Beach promenade Westerland/Sylt

The sea and the beach are the main attractions of the island of Sylt. The Westerland promenade is the interface between a unique nature and the tourist offer for the guests of a modern beach resort.

The renovation and redesign of this promenade is the visible expression of the change in island tourism. The "event culture" is on the rise, and in this context the promenade is receiving new attention as a venue for lavish large-scale events. This led to the desire to increase the attractiveness of this most prominent location of the baths and to develop it into a forum that can be used all year round for social events.

Through the redesign, an individual spatial experience that is only possible at this location was created using high-quality, yet carefully applied means, in which historically grown structures are combined with a contemporary language of forms and materials. The forces of nature play a central role here. The permanent influence of the indomitable North Sea is an integral part of the concept and is reflected in the construction and design. Through the material contrasts and the play of colours, an aesthetic transformation takes place, from which the complex draws its special expressive strength. Supported by subtle lighting, a place for strolling and lingering was created in a prominent location, which unfolds a special quality of stay in the face of the sea in any weather and at any time of day.

Catwalk by the sea
Sylt's tourist capital is the sea and the beach. The redevelopment and redesign of Westerland's promenade follows the change in tourism towards a leisure and event culture, in which the promenade is gaining increasing importance as the most important place for strolling and as a stage for major events. The guiding principle of the planning was to increase the attractiveness of this special area of the spa and to develop it into a forum of social life that can be used all year round.

The street layout of the main axes from the direction of the railway station and the Kurhaus were already oriented towards the beach and the promenade in Westerland in the 19th century. Since 1879, a predecessor of the music shell was in operation, and the promenade developed into a popular meeting place. Since then, it has formed the intersection between culture and nature, between the North Sea and the offers of the town with its spa, restaurants and shopping area. The nature experience is joined here by the opportunity to stroll on a secured platform above the beach and participate in cultural events.
Hitherto, however, this "catwalk by the sea" did not have a landscape-architecturally designed face appropriate to its importance, but its appearance was rather determined by the coincidences of historically grown structures.

The redesign
The Westerland promenade is the backbone of the island's capital. Its shape is a result of the development boundaries of the town and its beach accesses, the extent of the beach and the requirements of coastal protection. The promenade, which has been redesigned within these tightly defined boundaries, is now perceived as a place with an enhanced quality of life. Visitors approaching it from the east perceive the promenade as a natural continuation of the inner-city promenades. Walkers coming from the north or south experience a generous, almost square-like extension of their path. Thus, Westerland welcomes its guests on the promenade as a modern and self-confident seaside resort. Seen from the perspective of the business centre, the promenade forms the appealing conclusion of the urban offers for tourists.

The design aimed at structuring the existing proportions of the area with its pronounced depth effect and transforming it into an attractive experience space. Existing architecture and the walls and embankments, which are unchangeable for reasons of coastal protection, were integrated into the design concept. Thus, the western retaining wall was completely preserved, only the wall heads were renewed using prefabricated elements. The color of the selected clinker matches the historic specifications, and an improved angle of inclination of the heads now allows rainwater and seawater to drain away unhindered.
The restrained color paving of reddish clinker and color-graded textured concrete slabs is the essential element of the redesign. The colour of the paving responds to the brickwork of existing architectural elements. Arcades, sales pavilions and the music shell become elements of the new concept and fit seamlessly into it. In order to counteract the strong depth effect of the promenade, the paving clinker forms wave-shaped islands. In generous sweeps, bays and headlands were created on which seating such as baskets and benches can be placed. In the immediate vicinity of the music shell, elongated rectangular clinker fields run towards arcades and building entrances. Thus, on the one hand, the traditional concert culture of the promenade is taken up and appreciated in terms of design, and on the other hand, the depth of the space is given a structuring rhythm.
The form of the paving, which is oriented towards the sea, is reminiscent of groynes and revalues their former protective function into an aesthetic structuring element.
The large-format concrete slabs are also laid at right angles to the north-south direction. They thus support the square-like widening of the promenade and ensure that rain and spray can flow off unhindered through the joints at any time. The pleasant, warm, dark red of the slabs deliberately contrasts with the fresh white tones of the entire furnishings of the promenade, from the flagpoles to the benches, as well as with the natural, changing colours of the sea, the sky and the sand. In this way, new, harmonious colour triads of red, white and blue are created again and again.

Apart from movable furniture, other small-scale architecture was used only very sparingly. A few slender granite waves rise from the paving in the direction of the promenade. These additional structuring elements serve as seating and, through their colour and position, establish a formal connection between the reddish transverse paving and the elongated white balustrade. Together with restrained floor lights, they form a clearly perceptible accent in the surroundings of the music shell, which appropriately emphasizes this prominent place.

Tradition and Innovation
The concert stage was included in the design as a historical element, like a joint between tradition and modernity. It is the central venue and attraction for visitors immediately in front of the backdrop of the sea. The quality of stay in this part of the promenade is largely determined by the recognisability of grown, familiar structures, and therefore the characteristic features of this section were retained. Only the dimensions of the rows of seats and the layout of the stairways and exits have been adapted to modern safety standards. The new stainless steel handrails serve to direct the flow of visitors without disruption.

The redesign of the promenade was tied to a variety of technical requirements. For example, the entire substructure had to be stabilized and equipped with extensive supply lines in order to meet the requirements of large events. The concrete slabs in the unusual format of 120 x 60 x 18 cm are designed for heavy use by heavy vehicles, broadcast trucks and mobile catering, for which parking spaces and turning bays were created so that the promenade operation is not disturbed by the placing and manoeuvring of trucks. Last but not least, the oversized concrete slabs must also withstand the impact of waves during storm surges, which they have already proven.

The promenade is both the stage and the aesthetic setting for a complex task, and it is an integral part of a marketing concept that includes major events with a high level of public and media interest, such as the Surf World Cup, which must be guaranteed a professionally playable venue and smooth operations. These qualities of the equipment and architecture ultimately also determine the commitment of sponsors, who appreciate the image-enhancing effect of an attractive and high-quality presentation platform.

The lighting concept
A contemporary pool operation requires the functionality of the promenade not only at any time of the year and in any weather, but also at any time of day. Therefore, special attention was paid to the lighting of the facility. In addition to the lighting elements from the 1980s, step lighting at the beach access points now leads onto the boardwalk.

The spotlights set into the sides of the steps lay out a cozy carpet of light that creates a welcoming atmosphere. In the food court and arcade areas, floor lights accentuate vertical articulations and, after dark, continue the rhythm of the groynes indicated by clinker bricks. Three rows of light points were embedded in the paving along the seaward parapet. They flank the music shell and create a more introverted atmosphere here, inviting visitors to linger on the adjacent granite waves.

Hitherto inhospitable dark zones were dissolved by this new lighting concept. The lighting design created appealing formal structures, which ensure the attractiveness and the quality of stay of the place also in the evening and night hours.


Resumé

In the redesign of the Westerländer Promenade, a spatial experience was created with purposefully applied means, in which historically grown structures are combined with a contemporary design language. The forces of nature play a central role in this. The influence of the untamable North Sea is an integral part of the concept and undergoes an aesthetic transformation through the materials used, their contrasts and the play of colours. Combined with a subtle light staging, an attractive place for meeting and lingering was created, which unfolds a high quality of stay in any weather and at any time of day.

Under the aspect of sustainability, it has been possible to combine the preservation of natural resources with the increased demands for social exchange and economic development. The ensemble offers a coherent traffic concept that allows for large streams of visitors and expanding events. Through durable, environmentally compatible and regionally typical materials, the complex integrates itself into the natural and urban context.