In Cyprus, the new Larnaca seafront signed by Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners recently unveiled plans for the redevelopment of the waterfront in Larnaca, a tourist city on the southern coast of Cyprus. The new project, commissioned by the oil company Petrolina Group, will gradually replace two kilometres of oil refineries located on the waterfront north of the town center.

The plan is developed along the Larnaca-Dhekelia Road, a traffic axis converted into a pedestrian street. In the intermediate space between Larnaca-Dhekelia Road and the coast, numerous commercial, residential and hotel blocks are planned, composed of low buildings perceived, according to the designers, as a “natural extension of the urban texture” of the city. The project also includes the revaluation of some significant local elements, such as the four existing canals running through the neighbourhoods, which will be redeveloped, and some structures of the former oil refinery, to celebrate the city's industrial heritage.

Along the coastline, on the other hand, a new beach is planned, with a series of restaurants and cafes housed in wooden structures. “The master plan preserves and enhances the character of the city while creating a new and exciting vision for its future,” said Ben Scott, senior partner at Foster + Partners. “Our approach was developed in close consultation with city officials, building on the municipality’s key initiatives that promote sustainable and holistic urban growth.”

All images courtesy Foster + Partners