Breakwaters design ~ LINE. GAP. SHADE.

The theme of my graduation thesis were the Potentials for the landscape design of breakwaters on the Slovenian coast (graduated in December 2010). I tried to offer some additional usage to these rather overlooked structures near/on the sea. On the link above you can find the whole thesis, and below is a short abstract.

Breakwaters as coast-protection structures are one of the components of all littoral environments. Besides their main (protective) function, breakwaters are usually designed to allow berthing and mooring of vessels. Breakwaters with rock rubbles are part of the typical view of the Slovenian coast. The interaction between the sea and the shore results in an interesting and intense experience. Consequently, the offshore areas are attractive to use. From this point of view the breakwaters on the Slovenian coast are not so well utilized as they could be. With (re)organisation and (re)design of some of the breakwaters, it would be possible to obtain or establish well-functioning and attractive coastal areas. The review of breakwaters on the Slovenian coast is made on the bases of different criteria, the most important of which are: accessability, usage and additional activities, integration into the surrounding area, additional urban equipment and maintenance. Considering these parameters the breakwaters are divided into three groups, according to the extensiveness of intervention. The brakwaters in the first group are left as they are, as they function well and have an adequate urban equipment. The second group represents the breakwaters that need just some smaller interventions (greening/planting, new urban equipment, improvement of the access to the sea). The third group consists of three breakwaters, that are completely renewed, and also have a new program. The breakwater in Portorož is converted into a multipurpose event place, the breakwater in Izola is used as a new beach, while the complete surface of the new breakwater in Koper is intended to be occupied by a marine park.

Portorož - event venue