Napoli Porta Est

Strategy

In ancient times, Naples was called the “city of the seven castles” because it was the only city in the world that boasted seven castles within its boundaries: Castel dell'Ovo, Castel Nuovo), Castel Sant'Elmo, Castel Capuano, Castello del Carmine, Castello di Nisida and Forte di Vigliena.

These castles were located in such a way as to provide powerful defence to the Gulf of Naples from naval attacks. These castles are emblematic of the various powers that have ruled Naples over the centuries.

Executive power in Naples is now exercised by the regional government. It should be there to serve, not to rule. It should be representative of the region, a democratic, inclusive, pluriform multi party system.

Our proposal is that the building that houses this government should become the 8th castle of Naples, the castle of the people. It should face in all directions, its form gazing out and welcoming the city from all sides. It should stand out but fit in. It should share similar characteristics to some of the other castles with their clear datums and play of solid and void. It should have a strong recognisable form - singular from afar, then more complex and multi layered when up close, with materiality representative of the five provinces of Campania. It should be a place of continuous and fruitful dialogue with a grounded auditorium for debating and decision making. It should be inviting, with a rooftop terrace and walkway that is publicly accessible.

Naples becomes “the city of eight castles”.Castel Campania is the castello of the people.

There is always a generous landscape setting to a castle. Our proposal is to craft a new city park, the first city park in Naples in 100 years. It will be multi layered to overcome the challenging level changes across the site. Sweeping, stepping, contiguous and coherent, like the rocky outcrop and “paessagio” that sits below Castel Sant’Elmo. A kilometre long woodland belvedere will form the shaded spine from which to grow five gardens that celebrate and amplify the various landscape conditions of the region.

There is always a village around a castle. The Borgo.Our proposal creates a contemporary interpretation of a Borgo to integrate the castle into its surroundings. Three clusters of mixed use accommodation will learn from the form of the Borgo at Castell dell’Ovo. The accommodation will be organically organised around triangular courtyard gardens and step from 3 to 6 storeys.

The 8th castle, the park and the borgo should be intrinsically connected into the mobility hub. This should be kept as simple as possible building on the good work already done to date to shape an efficient train and bus interchange.

Specificity

The form of the Castel Campania has a naturally organic shape plan with a tapering sectional profile to allow the form to touch the landscape lightly: like a castle it looks in all directions toward all the regions it administrates.

The tapering inward stepping of the facade helps to reduce direct sun hitting the elevations while reducing glare in the office environment. The distinctive silhouette of stone fins, further controls heat and daylight while allowing natural moments of mass and of transparency. More transparency in the lower levels to better connect with the public and sending a signal of openness; more stone density toward the upper levels to establish a level of gravitas that befits the important administrative role of this public building. Like the surrounding Castellos, stone imparts a sense of stability and permanence.

At pedestrian level a dramatic cut in the building marks both the location of the main entrance lobby as well as the axial vista towards the adjoining neighbourhood to the north of the tracks. A new pedestrian bridge will emphasise this connection.

The facade of the building is clad with stone fins that act as sun louvres as well as delivering a rich and changing silhouette according to sunlight or one’s movement around the building. The lighter tone upper fins help to unify the form while the lower fins with richer stone tonalities and character are selected from the 5 different regions the building represents. Like the existing castellos, deep shadows and organic aggregation provide a distinctive presence. Moments of greater transparency are carefully located to mark specific views of the wider city context such as the port, Vesuvius and the other Castellos. At landscape level this transparency reveals the public elements of the building such as the entrance lobby, the auditorium, the cafeteria or the inner garden. This is a public as well as a private building.

While the external elevation emphasises mass and solidity, the two stepped atriums with their greater transparency and rich vegetation celebrate office wellbeing and healthy departmental interface for the 2300 staff working in this building. Steps and ramps facilitate outdoor connections and lead upward to the landscaped roof terrace which offers long views in all the represented regions.

The entrance lobby is situated at the centre of the plan. This is where the public is invited to go either left towards the auditorium and exhibition spaces or right towards the cafeteria and garden. From this central point the offices divide into two 16m wide ovals: a layout of cellular offices occupies the external 8m zone while the more open plan facilities face the atriums. There are no dead ends but instead a continuous movement flow. A few double height spaces further reinforce the interconnectedness of the departments.

Sustainability

The ambitions of the building are for the highest sustainable credentials starting with natural light, control of heat gain, use of low carbon materials and a rich presence of nature (water retention, biodiversity etc.). The section of the building offers a good strategy for cross ventilation cooling. The stepped section offers a self shading elevation which reduces glare and heat gain. The auditorium and the open garden occupy strategically the base of each atrium. These atriums provide daylight down to the depth of the building. The roof garden is a public offering as well as a precious staff amenity for events, socialising and lunch breaks. It is also emblematic of the role of building.

Spanning the length of the site, the "Chilometro Verde" features a kilometre-long forested greenway. This climate-cooled walkway integrates the site with the broader cityscape. Primarily evergreen Mediterranean forest trees provide natural shade, creating inviting and comfortable routes for movement and social interaction. Along this path, artificial springs emit water vapor and mist, cooling pedestrians and add a playful water element to the journey.

South of the Chilometro Verde, five themed gardens offer tranquil spaces and showcase regional flora as well as drought-resistant species from similar climates worldwide. These gardens combine beauty and resilience, presenting accessible and hardworking horticulture to the people of Naples.

The landscape around the Castello building features stepped terraces, offering vistas across the site and the city beyond. This area pairs the rugged character of the Castello with the rocky outcrops typical of the region. Local rock and stone form a memorable connection to the building's chiselled form, creating a rock garden environment that supports locally distinctive plant species thriving in drystone and cliff conditions.

Inside the Castello, the protected central courtyard becomes a lush tropical oasis, leveraging the specific microclimate of the space to nurture sustainable vibrant plant life. This lushness contrasts with two rooftop gravel gardens, offering stunning city views. One garden is public, and the other private, providing distinct yet complementary green spaces.

Our proposal integrates nature and urban life, creating a diverse and engaging greenspace that reflects the unique character of Naples and its surroundings.