Previous state
The urban development of Porto do Son, a town in A Coruña in northwestern Spain, was shaped by the fact that it is a natural harbour. Historically, the town’s beach –known as Cruceiro Beach– extended up to the buildings of the old town, reflecting its close links with the fishing industry. In the mid-20th century, the needs of the port evolved, requiring more space and a deeper draught. This led to changes such as the construction of embankments and breakwaters that pushed back the original coastline. The breakwater built in 1980 further altered the landscape, creating a park and distancing the beach from the town. A promenade with a wall was also built to prevent sand accumulation, but the seafront suffered from poor integration of uses and spatial conflicts. Over the following years, the area retained its historic structure, but also underwent significant changes. These included the expansion of the port and the addition of an access road, as well as large apartment blocks and car parks that cut the town off from the sea.
Aim of the intervention
The project had a twofold objective, taking into account the diversity of the Porto do Son coastline. The first was to create a system of controlled dunes with native vegetation between the park and the beach. The idea was to bring nature to the seafront, which had previously been dominated by a strip of pavement and a wall. The second was to improve access to the beach and resolve the conflicts between the port activities and the growing commercial and residential development.
In the renaturation zone, sand had been encroaching on the park for years, leading to the demolition of the promenade between the two areas. The project focused on creating a transitional stretch of land that would act as both a protective barrier and a link, identifying dunes as the best solution to harmonize the space.
In the urbanised port area, the project aimed to improve access to the water and resolve the conflicts between the port activities and increasing commercial and residential uses. Along with the development of the avenue, a new port services centre was planned.
Description
Along the park and seafront, the morphology of a dune system was recreated by depositing fine sand to form mounds in two staggered rows. Wickerwork structures were installed at the base to allow the dune to grow and consolidate. Native dune species such as marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) were planted to stabilise the dunes over time and create a dynamic balance. As a transitional space, the new dunes required well-thought-out access points, so three wooden walkways were built to connect the urban spaces with the park.
Near the market, a wooden structure recalls the town’s old drying racks for fishing nets and serves several purposes. Two new surfaces have also been added –one of stone, the other of earth and trees– and a path leads to a car park and the new Port Services Centre, designed to create a viewpoint towards Monte Louro.
Assessment
This project focused on the environmental recovery of a coastline where architecture harmonises public spaces with varying degrees of urbanisation, while respecting the constantly evolving coastal environment. The restored dune system serves as a natural transition between the beach, the park and the urban centre, acknowledging the fragility of the substrate. This small stretch of coastline has become a catalyst for wider change, improving environmental quality and access to the beach. The project has raised people’s awareness of the importance of their public spaces and their relationship with the sea. By rethinking access to the centre, with the Cruceiro viewpoint and a central space extending towards the beach, the project has redefined the identity of the seafront, culminating in a reconstructed coastal embankment that had lost its main points of interest.
[Last update: 30/10/2024]
