Corian is used to great effect in this subway station by Karim Rashid

Details

Project: Università subway station, Naples
Designer: Karim Rashid

Project Details

American designer Karim Rashid is well known for his exuberant style, and his super-expressive design for the Università subway station in Naples makes extensive use of DuPont’s Corian to create a highly patterned interior.

Corian is used as durable cladding for various applications throughout four different levels of the station including the four sculptural black mezzanine columns in Nocturne and a white control centre in thermo-formed and invisibly joined sections of Glacier White. Two columns are smooth and two feature 3D profiles of abstract faces. These monochrome elements are combined with bold floor graphics and Corian walls patterned to Rashid’s designs, making use of two new tones – lime and pink – developed specially for the project. White, glossy Corian is also used to clad a sinuously curved 100m-long connecting corridor.

Rashid’s design for the subway aims to stimulate and inspire the traveller by creating a fresh and exciting space as their journey progresses. Subtle it is not, but no-one could ever accuse it of anonymity.

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This article was first published in fx Magazine.