Blåvand, situated on the West Coast of Denmark, is facing the challenge of attracting visitors in an increasingly competitive market for coastal tourism. The area has great potential to stand out as a particularly eventful destination amidst the stunning scenery and the location next to the North Sea.
But how do you create a destination on the Danish coastline, sensitively placed, while providing an experience that is worthy of the West Coast?
The project is based on the following three main elements:
THE LANDSCAPE
Upon arriving in Blåvand today, one is greeted by a large parking lot, which, when fully occupied, totally dominates the first impression of the place. The project's first action is to "recover" the landscape, so that the first thing, that visitors encounter on the other side of the dike, is the West Coast's distinctive landscape of dunes.
ARTS AND CULTURE
The project is based on the historical narrative of the West Coast's distinctive dune house, which, with its four wings and clay bricks, has characterized the settlement in the harsh landscape of dunes. A motif, which is now given the task of providing a framework for the community and commercial venues for such things as dining, recreation, rental of outdoor equipment and information about the area. This, precisely and carefully embedded in the landscape, will help to lift the area's total range of activities.
THE ATTRACTION
The project is fit into the West Coast landscape of dunes, such that the big attraction for the visitor is the contrast between the experience of the protective framing of the common, internal yard space and the experience of standing on top of the great plateau, exposed to the violent forces of the North Sea. The intention is to create a place that both the locals can recognize themselves in, and foreign guests will travel to visit. A unique destination as the prelude of the Danish West Coast.
