Giant bench on Rauschenberg square Middelkerke (B)
Flemish coast becomes safer and more attractive
Like many other North Sea coasts, the coast of the Belgian municipality of Middelkerke needs to be reinforced to be ready for the effects of climate change. A rise in sea level calls for coastal defences to be improved, this is also a reason to make the coastal strip attractive for residents and visitors.
Date
5 June 2023
Coastal reinforcement and boost for centre
Philip Moyersoen of agency MOPurbandesign- architecture and engineering talks about the design of the coastal strip between Middelkerke and Westende: "For these 5 kilometres, we designed a climate-adaptive solution to achieve coastal defence and also create an attractive coastal strip. The grass embankment that will be constructed for the current coastal strip will strengthen the dyke. Moreover, it adds greenery to the coast which is now dominated by high-rise buildings and stone. The area for walking and strolling will be placed further away from the built-up area so that you no longer walk in the shadow of the high-rise buildings."
Maarten van Nieuwenhove, project manager of the Municipality of Middelkerke adds: "Besides the task of a safe coast, it is good to make the public space look attractive. This has a positive effect on the local economy. This is already noticeable now."
Work of art as eye-catcher
The eye-catcher of this coastal project is a 50-metre-long work of art at Rauschenbergplein in the centre of Westende. This element in the public space is a multifunctional square bench where meeting is central. Philip Moyersoen designed the bench and talks enthusiastically about his idea behind the design, "Westende is a seaside resort where many families come, the Rauschenberg bench will be a place that lies in the sun all day. It forms the connection between the town and the beach. At a family seaside resort, this becomes a place to meet from morning to night, in summer and winter. The bench is shaped like a boomerang and follows the rules of the golden section. We have taken the sun and wind into account. In terms of material, wood gives a warm look and ensures that you can also sit there comfortably in winter."
Giant bench in public space
A steel frame with a wooden covering will be placed on the wall, which serves as a water barrier for the sea. "The element has different levels so it can be sat on in the morning when the sun is in the east, children can clamber on the element while their parents sit for a while, youngsters can lounge on it and together you can watch the sunset from the long side soon."
At the heart of the square, an elevation in the ground has been created to serve as a "stage" so that the bench can also be used as a stand.
Work in progress
Grijsen has been commissioned to realise this element in the public space. Hard work is being done on this assignment. Patrick Grijsen says: "Not one beam on this 50-metre-long bench is the same. That makes it a huge job." The engineering to convert the design into a proper structure was a challenging job. This was followed by a lot of programming work to get all the beams made to the right size by the CNC machine with the right angles and curves. Hard work is now being done by the team at Grijsen to mount the wooden cladding with the right lines on the steel frame."
Designer and client in the workshop
Philip Moyersoen and Maarten van Nieuwenhove came to see the progress of the project at Grijsen's workshop on 1 June. As a designer, Philip is impressed by the materialisation of the design. "With a design like this, the execution is important, details in the lines determine the strength of the final result. I am happy to see Grijsen executing the design so powerfully." Maarten van Nieuwenhove is already testing how the sofa sits. Seated on the bench, he looks at it with admiration. "I can really see people already sitting here and enjoying the surroundings. I can't wait for it to be installed at our place." The bench will be installed in parts in Westende over the next month. The opening is scheduled for Sunday 25 June.
