A futuristic project, branded Stone Italiana.
The inauguration of the new Neapolitan “Università” subway station dates back to 2011. It was created by the Anglo-Canadian designer Karim Rashid together with the internationally-renowned architects Alessandro Mendini and Sergio Cappelli.
The station, which serves the district of Campania’s capital city where the Federico II University of Naples is located, is part of the “Stations of Art” circuit, which includes four other stations on Line 1, created by M.N. Metropolitana di Napoli (Naples Subway). All the “Stations of Art”, distinctive for their large and functional spaces, are designed by international archistars invited to create and construct both the interior and exterior areas, decorating them with sculptures, installations and works of contemporary art. The metro station is thus transformed from a transit location to a modern and dynamic urban space, inspired by the multicultural creativity of its university setting. A permanent ‘metropolitan museum’ where art, culture and the avant-garde intertwine and merge, forming words, images and digital works built into walls and floor.
The station’s entire flooring is clad with engineered quartz panels manufactured by Stone Italiana, which has invested in the ductility of engineered quartz, conceiving the cladding slabs as original products that can be shaped by the creativity of contemporary designers and architects.
All the panels have dreamy and futuristic graphics, made using the sublimation technique that enables solid-colour printing, for optimum durability over time and resistance to constant pedestrian traffic. In addition to the flooring, Stone Italiana supplied products for the stairs and the respective parapets. The staircases include those named “Dante” and “Beatrice” in which the sublimation technique was used for the risers.
