Competition / The City of Ostend Calls Urban Designers to the Beach / City of Ostend

Throughout history, the coast has spawned various architectural types of public infrastructure which enabled and enhanced the coastal experience. The British invention of the marine pier for instance was an architectural innovation that allowed the first coast tourists to walk on water, as it were, only without getting wet or seasick. The seafront promenade in turn was the public place to be for the well-to-do dawdler, but at the same time also an integral part of coastal defence as well as an efficient real-estate instrument along which the first prestigious ‘Grands Hotels’ could be erected. 

Lastly, the modern installations balnéaires in Ostend, Knokke, and Blankenberge integrated showers, changing rooms, luxury cabins, ticket sales, and steps leading to the beach. This design competition sets out in search of an innovative type of infrastructure and an image quality to enhance the beach experience in the 21st century, outside of the classical tourism season. The design competition specifically looks for a way to enrich the beach experience outside of the summer season. During the fall and winter months, the seafront promenade is quickly lost to the apartment buildings’ shadows. A new walkway on the beach could give residents and visitors the chance to enjoy the Ostend coastline during the fall and winter months. Enjoy the mild winter sun, the salty sea air, the sound of the waves with your family. 

The design competition aims to develop both a visual language and strategies to allow these restaurant and facility infrastructures to make a contribution to the image quality of the historically renowned Ostend seafront. In addition, this beach walkway could grow into a striking bit of (landscape) architecture, allowing the walkway to develop into a tourist attraction in its own right.