The Ghent-based practice Studio Moto has completed this viewpoint on a beach in De Panne, alongside the promenade that connects the Belgian municipality to Dunkirk (France), beside the North Sea. The structure offers a dynamic stop along the beackwalk, symbolizing the connection between humans and nature as well as between two countries. The scale, color, and textura of Westerpunt, as it is called, references the sand dunes of the nearby Westhoek nature reserve.

The sculptural concrete construction, partly immersed in water at high tide, presents a series of straight stair sections connected at 108-degree angles by small landings between each and a larger lookout area at the top. High sides with steel balustrades provide protection and support, while the angled underside of the staircase sections form a faceted ring shape framing the landscape. Form, structure, ann function are thus unified.

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Foto: studio moto

Foto: studio moto