RSHP's Capodichino Metro Station Opens in Naples

London-based architecture firm RSHP has completed the Capodichino metro station on Naples' Line 1, linking the airport, central station, and port via a single infrastructure. Built by Webuild with Moccia Irme and managed by ANM for the Comune di Napoli, the station features a dramatic use of natural light, with a 270-step staircase punctuated by skylights that act as a navigational guide. Architect Ivan Harbour, who has worked on the project for about twenty years, describes the station as an "inverted cathedral" that balances monumentality and intimacy. The design uses only concrete, metal, and glass, emphasizing modularity and precision. Harbour notes that the station is a democratic space intended to reduce travel anxiety, and its integration with the existing "Stazioni dell'Arte" program makes art intrinsic to the architecture rather than an add-on. The station is one of the few globally to connect three major urban hubs—airport, railway station, and port—via a single metro line. Harbour also highlights the importance of natural light, which in summer will reach the floor, turning the building into a sundial. The project involved extensive collaboration with local engineers and builders, ensuring a distinctly Neapolitan character despite RSHP's global practice.