Studio Moto creates sculptural concrete lookout point on Belgian coast

Belgian practice Studio Moto has completed a ring-shaped concrete viewpoint on a beach in De Panne, which rises and falls to echo the surrounding sand dunes.

Named Westerpunt, the structure was built alongside an existing promenade that connects De Panne to Dunkirk and overlooks the North Sea.

Informed by the idea that "the journey is the destination", Studio Moto created a sculptural, ring-shaped form that would both act as a landmark and a means of making the walking route more "dynamic".

"Water, sand, concrete, and nature," said the studio. "How can we bring all these elements together, make them more tangible, without imposing them and without disturbing the place?"

"The dynamic character of the construction provides the walker with a maximal landscape experience," it continued. "The walk along the promenade is currently linear. The loop makes the walk more dynamic and spatial."

"The structure, which can also be seen as a ring, symbolises the connection between humans and nature, or between two countries," it added.

Pale, board-marked concrete was used to construct the observation point, ensuring that it is easy to maintain and able to withstand the harsh coastal climate, with the structure becoming partially submerged during high tide.

The scale, colour and texture of Westerpunt references the sand dunes at the edge of the nearby Westhoek nature reserve.

"Images of nature inspired us, particularly places where land and sea meet, with subtle, human-added elements visible in the landscape, often for practical or necessary reasons, but with respect for the environment," explained the studio.

The form of Westerpunt was created using a series of straight stair sections, connected at 108-degree angles with small landings between each and a larger lookout area at the top of the structure.

High concrete sides with steel balustrades provide shelter and support, while the angled underside of the staircase sections create a faceted, ring-shaped form that frames the landscape.

"The stair constructions also serve as the 'pillars' of the bridge," explained the studio. "In short, form, structure, and function are unified."

"The transparency through the structure acts as a lens, providing a focus on what lies behind and creating a link to the place one is walking towards," it added.

Other viewpoints featured on Dezeen include a pair of concrete pavilions by Chilean practice Pezo von Ellrichshausen, and a series of lookout points perched on the Stráž mountain by Czech practice Mjölk Architekti.

The photography is by Michiel Hendryckx unless stated.

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