Vinaros Microcoasts Renews Decaying Coastline

By Land8: Landscape Architects Network on January 4, 2015 No Comments / 5901 views

Vinaros Microcoasts, by Guallart Architects, Vinaròs,Castellón. Spain. There is a section of coastline along the Mediterranean in the town of Vinaros, Spain that is a true example of a landscape of change. In recent years, tourism has increased as a major industry in Vinaros compared to neighboring towns. This has led to development throughout the town and particularly along the seafront at a rapid rate. Single family detached homes dot the coastline and dominate much of the available land adjacent to prime views of the coast. Much of Vinaros is lacking in infrastructural development but there is a small road that divides the residential lots and the coastline as the shore is rocky, turbulent, and ever changing.

Vinaros Microcoasts, by Guallart Architects, Vinaròs,Castellón. Spain. Credit: Vicente Guallart

The Goals of Vinaros Microcoasts

Considering the existing conditions, architect Vicente Guallart along with a team of consultants was commissioned by the Vinaròs City Council, Generalitat Valenciana and Tourism Ministry to design coastline installations. The aim of the intervention was to allow visitors to access the coastline but maintain it as public parkland. Other goals of the project included a design and intervention that would withstand the rough action of the water and help stabilize the bank to minimize erosion without disturbing the natural habitat and beauty of the existing conditions.

Vinaros Microcoasts, by Guallart Architects, Vinaròs,Castellón. Spain. Credit: Vicente Guallart

The Solution – Vinaros Microcoasts

The solution takes the form of modular wooden platforms placed in a specific sequence along the coastline. The design of these platforms involves complex geometric calculations and forms, which result in a beautiful but meticulously calculated form. The prototype design of the wooden platform is an art form to be appreciated and admired.

The architectural forms of Vinaros Microcoasts. Credit: Vicente Guallart

The very tectonic and inorganic form of the wooden platforms creates a striking feature along the coast. When placed in a sequence down the coastline, these platforms create repetition and give a contrasting form to the harsh existing geological forms. Related Articles:

Who’s Using Vinaros Microcoasts?

The practical side of the installation is how the public engages with the “Microcoasts.” Since installed in 2006, community members and visitors alike have embraced the opportunity to take in the view of the Mediterranean and interact with the coastline. Users are often found lounging, sunbathing, reading, studying, or engaging in conversation on the wooden platforms. It gives everyone an equal chance to take in the natural beauty that graces Vinaros.

Vinaros Microcoasts, by Guallart Architects, Vinaròs,Castellón. Spain. Credit: Vicente Guallart

Ultimately, the multitude of surfaces and variety of sloping, concave, and convex forms created within the Microcoasts allows for visitors to rest, sit, and lay in a range of postures. The Benefits of Preserving the Coastline Visitors have embraced the installations to the point that it has increased the collective consciousness of the community about the importance of preserving and allowing public coastline access for tourists, visitors, and residents in Vinaros. With the success of these structures, the community will be continuing preservations efforts at a larger scale, which will help stop encroaching development threatening to destroy the coast.

Vinaros Microcoasts, by Guallart Architects, Vinaròs,Castellón. Spain. Credit: Vicente Guallart

How Would Your City Deal With This? Each city that is graced with natural resources in the form of lakes, streams, rivers, seas, and oceans takes a different approach at dealing with waterfront property and development. In the case of the Vinaros coastline, designers and community officials successfully allow for an intervention along the coastline to increase public access without creating large-scale disturbance or taking away from the natural beauty.

Vinaros Microcoasts, by Guallart Architects, Vinaròs,Castellón. Spain. Credit: Vicente Guallart

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow While the Microcoasts are in place today, they can be removed without leaving any trace tomorrow. This is a prime example of minimalistic interventions that have large-scale implications but small-scale impacts on the environment. Everything from the design to material selection to the placement of the platforms on site shows an immense amount of respect for the natural coastline of Vinaros and teaches visitors a lesson of ways to enjoy the beauty around but leave no trace. Recommended Reading: