a metro as urban structure in turin
UNS’s vision for Turin’s new Metro Line 2 positions infrastructure as a visible and continuous part of the Italian city. Developed with Settanta7, Mijksenaar, Frigorosso, 3BA, and WSP, the proposal reframes the metro as an urban system shaped as much by movement as by form.
Selected by an international jury chaired by architect Dominique Perrault, the project was recognized for its ability to connect mobility with public space. Rather than treating the metro as a hidden layer beneath the city, the design gives it presence at street level, allowing entrances, signage, and spatial cues to participate in the wider urban fabric.
visualizations produced by HISM, Settanta7, UNS © Extraordinary Commissioner Chiaia
uns harnesses ‘flow’ as a design principle
At the core of the UNS metro line proposal is an interpretation of Turin as a city defined by flow. Rivers, porticoes, and pedestrian routes establish a continuous spatial rhythm that informs how people move through the city. Metro Line 2 extends this condition, conceived as an ‘urban river’ that carries movement across neighborhoods while remaining legible and open.
This architects translate this idea into a restrained architectural language that shifts between arch and portico, curve and square. The geometry draws from familiar elements within Turin’s built environment — here, rational facades give way to more layered interior experiences. The metro adopts this contrast, presenting a composed exterior presence while allowing stations to develop a more distinct internal character.
a restrained design language translates arches, curves, and plazas into contemporary infrastructure
identity across the network
UNS structures the metro system through three interconnected layers of identity that operate at different scales across Turin. Network Identity establishes a unified visual language through signage, materials, and communication, allowing the metro to read as a coherent system. System Identity extends this logic into the surrounding city, giving the line a consistent presence beyond station boundaries.
Station Identity introduces variation, allowing each stop to respond to its immediate context through references to landscape, history, and culture. These distinctions are reinforced through color, material, and spatial detail, creating a sequence of recognizable environments across the line.
The branding language draws from Turin’s geography, translating mountains, water, and porticoes into graphic and spatial cues. A palette shifting between ochres, greens, and blues carries through signage, digital platforms, and public communication, ensuring continuity from the moment a journey is planned to the point of arrival.
the design treats the metro as an extension of Turin’s historic flows and portico networks
modular architecture and adaptation
With 32 stations planned and an initial phase of 10 stations under development across Turin, the UNS-planned metro required a system that could adapt to varied urban conditions. UNS responds with a modular approach that allows adjustments in scale and program while maintaining a consistent architectural logic.
Stations such as Mole Giardini, San Giovanni Bosco, and Carlo Alberto are conceived as variations within a shared framework. Proportions shift to accommodate site constraints, while materials and structural elements remain aligned with the overall system. This approach ensures that the metro can grow over time without losing coherence, even as it moves through different parts of Turin.
Below ground, the metro is illuminated by diffused lighting, which softens the subterranean atmosphere. Meanwhile, surfaces in aluminum and porcelain stoneware lend durability and reflectivity. Terrazzo-inspired flooring introduces texture and continuity and links movement across platforms and circulation spaces.
three layers of identity structure the network system and station experience across the line
a modular system allows stations to adapt to different sites
project info:
name: San Giovanni Bosco Metro Station
architect: UNS | @we.are.uns
location: Turin, Italy
visualizations: produced by HISM, Settanta7, UNS, © Extraordinary Commissioner Chiaia
client: Extraordinary Commissioner for the construction of Line 2 of the Turin Metro; Infratrasporti.To S.r.l
UNS team: Ben van Berkel, Marianthi Tatari, Raul Forsoni, Michele De Simone, Melinda Matuz, Saba Navabi, Leon Hansmann, Aigul Sadrtdinova, Ren Yee, Cristina Garriga, Huey Chan
local architect: Settanta7 | @settanta7
branding company: Frigorosso
wayfinding: Mijksenaar
structure, MEP: 3BA
sustainability, people flow, facade: WSP
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