published in l'Arca International n. 131
Salerno Maritime Terminal, Italy, project: Zaha Hadid Architects
Project: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA); ZHA Project Architect: Paola Cattarin; ZHA Design Team: Vincenzo Barilari, Andrea Parenti, Anja Simons, Giovanna Sylos Labini, Cedric Libert, Filippo Innocenti, Paolo Zilli, Lorenzo Grifantini, Electra Mikelides, Eric Tong; ZHA Competition Team: Paola Cattarin, Sonia Villaseca, Christos Passas, Chris Dopheide; Local Executive Architect: Interplan Seconda/Alessandro Gubitosi; Costing Building Consulting: Pasquale Miele. Structural Engineers: Ingeco, Francesco Sylos Labini, Ove Arup & Partners (prelim. design), Sophie Le Bourva; M&E Engineers: Macchiaroli and Partners/Roberto Macchiaroli, Itaca/Felice Marotta, Ove Arup & Partners (prelim. design); Maritime/Transport: Ove Arup & Partners, Engineering Greg Heigh; Lighting: Equation Lighting Design/Mark Hensmann; Director of Works: Gaetano Di Maio; Architecture Supervision: Paola Cattarin; Structure Supervision: Giampiero Martuscelli; MEP Supervision: Roberto Macchiaroli; Health & Safety Supervision: Alessandro Gubitosi; Main Contractor: Passarelli; Client Project Manager (RUP): Giovanni Micillo; Client: Comune di Salerno; Photos: Hélène Binet, Hufton+Crow
Located on the public quay that extends into Salerno’s working harbor and marina, the new maritime terminal continues the city’s relationship with the sea and establishes new links; connecting Salerno’s rich maritime traditions with its historic urban fabric and beyond to the hills that frame the city.
The new maritime terminal is composed of three primary interlocking components: administration offices for national border controls and shipping lines; the terminal for international ferries and cruise ships from around the world; and the terminal for the local and regional ferries.
The quayside gently rises as passengers approach the terminal from the city, indicating the gradually sloping path of ramps within the building which raise passengers to the embarking level of large ships and ferries. The terminal’s interior arrangement orientates and leads passengers through a sequence of interior spaces that flow into each other and are organized around focal points such as the restaurant and the waiting lounge.
At night, the glow of the terminal near the harbour entrance will act as a lighthouse to the port, welcoming visitors to the city. The new terminal operates, both functionally and visually, as a smooth transition between land and sea; a coastal land formation that mediates between solid and liquid.
From its terraces and windows, the terminal offers spectacular views of the Amalfi Coast, the Gulf of Salerno and the Cilento. The new terminal will greatly improve the accessibility and experience for visitors to the region’s renowned cultural attractions, coastline and countryside.
The new Salerno Maritime Terminal will enable the port of Salerno to increase arrivals of ferry and cruise ships by 500,000 additional passengers each year, which would create up to 2,000 new jobs in the city’s hospitality, services and retail sectors.
