Promenade:

GENERAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Durban’s Beachfront is one of the cities most significant tourism assets. It forms the eastern boundary to the city and connects The Point with the new Stadium Precinct and Blue Lagoon further north. Furthermore, it is the first aspect people think of when Durban is mentioned, forming an essential part of our city’s image and identity. The recently completed Promenade Upgrade, stretches from uShaka Beach through to Sunkist / Country Club Beach, and is seen by the City as a powerful tool in the rejuvenation of the Central Business District (CBD), the first major step at regaining the premier beach holiday destination, as well as hosting the most successful 2010 FIFA Football World Cup™ Fan-Fest™. 

ARCHITECTS STATEMENT

The Site / Placing it in the Landscape

Known locally as the ‘Golden Mile’, the promenade is over 5km long and was last upgraded in the mid 1980s. Working closely with the eThekwini Municipality’s Strategic Projects Unit, Michael Tod Architects developed a set of Development Objectives for the Promenade Upgrade and locations of new nodes were established. For 2010 the area between Country Club and uShaka Beach was widened, to achieve an overall width ranging between 15 – 20m, and redesigned to provide direct access to the Moses Mabhida Stadium and Kings Park Sport & Recreation Precinct beyond. 

The City’s long-term vision is to extend the promenade through to Blue Lagoon, which is situated at the opening of the Umgeni River. This will create one continuous ‘corridor’ of activity for pedestrians, runners and cyclists, which will facilitate the ‘linking together’ of the various nodes running the entire length of Durban’s Central Beaches.

Design Description / Brief

The primary developmental objectives were to integrate the central beaches with the entire length of the beachfront, maximize public access to the all beaches, to promote safety through environmental design, to incorporate strategic dune rehabilitation zones, and to promote a healthy lifestyle for the people of Durban. In addition, all existing nodes, facilities and buildings that have direct access onto the promenade, were to be upgraded and redeveloped to take advantage of their individual potentials. These nodes comprised Addington Beach, the old XL Restaurant site / New Beach, Dairy Beach and Bay of Plenty (to include the existing Mini-town/Skate-Park facility).

A focus of the project was to reduce the ‘clutter’ of redundant structures, a proliferation of poles, bins, benches and other signs that create confusion and disorder along the promenade. A client directive required uninterrupted 150m sight lines across the site and to provide views from OR Tambo down to the Promenade below, which would in turn offer improved surveillance. New High-Mast lighting, area lighting, as well as the redesign of street furniture and showers were also incorporated.

The promenade is defined on both edges by the strong Architectural forms of the Eastern sea-wall and the Western concrete steps. The sea-wall, a defensive mechanism to protect the promenade against storm surf, have wide polished concrete covers to accommodate groups sitting together, whilst the Western off-shutter concrete steps help prevent wind-driven sand reaching the landscaping and road above, and also provide convenient seating to all ages. 

The Precinct

Durban’s Beachfront has its own image and is identified as its own precinct within the city of Durban.  A distinct effort was made to ensure that it was treated as a separate entity to the City’s beautification program, whilst still maintaining a close connection to the CBD by means of similar materials and textures so that, as a whole, the city itself remains cohesive. 

The beachfront precinct has been divided into 3 zones – the southern, central and northern beaches, each with its own activated nodes, distinct environments and foci. The central beaches, perhaps more popular with bathers and surfers than its neighbours, offers a different experience to a visitor then the quieter southern beaches would. 

Links back to the CBD have been strategically emphasised, one such link can be seen at New Beach node with the termination of Dr Pixely KaSeme (formerly West) Street.

PUBLIC CONNECTION / MOVEMENT

East-West links, for example from Dr Pixely KaSeme (formerly West) Street and from the Moses Mahbida Stadium, are critical to pedestrian movement to and from the beachfront through the city itself. 

Additional traffic calming measures have been taken in the form of traffic circles and speed tables along OR Tambo (formerly Marine) Parade. This facilitates in slowing down the vehicular movement along this arteriole which allows the precinct to be more pedestrian friendly. Furthermore, the inclusion of scoops along the entire stretch hopes to facilitate easy movement from West to East.

SUSTAINABLE MEASURES  

The play between Corobrik pavers and tinted concrete along the new promenade add different textures to an already diverse palette of materials. These materials were selected for their durability and hardiness. As a legacy project, this beachfront upgrade hopes to carry Durban through the next few decades devoid of high maintenance costs and weathering issues. 

Working in conjunction with the existing sand pumping scheme, additional subterranean reinforcement has been undertaken along all vulnerable sections of the promenade. These include the building up of layers of massive sand-bags. Sustainable landscaping measures taken, in the form of dune rehabilitation, aim to prevent sand and wind erosion from taking place.  Likewise the new sea-wall and western stairs serve to reduce wind blown sand reaching the promenade and clogging the western grassed areas.

GREEN GOAL

With the assistance of local indigenous expert, Elsa Pooley, the existing dune vegetation has been rehabilitated and extensive new dunes established at both the southern and northern beaches. The long term effects of this aims to increase flora and fauna bio-diversity, prevent wind and tidal erosion of the beach and visually softens this edge. General landscaping was limited to expanses of lawns, which incorporate picnic area and sports areas, and Coconut palms in clusters or along the edges in a regular rhythm to define the linearity. 

FUTURE CHALLENGES

Future plans to extend the promenade northwards to Blue Lagoon are currently underway in collaboration with eThekwini Municipality’s Strategic Projects Unit. This would give Durban an uninterrupted 7km promenade as well as linking the Point Development to the northern suburbs by way of the M4 highway viaduct. The promenade upgrade and the new extension has been a Legacy vision project for the City of Durban for a number of years, with the hope of creating an inheritance for future generations of Durban, the eThekwini Municipality and the greater South Africa.