The eastern industrial district of Naples, Italy, is set to undergo a major transformation with Zaha Hadid Architects’ (ZHA) Napoli Porta Est masterplan. Two sweeping towers will serve as the centerpiece of the regeneration, revitalizing the eastern area—long dominated by heavy industry—in a sustainable and resilient manner. By reclaiming disused railway yards for public use, introducing adaptable infrastructure, and creating expansive urban parks, the plan connects fragmented commercial, business, and historic districts into a pedestrian-friendly environment.
By removing the urban barrier created by the neglected railway yards, over 300,000 square meters of abandoned industrial buildings, factories, and other derelict structures will be repurposed into spaces for residents. Additionally, approximately 1,000,000 square meters of an obsolete oil depot will be transformed into civic spaces and amenities tailored to the local community. The towers, in addition to providing office spaces, will house public amenities such as cinemas and conference centers on their lower levels. Their design gradually sweeps upwards from the ground, blending seamlessly with the environment. The surrounding 100,000 square meters will be landscaped into gardens and plazas, a design envisioned in collaboration with landscape architect Martha Schwartz.
The compact design of the towers optimizes their interaction with natural light and wind, enhancing energy efficiency. For example, the sun‘s trajectory throughout the day is analyzed to allow light to enter through north-facing openings, enhancing views while minimizing direct sunlight exposure to reduce energy consumption. By mitigating solar heat and glare, the buildings reduce reliance on artificial lighting. Sustainability is further ensured through passive cooling systems, green roofs, and a hybrid concrete-steel construction system. The towers are also designed to maximize views of the Gulf of Naples, Mount Vesuvius, and the surrounding hills.
Currently recognized as one of Europe‘s largest urban regeneration projects, Napoli Porta Est is comparable in scale to the 20-year redevelopment of King’s Cross in central London. King’s Cross, once a declining industrial area centered around railways, was transformed into a vibrant urban space with residential, commercial, cultural, and public areas.
The International design competition for Napoli Porta Est was organized by the Campania Region together with Naples City Council, FS Sistemi Urbani (the regeneration group of RFI Italian national railways), and the train operator EAV.
Project: Napoli Porta Est masterplan / Location: Naples, Italy / Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects (Architecture and Masterplanning) / Responsible Director: Michele Pasca di Magliano / Director (rail & TOD): Filippo Innocenti Design Director: Maria Tsironi / Project Associates: Andrea Balducci Caste, Cristina Barrios Cabrera, Domenico Di Francesco, Torsten Broeder, Vincenzo Barilari / Design Team: Bechara Malkoun, Cemre Demirci, Cherry Lee, Ghanem Younes, Hanadi Izzuddin, Haoyue Zhang, HyunJin Kim, Irfan Bhakrani, Martina Rosati, Olivia Dolan, Sera Su Abac, Yaseen Bhatti, Jing Xu / Workplace Analitics: Uli Blum, Lorena Espaillat Bencosme, Danial Haziq Hamdan, Christoph Geiger / Sustainability: Abhilash Menon, Aditya Ambare, Bahaa Alnassrallah, Disha Shett / Acquisitions: Marcella Fedele / Local Architect: Barracco Smith / Structural and Civil Engineering: Interpogetti SRL / M&E Engineering: Macchiaroli & Partners / Landscape Design: Martha Schwartz Partners / Artist and Lighting Design: Jason Bruges Studio / Cost Consultant: BC Consulting / Traffic and Urban Mobility: MiC-HUB / Safety in construction: Gianni Artuso / Archeologo: Viviana Mancusi / Economista: Prof. Massimo Marrelli
