Marte collection (in the colour Azul Bahia).
The concept of the two stations is exactly the same: a single construction below ground, with mezzanine and intermediate floors with a total area of 4,000 square metres comprising all the points of access or exchange to and from the platform level. In addition to optimising the construction areas, the solution adopted also allowed for an optimisation of structural and plant costs.
Along the upward and downward paths, the two intermediate levels help illustrate the complexity of the building, with large openings in the floors illuminated by natural light that offer a view of the user flows and the spaces at the different levels.
The platform area features modular sheet steel casings with variable sections, in shades of pink for the Fontana station and blue for the Monte Po station. The casings house the plant systems and organise the lighting, signalling and fire suppression systems.
The structure of the ground-level exits is formed by metal platform roofs, arranged around which are stop-off areas for interchange with road transport lines and parking areas.
