Kalamia Coastal Front

Land n Arch wins the third prize at the Ideas Architectural Competition for the Redevelopment of the Kalamia Coastal Front in Corinth, Greece.

Basic Design Principles

The coastal front of Corinth is a place of particular natural beauty and constitutes an important part of the city that offers residents a place of contact with the natural landscape. The foundation of the design derives from the word ‘wave’, while the aim of the design is to establish a public space that features a continuous linear pathway along the coastal front, as well as individual areas for pause and contemplation of the landscape, using only two design elements: the wavy line and the rhythmically interrupted viewing balconies.

Wavy line

The initial design concept is inspired by the wave, manifested as a wavy line that weaves through the entire study area along the coastal front. The wavy line, starting from the intention of creating a fluid anthropogenic landscape, establishes a distinctive local identity for the Corinthian coastal front. It emphasizes the linear aspect of the overall layout by tracing the waterline as it slides along the shoreline. 

Viewing balconies

A key feature of the design is the incorporation of balconies, strategically positioned to encourage landscape reflection and contemplation. These balconies not only offer landscape views but also serve as resting areas with integrated planting and seating areas.

Viewing balconies receive rhythmic interruptions, resulting from the extension of the city’s axes and creating seamless transitions to the waterfront.  The wavy line, the viewing balconies and their rhythmic breaks which act as extensions of the urban axes, orchestrate the overall design.

Connection with the city

The design aims to provide a recreational area that fosters interaction with the natural landscape, while organically integrating into the city’s structure. By reinforcing the relationship between the urban fabric and the seafront, the beach transforms into an organic and integral part of the city.

This seamless integration is achieved through the continuation of the urban axes, which act as rhythmic interruptions of the viewing balconies while providing soft transitions to the waterfront. They are implemented as setbacks from the boundary of the configurations , allowing the natural landscape to draw closer to both the wave curve and the city’s limits.