Rome’s Termini Station is an icon of modern Roman architecture, serving as the city’s most significant intermodal hub and one of Europe’s major transit centres. This landmark building merges the original 19th-century structure with the post-war modern style, and below, we look at how Grandi Stazioni Retail and L35 Architects have worked their magic to make it even more appealing.
The renovation of Rome’s Termini Station has gone beyond a simple modernisation; it has reconnected this colossus with the city and redefined its image, reorganising spaces and services to meet the needs of the 21st century.
The project has reconfigured commercial areas, rail services, and circulation flows with a holistic approach, enhancing the user experience and prioritising the restoration and appreciation of existing architectural elements.
In addition, the clarity of pathways has been strengthened, establishing smoother visual connections between levels, thereby improving user orientation and functionality.
“Stations are being reimagined, evolving from places of passage to places of life. Little by little, they are gradually becoming destinations where people can also come to work, shop, enjoy leisure activities, and meet. The challenge of this project has been to support this transformation while maintaining a respectful balance with its valuable historical legacy,” explains Caterina Memeo, Partner Architect at L35 Architects.
Despite its prime location, iconic architecture, and role as a major transport hub with heavy foot traffic, Termini Station had long needed better spatial organisation. This initial assessment, which was based on a thorough analysis of how Termini Station was functioning, allowed L35 to pinpoint key areas for improvement, transforming it into Italy’s largest intermodal hub.
An ambitious intervention that honours an icon of modern Roman architecture
A key element of this redesign was opening up views of the Servian Walls from the grand lobby. Designed by architects Eugenio Montuori, Leo Calini, and Annibale Vitellozzi, the structure features a large glass facade framing a section of the Servian Walls, Rome’s oldest.
Boldly shaped and soon nicknamed “the Dinosaur,” Termini Station’s curved forms were initially designed to follow the contours of the nearby Servian agger. However, over time, commercial expansion has hidden this historic gem. The reconfiguration of commercial spaces removed the store, blocking the view from the atrium and restoring visitors’ visual connection to the Servian Walls.
In the Forum (the lower level), which also houses sections of the walls, a specific project has been developed using flooring and suspended ceilings to enhance the visual continuity of the wall. It has been complemented by architectural lighting designed to highlight the preserved archaeological remains distributed throughout the station.
Optimisation and Reorganisation of Spaces
L35 Architects reorganised the various commercial areas, spaces designated for rail services, and volumes with pure, dynamic forms that stand out distinctly from the architectural container, enhancing flow and clarity in circulation paths. Additionally, the proposal restored prominence to rail services by relocating ticket sales, lounges, and customer service to the central area of the station, thus improving their visibility from the atrium, gallery, and platforms.
“The materiality and architectural composition of the new elements have been kept simple, avoiding added complexity in a building already enriched by multiple interventions over time. The project’s expressiveness comes from a clear material and compositional logic, where glass and metal interact with the finishes and tones of the historical preexistence,” explains Caterina Memeo, Partner Architect at L35 Architects.
Additionally, the commercial areas in Termini Station’s Dinosaur and Gommata Gallery were remodelled. Volumes were grouped into easily identifiable units, creating a cohesive aesthetic that enhanced the station’s monumental value.
Interventions in the Forum
This project’s visual and spatial connection between different levels was key. On the underground level, the intervention significantly improved spatial quality by opening strategic voids that allow natural light to reach the lower floor, visually connecting it to the Gommata Gallery and enhancing the sense of space. The metal slat ceiling that covers all the Forum spaces contributes to noise absorption in this busy station, enhancing user comfort.
With this renovation, L35 Architects has updated Rome Termini and elevated its historical and architectural heritage. Despite being composed of multiple buildings and commercial areas, the station now feels like a cohesive and unified whole. Users who previously might have sensed fragmentation in the spaces now enjoy a seamless and harmonious experience. It is where one can depart and arrive but also appreciate a modern environment that keeps both a recent and distant past alive.
General Project Information
- Project Name: Roma Termini Refurbishment
- Sector: Transport, Retail
- Type of work: Refurbishment
- Start of the project: 2016 (competition)
- Completion Year: 2022
- GLA: 18.000m²
- Project Location: P.zza dei Cinquecento, Rome, RM, Italia
- Client: Grandi Stazioni Retail SPA
- Coordination: Grandi Stazioni Retail – Technical Management
- Project Management: Arcadis Italia
- Executive Project: Pei Engineering – Rome
- Structural Project: Seico srl – Rome
- General Contractor: S.A.L.C. spa -Milan
- Photography: Simón García, Nuvole
- Team: Caterina Memeo, Javier Framis, Luisa Badía, Sonia Sanz, Rocco Grillo, Gaia Pellegrini, Mariana Alonso, Javier Cudazzo, Marta Artamendi, Pablo Escuder, Francisco Rodrigues, Marc Grané y José Luís Monzón.
About L35 Architects
L35 Architects is an architecture, urban planning, and design practice with offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Miami, Mexico, Bogotá, Santiago, Istanbul, and Abu Dhabi.
The studio started in 1967 and is integrated by 25 partners and more than 200 professionals. It specialises in mixed-use and urban development projects, residential, office, hotel, commercial, stadium, and sports complexes.
Their experience in large-scale projects with mixed-use programmes is particularly relevant for the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid, as well as other ongoing projects such as the “El Campín” cultural and sports complex in Bogotá, the Bolívar stadium in La Paz, the reconfiguration of the Toulon seafront in southern France, and the renovation of the Roma Termini Stazione.
With projects in 40 countries, L35 Architects approaches these architectural challenges using collective reflection with clients and collaborators. It pursues excellence in design and the best conditions for users’ health and well-being.
Photography by Simón García and L35 Architects.
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