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".
Westerpunt is a sculptural concrete lookout
"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.
Studio Moto designed it as a landmark and dynamic walking route
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...