The Centro Direzionale: Kenzo Tange’s Vertical Experiment
In a city that unfolds horizontally through alleys, squares, and seafronts, Naples' Centro Direzionale (Naples’ Business District) emerges as an almost foreign architectural experiment. A glass and steel island envisioned as the modern heart of an ancient metropolis, this vertical district was designed by Japanese master architect Kenzo Tange, who was commissioned in the mid-1980s to craft Naples' contemporary visage.oli.
A vision of the future on volcanic soil
Comprising towers, elevated walkways, pedestrian plazas, and reflective glass surfaces, the Centro Direzionale presents an "other" architecture, intended to house offices, services, judicial functions, and financial institutions. This urban utopia breaks away from the city's historical density, introducing a new, international, and functional language.
An urban landscape that divides and fascinates
To some, it's an alien entity; to others, an urban icon awaiting rediscovery. Regardless, the Centro Direzionale is part of Naples' multifaceted identity. It's a space suspended between order and decay, rationalism and emptiness. Walking here feels like exploring a parallel dimension: Naples devoid of traffic, chaos, and time.
Unexpected vistas and silent geometries
Traversing the area at sunset, when the sun reflects off the mirrored facades, reveals an essential beauty composed of pure lines and infinite perspectives. This distinct allure doesn't shout but invites observation—perfect for those who appreciate the city's hidden, almost cinematic side.
Monumental murals: Jorit’s signature in naples’ vertical heart
At the heart of the Centro Direzionale, urban art merges with modern architecture through Jorit's monumental works. On the facade of the former ENEL Tower, standing at 122 meters, the street artist has created the world's tallest mural, depicting three icons of Neapolitan culture: Diego Armando Maradona, Pino Daniele, and Massimo Troisi. Visible from various points across the city, this piece pays tribute to Neapolitan identity and its global influence .
Previously, in 2019, Jorit had already left his mark on the Centro Direzionale with another monumental mural: a 100-meter work created for the Universiade, portraying five athletes from the Campania region symbolizing sporting excellence .
Both artworks not only enrich the urban landscape but also transform the Centro Direzionale into an open-air museum, where contemporary art dialogues with the futuristic structures designed by Kenzo Tange.
A new identity under construction
Today, the Centro Direzionale is undergoing a reimagining: new interventions, renovations, and cultural events. Away from mass tourism, this space is poised to narrate another Naples—one that experiments, dares, and ascends vertically.
