Construction has begun on a subway station in Naples, Italy, designed by London studio Amanda Levete Architects and artist Anish Kapoor.
Called Monte St Angelo Subway Station, the project was inspired by a network of unfinished tunnels.
It will have two entrances – one made of Corten steel that will appear to have been pulled up from the ground, and another made of aluminium that will appear to sink into the earth.
Photographs are by Peppe Testa.
Here’s some more information from Amanda Levete Architects:
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Construction begins on Naples subway station
Monte St Angelo Subway station in Naples, a project in collaboration with Anish Kapoor is now on site. The brief from the City of Naples, to create a fully-functioning tube station that is in itself a work of art, demanded a synthesis of purpose and beauty that was fundamental to our creative process. A second primary point of inspiration was the site. At the surface the station will be the central element in the urban and cultural regeneration of the Traiano district that has suffered in its recent history from infrastructural isolation and neglect.
Simultaneously the network of tunnels and vaults designed and subsequently abandoned midway through a previous tube station project, describes an underworld barely tangible in the gleaming and sanitary underground spaces of contemporary subway projects. In the shadow of Vesuvius and embedded in layers of early civilisation, these dark and brutal concrete shells have been inspirational to our formal and material approach.
We began the process by stretching and moulding plasticine forms, synthesising the primary access requirements within and around the existing negative volumes. As layers of programme were introduced, the eternal tension between form and function was worked through while preserving the singular purpose and integrity of the forms.
The two entrances to the subway are a response to their particular urban condition. With the backdrop of a mountain the Universita entrance in Corten steel appears to have been pulled from the underground to create a dramatic, powerful and almost primal form. The Triano entrance is a typical urban condition bordered by medium rise residential buildings. Here the more refined aluminium form appears almost impossibly supported as it slips into the void below.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I would like to see it covered with grafiti!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I think I have a dirty mind.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
me like!! suki des!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
hmmm it’s a very erotic shape I wonder what the Italians’ response will be. Coming out of the subway is like rebirth . . .
November 20th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Well, there are enough phalic buildings in the world; maybe it’s time for some vaginal ones.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Is ALA taking credit for a design that was done by Future Sytems?? either way i think its great
November 20th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
slippery when wet…
November 20th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
vulva to hell? omg
November 20th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
nice vulva
November 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
looks like giant pussy!
November 20th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
…my dog makes “stations” like that all around my patio!…
November 20th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Giant Vagina.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
ahahhaa! very big very vagina )))
November 20th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I suggest to Amanda Levete to call this project: “L’Origine du monde” not the
one of Gustave Courbet but Amanda Levete…
It will be a very exciting project!
François Beydoun
November 20th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Johnny b, since 1/2 of Future Systems is dead and the other 1/2 is Amanda Levete, I think its probably okay that ALA is taking credit.
And hoo-ray for yoni architecture. But come on, guys what’s with the comments…”pussy” “vulva to hell” “slippery when wet?” Is Deezen read by closet misogynists?
November 20th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Looks like a sausage. Its horrible and it looks disgusting
November 20th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
the pictures made my eyeballs bleed
November 20th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Its amazing,….great project!! ,…and im sure in Rem `s opinion the only thing missing would be that little “coney island”,….
November 20th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Guys Monte St Angelo is A dipartment of my university FedericoII in Naples. I think that the works will finish end of next year.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.840792,14.186199&spn=0.00054,0.000862&t=h&z=20
the station is on inside of the complex of monte st angelo.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
two words:
MASSIVE
VAGINA
November 20th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Back to the womb. How regressive.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Amazingly, Peppe Teste did the photographs. Some artists have all the fun…
November 20th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Due to a “headache,” no one was allowed to come in and they all missed their train.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
is it april 1st already?Agash Kapoor?
November 20th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
dear god…did the jury or committee not see that? I like Kapoor, but this is really awful
November 20th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Awesome stuff and a terrific partnership between the artist and Architect. It’s great to see Kapoor return to his ‘vulvar’ shapes. It reminds me of Niki de Saint Phalle’s ‘Hon’ 1966, at the Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
And most of all:right,that s exaclty what Naples need.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
all these comments are spot on and giving me a great laugh
November 21st, 2009 at 12:16 am
OMG! this must be the biggest joke ever.. Nobody can look at this and say: This is exactly what we had in mind – cant figure out if its a very nice turt or a very ugly pu…!
November 21st, 2009 at 3:30 am
So let me get this right.
now that the “guys” of Future System is pretty much gone, they stopped designing phallic buildings, and the “lady” who is left finally has her stuff out.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:30 am
it looks to me like a sofa, a soft comfortable huge sofa that welcomes the crowd.
so i think it is quite nice…
November 21st, 2009 at 8:53 am
this is what we say ‘form follows function’
November 21st, 2009 at 1:26 pm
yup… will be closed to the public once a month, and for a few days after will not be very nice to get in there
November 21st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Plus side.. we can all pretend to be sperm and run around looking for the egg….
lets home the conditions are not as hostile to humas as they are to sperm within…………………
November 21st, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Most of the phallic buildings I have seen in my life have been in italy. Mussolini according to the Italians I spoke with (I am fluent) had a bunch built that looked like a penis and balls to represent power. But even better than that is the fact that Pompeii is a hop, skip and a jump from Naples. Male anatomy amongst other things were painted, sculpted and carried around for good luck. So of all places I can not think were it would be better suited for a design like this. Viva Italia.
November 21st, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Anish Kapoor is one of my favorite artists for many years. I am really happy to him involved in a public project outside the museum.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:19 am
Andrew Liebchen, i think you mistunderstand the relationship between Amanda and Jan. The way to explain it is the way Zaha put it ” Jan was the creative one!” As far as im concirned any project concieved of before their split has Jan written all over it with (at best) a foot note by amanda.
I do however have to agree with your thoughts on the stupid comments about genetalia. Hey morons… do you not drink out of a coke bottle because of it semmi reminds you of a penis? didnt think so…
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:35 am
I´m in.
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 am
I guess as a gay man I fail to see the appeal. snicker
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:21 am
Take it back, DEZEEN is populated by loud, proud misogynists. No hiding it folks.
Congrats! You should be proud of yourselves.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:14 am
How about you guys visit their website. The images and the process listed on their actually show a much nicer perspective. I see how the reflective aluminum entry does well to reflect the surrounding cityscape. As you are coming up the escalator, you get a view of the landscape you are about to arrive in. The corten entry is also very nice. Congrats Kapoor! This is actually more thought out then the silly schoolyard comments left on here!
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
id quite like to hear or read a few words on this from Anish Kapoor, ive liked a lot of his work and know there’s a big difference between looking at pictures of it and actually visiting and having a look…… Im imagining the collaboration between him and Amanda Levete Architects will continue throughout the whole of the station & if somewhere in the ideas behind this build there is a celebration of the female sex, motherhood, birth, female form, (i think he has touched on some of these subjects before….) etc then i find that lovely and – from these pictures – astonishingly honest in terms of the builds form.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:54 pm
MAMA
November 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
>Gareth.
Run around looking for eggs?
It ain’t Easter yet.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Viva Ilalia
Vulva Italia
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:42 pm
looks like a giant turd
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:52 am
tehehehe… awesome. giant vag… gotta leave it to the italians.
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:55 am
You said in… Naples?
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I absolutely hate it! I don’t see what’s so artistic about that giant blob! It will cost a fortune to be built and it’s going to look ugly and out of context. It’s sad to see all that money wasted on that thing!
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm
i feel slightly uneasy about my previous comment, having given this some thought i think this structure might be hinting at a comment on the earth’s resources as much as anything else,
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:48 pm
This is the single worst thing I’ve ever seen in Dezeen.
Oh, no, it isn’t. The prize goes to those who think that pointing out a building looks like a vagina means that you’re a “misogynist”.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
first things first *SIGH* did anyone stop to think that the form is intentional – maybe, just maybe if you take it as a given that the designers wanted it to look that way you could begin to discuss it beyond 13 year old boy terms. Me am dead keen to see how corten would look in this structural form – anyone who has seen the metal and Kapoor’s use of it would know the roughness is awesome.
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Johnny b –
As far as im concirned any project concieved of before their split has Jan written all over it with (at best) a foot note by amanda.
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how could YOU possibly know the relationship between the two partners of Future Systems – were you there in the office day-to-day? if you read anything they both said they were basically two separate offices for four or five years before the split. Any projects that levete has now were hers before the split and any projects jan had is supposed to stay with his legacy – indeed the phallic may have turned vaginal, would be cool to see if the trend takes hold
gossip is too easy, get educated man.
November 25th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I cannot wait until I can see photos of the finished result. Looks like a very exciting design at this stage!!!!
November 26th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Big vagina!? bad results for rorschach test, guilty
November 26th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Traffic boy… lets just say i have a very reliable source
November 26th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
someone should capture this image from an aeropane when its done. as far as styling goes, judging from the images presented, it is absolutely devastating. it is just disgusting, the only cool bit is the elevated section or entrance
November 26th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I like it! Anyone who is familar with Anish Kapoor’s work know that the vulva symbol is his main stay.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Johnny b
1. am not a boy
2. as do i
Johnny b Says:
November 26th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Traffic boy… lets just say i have a very reliable source
November 28th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I really have to say that I never laughed that much about a dezeen post. All these comments are simply hilarious!! Especially the ones that accuse others of being misogynist ! I just cried ! So ridiculous ! Keep posting all of you ! Wow !
February 18th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Amazing organic femininity merging into the landscape!
Take that Obelisks!
: )
February 18th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Why are so people in opposition to such a beautiful shape and take with no objection whatsoever al phallic buildings?!
Very narrow minded ideas will just die with their very narrow minded authors!