Savona Railway Station. サヴォーナ鉄道駅

Built between 1958 and 1960 by the Nervi & Bartoli company, the Savona Mongrifone railway station exemplifies rational design and experimental construction, envisioned as a prototype for future stations. Departing from Pier Luigi Nervi’s earlier use of prefabricated ferrocement, the structure relies entirely on cast-in-place reinforced concrete. Its defining element is a varied system of pillars — monumental, cylindrical, and elliptical — each giving distinct character and coherence to the ensemble. The atrium roof, composed of twisted pillars supporting pleated concrete beams, demonstrates Nervi’s integration of structural logic and aesthetic rhythm. His insistence on the expressive role of form is evident in his refusal to alter pillar dimensions. Despite a major 2009 renovation that modified the original spatial and façade proportions, the station remains a key example of Nervi’s synthesis of engineering precision and architectural expression.