UNStudio and Settanta7 awarded Turin Metro Line 2

The consortium led by UNStudio – comprising Settanta7, Mijksenaar, Frigorosso, 3BA and WSP – has been awarded the new Turin Metro Line 2, a key step toward the development of the city’s new metropolitan axis.

Characterized by the idea of designing stations inspired by Turin’s historic porticoes, the winning proposal was praised by the international jury of experts, chaired by Dominique Perrault, for its elegance and coherence.

“For Turin’s new Metro Line 2, we wanted to create more than a transport system. We wanted to design a new civic connection for the whole city, one that brings Turin’s history and its future into direct conversation. What is especially important is that this metro is truly public in spirit: it feels open, safe, and welcoming, with stations and entrances that extend the public realm so that, in places, the park meets the metro and infrastructure becomes part of the city’s shared social space”.

 

Ben van Berkel, founder of UNStudio

Reflecting the duality of Turin’s urban fabric

The use of sustainable materials, the high quality of interior spaces, and a strong sensitivity to the urban context define the concept, which is rooted in a duality intrinsic to Turin’s cityscape. The historic center is characterized by regular façades and rigorous geometries that conceal baroque frescoes, gilded stucco and intricate decorative details.

The design of the new metro line reflects this transition – from external sobriety to welcoming, identity-driven interiors – through stations conceived as flexible, modular architectures, sheltered by canopies designed as expandable typologies, capable of evolving over time.

At the core of the project are three key stations – both underground and above ground – where a contemporary reinterpretation of Turin’s porticoes takes shape: Mole–Giardini, San Giovanni Bosco, and Carlo Alberto. The canopies follow a composition that echoes characteristic elements of Turin’s façades, from the archetype of the arch to that of the portal, shaping an intervention destined to become part of the city’s collective memory.

Per una Torino più sostenibile e connessa

In addition to glass and steel, the material palette includes aluminum, ceramic, terrazzo, and local stones such as porphyry and Luserna stone, generating a range of chromatic variations. Material selection was guided by key requirements for high-traffic infrastructure—durability, wear resistance, ease of maintenance, and acoustic performance—as well as by a commitment to sustainability and circularity, leading to the use of recyclable, low-emission materials, capable of ensuring a long and responsible lifecycle.

The ambition to shape a more sustainable and connected Turin is also reflected in the careful design of the branding and wayfinding system: a coherent graphic language that guides users along their journey, reinforcing the line’s identity and recognizability.

“After nearly twenty years of working at both national and international levels, returning to Turin with this project represents a particularly meaningful milestone for us. It is an opportunity to contribute to the transformation of our city with an identity-driven architecture, conceived as a public space capable of having a lasting impact on the urban landscape and on people’s everyday lives”.

Daniele Rangone, cofounder of Settanta7