Gather by the colossal beachfront bench for a memorable meet-up!
Flemish coast becomes safer and more attractive
The challenge of reinforcing the coastal landscape of Middelkerke, Belgium, in response to rising sea levels necessitates not only enhancing coastal defences but also envisioning an appealing and resilient coastal strip for residents and visitors alike, embodying the dynamic interface between architecture and climate adaptation.- Client
- Gemeente Middelkerke (B)
- Landscape architect
- bureau MOPurbandesign- architecture and engineering
- Location
- Westende - Middelkerke (B)
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 constructed for the current coastal strip reinforces the dyke. Moreover, it adds greenery to the coast which was dominated by high-rise buildings and stone. The area for walking and strolling has been placed further away from the built-up area so you no longer walk in the shadow of the high-rise buildings."
Stijn Gussé, director of Domain and Buildings at 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 an 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 plaza 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 is 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 is 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 ratio. 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."
With such a design, 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.
Philip Moyersoen, MOPurbandesign- architecture and engineering
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.
Grand custom project
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. The Grijsen team worked hard to mount the wooden cladding with the right lines on the steel frame.
I can really see people already sitting here and enjoying the surroundings. I can't wait for it to be placed at our place.
Stijn Gussé, Director Domain and Buildings, Gemeente Middelkerke
More information on this project:
The Middelkerke Municipality website has more information on the "Zeedijk becomes a promenade" project
