Competition: Lignano Sabbiadoro waterfront, Italy

The Golden Sand Waterfront competition – organised by TerraViva Competitions and supported by the Municipality of Lignano Sabbiadoro – invites architects, designers and students to re-imagine the coastal town’s seafront as a ‘thriving public space’ for locals and tourists.

The call for concepts aims to identify a range of solutions for ‘regenerating and revitalising’ the historic coastal settlement the Adriatic Sea coast which is one of northern Italy’s main summer resorts.

Contest site: Lignano Sabbiadoro

Credit: Image by Anton Nikiforov Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

According to the brief: ‘Famous for its crystal clear waters and evergreen pinewood forests, every season thousands of tourists from all over the world come to this renowned summer getaway.

‘The competition consists in the design of a new masterplan capable of regenerating and revitalising part of the waterfront context, promoting sustainable mobility and environmental consciousness.

‘TerraViva encourages participants to experiment with innovative and original urban solutions capable of transforming this coastal area into a thriving public space for both the local community and its seasonal visitors.

‘Proposals will have to contemplate both the design of a general urban strategy and the new formal and spatial image of the most representative points of the site.’

Lignano Sabbiadoro is a small waterfront settlement which grew rapidly as a coastal tourist destination during the 20th century. The town’s second name Sabbiadoro, means ‘golden sand’ and the area is famous for its beaches.

The latest contest is the first in a series of two open calls organised by TerraViva on behalf of the local authority with the second set to focus on the regeneration of a series of strategic urban areas within the city of Lignano Sabbiadoro.

The competition comes five months after TerraViva held an earlier contest for new housing at the abandoned Cascina Lossano complex in rural Italy.  Taiwan and Italy-based Corrado Kay Hwa Severino, Luca Quadro, Jacopo Leccia and Giorgio Martellono won the €5,000 top prize with a vernacular architecture concept featuring a new greenhouse.

The Golden Sand Waterfront competition invites students, architects, designers, urbanists, engineers, artists, makers and activists to ‘holistically rethink’ the settlement’s 8km-long Lungomare Riccardo Riva promenade which currently ‘lacks a defined character.’

Contest site: Lignano Sabbiadoro

Credit: Image by TerraViva

Concepts will be expected to introduce new ‘vibrant public spaces, capable of accommodating a variety of activities such as cultural events and recreational facilities while integrating slow mobility strategies.’

Submissions must focus on six key public spaces within Lignano Sabbiadoro and should include three digital A1 panels and a short written description. Judges will include Sandra Baggerman of MVRDV in Rotterdam, Pietro Chiodi of Milan-based Stefano Boeri Architetti, Anna Cabrera Hens from Barcelona City Council, and Toufic Rifai of Lombardini 22 in Beirut.

The overall winner will receive a €7,000 top prize while a second prize of €2,000 and third prize of €1,000 will also be awarded along with four ‘golden mentions’ each worth €500.