Year: FALL 2021
Typology: Urban Intervention
About: Graduate studies/ University of Virginia + ETSAB Barcelona School of Architecture
Project Location: Barcelona, Spain
Advisor: Manuel Bailo
-Collaborative work with Alex Hall [M.Arch 2022]-
The Shifting Coastlines is a proposal that integrates both the lost historic functions and the new climate concerns of la Barceloneta to renew the legacy of social and reactional baths and address the necessity of erosion control of la Barceloneta. The coastline of la Barceloneta has been suffering coastal erosion and the shifting of shoreline ever since the beginning of its geographic time. The hard-engineered coastal barriers have not only contributed to more harm on eroding of la Barceloneta beaches but have failed to function in the events of large storms, such as Storm Gloria, as it inundated under the storm and lead to eventual flooding. In addition to the coastal concern, la Barceloneta has suffered the loss of its social and recreational function of its past due to the reconstruction of the city to prepare for the 1992 Olympics. While presenting various coastal protection plan, the proposal pursues to bring back the historical legacy of the San Sebastian Bath of la Barceloneta, presenting the return of the public bath as the [re]new public function of la Barceloneta along with additional nautical recreational programs and space for coastal resilience research.
La Barceloneta represents the division between the City of Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. This site bears the responsibility of mitigating a multitude of complex relationships involving climate change, historical functionality, social evolution, and new economic interests. Shifting Coastlines focuses on the legacy of recreation along the Costa Brava and on the surmounting necessity for storm resilience. The entire dynamic of La Barceloneta relies on it’s relationship to the Sea, one that is anything but static. Storms, fluvial sediment movement, and human interference are constantly redefining the boundary between City and Sea. As human occupants of the coastal landscape, our strong influence has undoubtedly reshaped the coastline with detrimental effects. In order to restore the adaptability and inherent protective power of the beach, this project introduces a system of mobile dunes, submerged topography, and an inundation zone that works with the City. Working with the master plan, the building and boardwalk reinvent the legacy of the San Sebastian baths and provide a unique vantage point for new coastal resilience research.
