dietmar feichtinger wraps corsican coastline with its promenade aldilonda

in the corsican city of bastia, dietmar feichtinger architectes presents its promenade aldilonda, meaning ‘above the sea.’ the work is realized in collaboration with local architects buzzo spinelli, insitu landscape and the engineers of SBP france. anchored into the landscape, aldilonda follows the rocky coastline five meters or nearly 17 feet above sea level. the rock forms the massive natural foundation of the monumental stone wall of bastia’s fortress, from which the city takes its name. until now, the rocky coast beneath the fortress wall was only partially accessible.

image by david boureau | @urbamutability

dietmar feichtinger architectes (DFA) designs its promenade aldilonda as more than a seaside walkway. the project introduces a destination with new perspectives across the open horizon. suspended between sea and sky, aldilonda becomes a spectacular event. a softly curving trajectory contrasts the massive fortress and the rock on which the bastion is founded. the promenade is nestled against the rock, leaning against it, breaking through it, and swelling to offers places to linger. the construction engages sensitively with the natural rock, carefully traversing the rich natural coastline. at the same time, the red band of the corten steel railing offers a sense of security above the surf. these bars offer maximum transparency while the iron-bearing rock harmonizes with the rusted red of the railing.

image by david boureau

the design team at dietmar feichtinger architectes’ extends its promenade aldilonda far outward into the sea. along this stretch, exposed to the surf where the waves are high, visitors might experience the spray of the sea through a gridded fence. below, the rock wall is wrapped in a stainless-steel grating which reducing the massive force of the water. the team comments on its process: ‘hydraulic tests in a basin in la seyne sur mer were necessary to determine the force of the wave impact at 14 tons per square meter. the acrobatic use of workers, suspended from the platform of the fort on the trapeze, made it possible to anchor the structure in the rock. drilling jigs had to be designed to anchor the 25-meter-long tension cables.’

image by david boureau