On Tuesday, May 22, Stefano Boeri has presented the project of the new FAL (Ferrovie Appulo Lucane) station of Matera Centrale. The riqualification of the Piazza della Visitazione is, in fact, a complete reconsideration: it is no longer a service station, sufficient for the railway connection, but a quality urban space meant to become a landmark, linked directly to the main axes of access to the city. The project will be realized in occasion of Matera Capital of European Culture 2019.
In 2013 the studio has already realized la Ville Méditerranée , a building conceived as a point of reference for the cultures of Mediterranean basin, on the occasion of Marseille Capital of European Culture. “In case of Matera, – Stefano Boeri explains, – we are talking about a trnsportation hub, connected to Ferrovia Appulo Lucana Railway network. However we tried, in the time we’ve been given, to propose an idea somehow inspired by the extraordinary potential of Sassi, by the possibility of connecting the Piazza della Visitazione with the itineraries leading to the heart of Sassi. An idea of easy but yet noble way of reaching Matera from Bari, for at the moment the major problem is the accessibility”.
Among the most important characteristics of the project, there’s the rising of the ground that has allowed to redesign the railway level, increasing its capacity of accommodation of big flows of visitors, while being open air. The ground is being risen by 12 meters and there will be a big shelter to cover all the area of arrivals, thus creating a square, a space where the citizens and tourists can meet before heading to the city. Besides, the project foresees a huge wall in local stone, tuff, which will be a sign of arrival in Piazza della Visitazione for those who come by train. Going up the wall will compose the building of the station itself, a small volume equipped with all the necessary services, from the ticket offices to the lifts and escalators.