Nieuwpoort - Entrance area and beach building

With the drafting of a master plan for the entrance area of Nieuwpoort-Bad, the city wants to establish the vision and outlines for an accessible, coast-resistant and green public domain. In addition, the city wants to erect an accessible multifunctional beach building as a visually defining part of this master plan. The building will have a unique location on the beach.  This requires an approach that combines state-of-the-art architecture with a special focus on the context. The public space and the beach building must together form a recognizable and inviting whole that provides a generous welcome to residents of and visitors to Nieuwpoort-Bad.

The current entrance area to Nieuwpoort-Bad no longer meets the expectations of a modern coastal city. Visitors reach the beach via Albert I laan, where cars reign supreme, with wide parking areas on both sides of the road. Hendrikaplein, which connects to this road, is completely paved and mainly used as a car park. 

With the new master plan, the city wants to aim for a more accessible public domain, with more space for pedestrians and cyclists. The design should organize the public space and guide visitors to the beach building and the beach. The master plan and the design for the beach building can therefore not be considered separately.

With the master plan, the city wants to develop a vision for Albert I laan and examine whether relocating the tram stop could contribute to a more inviting and visible walking and cycling route to the beach. The new Hendrikaplein will be an important link in this route. The city’s ambition is to significantly improve the quality of the space here. The underground car park will be retained, but above-ground parking will no longer be possible. In addition, the outdated tourist office on the square will be demolished. The tourist office will move to the restored Villa Hurlebise. Hendrikaplein can thus become a generous resting place with sufficient greenery and pleasant seating areas, both in the sun and shade and out of the wind. 

On the beach and in dialogue with Hendrikaplein, the city wants to realize a multifunctional beach building. It should be a special pavilion that marks out Nieuwpoort and is a top attraction for the many visitors to Nieuwpoort.

The versatile beach building will bring together important facilities that will improve the quality of beach visits. The building will ensure full accessibility to the beach for people with disabilities and will house safety facilities (lifeguard service and first aid post) and leisure facilities (public toilets, changing rooms, multipurpose room, beach library and outdoor sports and training area). Combining these services will ensure the efficient use of space, but can also create synergies between the various functions. The beach building will be a central landmark of the Nieuwpoort-Bad tourist resort with its own unique identity.

Due to the ownership structure and differences in timing, four projects are planned in the short and medium term to upgrade the entrance area of Nieuwpoort-Bad:

• In the short term (the next 5 years), the city wants to erect a new multifunctional beach building, renovate Hendrikaplein and redevelop the adjacent section of the Zeedijk.
• In the medium term (the next 6 to 10 years), the city wants to redevelop part of Albert I laan (between Hendrikaplein and Elisalaan).

To carry out these four projects in a coherent and high-quality manner, the city wishes to have a single master plan drawn up.

The assignment for the master plan concerns the vision for the entire project area and the development of a preliminary design for Hendrikaplein. The implementation of this design is not included in the assignment. However, the city is envisioning a full study assignment for the construction of the multifunctional beach building.