Quebec-based practice Lemay has won the global bid to redesign Morocco’s Casablanca Coast, which will include the new seaside promenade of the Hassan II Mosque and the Ain Diab corniche.
With modernity, sustainability, and innovation in mind, the urban and landscape design will promote mobility along the length of the corniche (a coastal, cliffside road) and aims to reinforce the appeal of the coast.
Launched in December, the project will feature an urban park and corniche along the El Hank embankment that will include rest areas, walkways, outdoor sports, and more. As an extension of the Hassan II Mosque, the promenade is expected to become a new Moroccan landmark.
A series of landscaped layers inspired by Islamic Gardens will define the project. “A first shaded layer defines the entrance to the promenade, as a green park traces a line between Corniche Blvd. and the shore. The next level of gardens encourages recreation and leisure, while the following levels are dedicated to walking and the beach. Mineral and plant layers wander, meander, rise and overlap to create elegant and integrated landscapes. At street intersections, open public squares act as gates to the sea and connect services such as restaurants, boutiques, fountains, sanitary facilities and underground parking. An unobstructed view of the sea always dominates, thanks to an integration of facilities and rolling landscape," explained the architects.
Sustainable development strategies have been woven into the project’s design, such as an electric tramway, the Casablanca coast’s fist bicycle path, a greywater treatment system, recycling, use of local materials, and the revitalization of natural areas.
Programs will be based on three main functions: a festive event space, seaside resort, and a nature preserve.
The first phase of the Hassan II Mosque’s seaside promenade is “scheduled for the end of 2017.”
News via: v2com.
