The central element of the design of Capodichino station is the roof. The design utilises complex geometry based on a ‘toroid’ 3D shape with 46 main radial ribs. These ribs spring from the top of the station shaft and each has a diameter of 33m across the inside faces. The maximum length of one rib is 39m and the area of the main canopy is 4,700m². The ribs are interconnected by diagonal struts which stiffen the structure. The sizes of these sections vary to suit their internal forces.
A ‘belt’ tie follows the outer perimeter of the canopy. This provides additional rigidity to the canopy and limits vertical deflections by preventing ‘spread’ of the roof. The belt tie is likely to be pulled inwards so that the ribs and louvres feather outwards towards the rim. The main structure is clad with aluminium louvres. These are arranged in a ‘ridge-and-valley’ formation around the roof to assist with drainage. At the present stage of the design, the main ribs have been modelled as steel box sections.
The function of the canopy roof is to provide shade and rain cover for pedestrians going to and coming from the metro station and the car parks. Two clear parts can be identified: 1) the main roof covering the entrance to the metro station and 2) the ‘tail’ covering the walkway to the car park.
The design has been developed – using computer-based 3D geometric modelling – to minimise the number of elements which need to be fabricated for the structure. This, in turn, will simplify the construction process and, ultimately, ensure cost effectiveness.
Timber and steel have been used throughout in the construction of the roof structure above ground. However, to ensure that the design complies with local fire and other safety regulations, the structure underground is made of concrete.
Whilst security issues have clearly been a key factor affecting this project, the design of the roof is still expressed in the form of the structure used below-ground and, in spite of the difference of materials, the above- and below-ground elements produce a near-continuous structure.
The design of the roof helps to guide passengers across the piazza either from airport arrivals to the underground station or from the station to the departures area of the airport. Clear direction lines are offered at ground level mirroring the shape of the roof structure and waiting areas, with coffee shops and restaurants – as well as taxi drop-off and pick-up areas – provided.
Inside the station building, the escalator layout has been designed to maximise passenger throughput and flows, although the design also reflects a response to key safety and security issues, and the need to ensure that passengers can evacuate the station easily and rapidly in the event of a safety threat arising. The escalators effectively form an underground ‘spine’ to the station and are designed to ensure that there is no cross-flow of passengers entering or leaving.Key points
Concept:
The new scheme positions the underground station at the heart of the airport. This will help to reduce the walking distance between the train platforms and the entrances to the departure and arrival terminals. The wide roof section over the new pedestrian piazza helps to define routes into and out of the station, and encourages passengers to descend to the trains below or to move from the platforms to the piazza above. The elliptical ‘well’ which is a central focus of the station’s design, is animated by the vertical movement of passengers. Colour-coded escalators help to orientate and channel passenger flows through the station. The roof which covers this ‘well’ allows natural light to penetrate deep into the internal space of the station, as well as allowing natural ventilation to circulate throughout the building. It also provides protection from sunlight and rain for the piazza, creating a public space which offers a safe, protected environment for passengers travelling between the station and the airport.
The M.N.Metropolitana di Napoli S.p.A. is the Municipal Government of Naples' concessionaire responsible for the planning and construction of Naples Underground Line 1.
Line 1 will be a circular route, 27km in length with 28 stations. It will connect the city's nerve centres: the suburbs, the residential areas, the historic centre, the port, the central railway station, the administrative centre and the airport. Currently, 13km of the line with 14 stations have been opened to the public while a tract of about 5.5km in length is under construction and a tract of approximately 4km, which includes Capodichino Station, is in the final stages of planning. Different architects, including Mario Botta, Dominique Perrault, Massimiliano Fuksas, Alvaro Siza and Souto De Moura, EMBT, Karim Rashid and Oscar Tusquets Blanca have been commissioned to plan the different stations
The design for the Capodichino Station – which will be located at the end of the extension to Metropolitana Linea 1, at Naples airport – represents a significant opportunity to contribute to the regeneration of the airport itself, as well as to transform the existing airport terminal into a sustainable transport interchange hub, linking it to the Piazza Garibaldi railway station and the ferry terminal at Piazza Municipio.
The new scheme positions the underground station at the heart of the airport. This will help to reduce the walking distance between the train platforms and the entrances to the departure and arrival terminals. The wide roof section over the new pedestrian piazza helps to define routes into and out of the station, and encourages passengers to descend to the trains below or to move from the platforms to the piazza above. The elliptical ‘well’ which is a central focus of the station’s design, is animated by the vertical movement of passengers. Colour-coded escalators help to orientate and channel passenger flows through the station. The roof which covers this ‘well’ allows natural light to penetrate deep into the internal space of the station, as well as allowing natural ventilation to circulate throughout the building. It also provides protection from sunlight and rain for the piazza, creating a public space which offers a safe, protected environment for passengers travelling between the station and the airport.
