15m North Park
The new waterfront of Gabicce Mare (PU) becomes one continuous park that develops parallel to the coastline from the port to the promontory overlooking the sea.
The new touristic image of Gabicce is based on the richness of public open spaces. The public spaces foster an atmosphere of leisure in both the city and the beach while also consolidating the city and the beach into one coherent whole.
The context of Gabicce is certainly extraordinary and because of its intrinsic characteristics and its variety of micro-landscapes, it is set to become a laboratory of best practices for coastal cities.
The potential of the waterfront area is unlimited and because of its position as an intermediate between the natural and the urban, there is the possibility to enhance both.
The first step to gain ground is to move the communal ownership of the 15 m north, partially invading the private property. In this way, the road section will be the size needed to accommodate squares, parks, sports fields, a bike path and wider sidewalks.
The bathing machines represent the beginning of the history of maritime tourism even when this practice was still tied to cold water diving. The pier for Gabicce is a symbol of identity. To upgrade the pier, while still retaining its personality and landscape qualities, we propose a waterpark of islands floating in the sea.
In the style of the French Riviera, the park becomes a promenade at the densest part of the city. It is the waterfront par excellence: an urban platform for collective rituals of the holiday, while also providing public space for use by residents.
“The terrace on the sea” or “the water square” is the symbol of the historically rooted identity of a novel tourist resort. The new square is integrated within the historic staircase. The visual connection between the square and the beach mirrors the sea terraces in top and bottom. The new public space is a connection between the city and the sea and between the two promenades, lower and upper level. The park on the mountain, s. Bartolo, becomes a new expanded cover of green roofs of the beach facilities. It is imagined by extending the grassy area above the buildings. This creates a unified green park in the waterfront and provides a further "green" beach for sunbathing.
