Serious storms are one of the most important natural threats in the North Sea region. To protect the Flemish coast from heavy storm tides, the Maritime Services and Coast Agency has developed the Coastal Safety Master-Plan, which was passed by the Flemish government on 10 June 2011. The main emphasis of this master-plan is primarily on the implementation of the protective measures necessary to continue ensuring the safety of the coast. A great deal of attention is hereby paid to climate change: it takes account of the expected rise in sea level up to the year 2050. The measures in the Coastal Safety Master-Plan provide the minimum protection needed against a storm tide with a cycle of 1000 years (the so-called 1000-year storm). There is an additional verification from the point of view of costs and benefits whether there is any remaining risk of material damage and victims.

The project for the redesign of the seawall with dams in Ostend, in the zone from Raversijde to Wellington, and the broadening of the seawall in Raversijde, is part of the Coastal Safety Master-Plan and its primary objective is to implement the measures essential to ensuring lasting coastal security.

Protection against the sea cannot be seen as separate from the other tasks in the coastal zone: natural development, economic development, the development of a coast that is attractive to tourists and residents and the development of sustainable energy are the basic principles of an integrated formulation of each project for the coastal area.

The client and Ostend town council are looking for a design in which the functional aspect – increasing coastal security – is linked to an upgrade of the public space.

Considering the importance of this zone to tourism and recreation, and the character of the public space, this project is the perfect way for the client to present itself to a broad public. In addition to the work on the security and spatial quality of the surroundings, this project is intended to offer striking and attractive added value. Which is why special attention must be paid to the visual elements of the design and to its sustainability. It should develop into a major maritime tourist-recreational attraction and once again form part of the collective memory of both residents and visitors.

Overall fee: target value for the estimation of the study: 825,000 euro (incl. VAT)