Negotiating infrastructure and cultural heritage: a transnational urban project

The case of Municipio square and metro station in Naples

TUPACH Seminar Series

07/05/2025, h. 17:30 – 19:00
Politecnico di Milano, Campus Leonardo, Edificio 16.C, Aula 16.C 02

The TUPACH seminar series explores the intersection of cultural heritage and urban development, focusing on how transnational projects engage with UNESCO sites in cities like Naples, Rome, and Venice. Drawing on a set of case studies, the series examines the roles of technical expertise, urban policies, and local communities in heritage preservation, transformation, and valorization. The challenges and frictions of such processes of urban transformation will be discussed.

Focusing on the intersection of infrastructure, heritage, and urban renewal, this lecture examines the Municipio project in Naples. Originally planned as an infrastructural intervention, the project combines the redesign of a central square with an intermodal metro station. Designed by Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, it has evolved into a complex urban transformation, blending archaeological discoveries, transnational expertise, and multi-level governance. As a key example of urban renewal in a heritage-rich context, the Municipio project offers insights into how infrastructure and cultural heritage are negotiated and reshaped through large-scale projects involving both international and local actors.

Relatori

Anita Martinelli – PhD Candidate, Politecnico di Milano
Sveva Ventre – PhD Candidate, Federico II University of Naples

Discussants

Sampo Ruoppila – Senior Researcher of Urban Studies, University of Helsinki
Paolo Scrivano – Associate Professor of History of Architecture, Politecnico di Milano

Responsabili

Davide Ponzini, Anita Martinelli, Paolo Scrivano Zachary M. Jones

Photo Credits: Comune di Napoli