Recreating an urban transportation infrastructure as a recognizable urban landmark for a city is already difficult, and when the urban project is within the historic city of Turin, Italy, with its rich history and contemporary vibrancy, it is extra difficult. With UNStudio’s proposal, however, they converted the city’s history by translating city places into a contemporary and welcoming transit system.

UNS’s design proposal, in collaboration with other Italian firms with specific knowledge (including Settanta7, Mijksenaar, Frigorosso, 3BA and WSP), were selected by an international jury of experts for their ideas about combining some of the new Turin Metro Line 2 stations with city places that can be linked together as an act of city making.

San Giovanni Bosco station © Extraordinary Commissioner Chiaia

Turin’s existing urban fabric was central to the group’s design ideas. The city is historically shaped by flow, from the Po and Dora rivers to the 11 miles of arcaded porticoes that inform how locals and visitors move around the city. Turin’s Line 2 interprets this legacy as transparent yet vital, connecting neighborhoods, histories and generations.

Three ideas were developed to facilitate this flow, positioning infrastructure as public space and a social catalyst, strengthening sense of place, neighborhood identity and how users experience the city.

“For Turin’s new Metro Line 2, we wanted to create more than a transport system,” said Ben van Berkel, founder and principal architect, UNS. “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.”

Carlo Alberto station © Extraordinary Commissioner Chiaia

Turin is a city of evolution, shaped as much by atmosphere as by history. The city’s long porticoes; its industrial past; and its more recent shift toward culture, creativity and gastronomy shaped the project’s main concept: transition. The porticoes of Turin are a testament to the city’s architectural and social heritage. They are not only functional but also serve as a cultural and social hub, offering a unique experience for visitors and locals alike. The porticoes are a symbol of Turin’s commitment to providing a comfortable and pleasant environment for all, regardless of weather. They reflect the city’s history, its desire to be elegant and well-planned, and its dedication to creating a pedestrian-friendly city.

Metro Line 2 very much reflects this story; it is a design principle defined by movement from one point to another and translated into a simple architectural language that moves from arch to portico, from curve to square.

The city is marked by its façades and clear geometries, while interiors reveal a richer and more detailed experience. The new metro line draws on this contrast, moving from a restrained exterior to more welcoming and distinctive interior spaces.

Carlo Alberto station © Extraordinary Commissioner Chiaia

A flexible design approach was taken for Turin’s new Metro Line 2, ensuring it could work across various conditions along the line. With 32 stations, the initial design phase encompasses just 10 stations and needs to be able to adapt without losing its purpose. A modular architectural language was developed that made it possible to adjust scale, proportion and programs to the different sites, including Mole Giardini, San Giovanni Bosco and Carlo Alberto stations, while maintaining a consistent visual logic across Metro Line 2.

One of the most important designs had to be “station identity,” which allows each station to  respond to its specific context through art, landscape design and local references shaped by nine thematic principles, including nature, history, innovation and culture.

The color palette moves from warm yellows and ochres to greens and blues, reflecting terrain, landscape and atmosphere, while the branding extends across the full passenger journey and across all public-facing platforms. It creates not only signage and communication within the stations, but also merchandise, digital applications and the tone of voice used to communicate with the public.

The result is a metro environment that is clear, calm and easy to use, with spaces supporting both efficient movement and a stronger sense of place.

UNS’s experienced design expertise considered, each step from ticket purchase and trip planning online to approaching the station, entering it, making decisions within it, reaching the correct platform and boarding the train.

Across the network, local references are embedded in the design language so stations feel connected to their surroundings and easier to remember. Durable materials such as aluminum and porcelain stoneware ensure performance and longevity, while diffused lighting reduces glare and enhances comfort. Wayfinding elements and terrazzo-inspired flooring link historical memory with contemporary infrastructure.