ZUSTERNA BEACH

LOCATION                koper, slovenia
PROJECT YEAR        2022 
COMPLETION           /
TYPE                         public
CLIENT                      municipality koper
RENDER                    veronika palcic
TEAM                        igor marasovic, veronika palcic, taja fister

The beach in Žusterna is part of the modernist heritage of the Slovenian coast. The beach consists of a concrete platform with two swimming pools with sea water, a larger Olympic pool, and a smaller one for children as well as a green area separating it from the bypassing road. Initially, both pools depended on the tides, later the Olympic pool was renovated and raised above the flood level. With this move, the beach broke up into several smaller platforms, unnecessarily fragmenting the usable surface and making it impossible for disabled people to access it.

In the conceptual design, we proposed raising the level of the beach to the level of the pool. Towards the west, the platform slopes into a ramp and dives into the newly created children's pool. Materially, the visible concrete is preserved, whereas a new look is offered only by a different treatment and a pattern of dilations. These are designed to create a grid for the placement of beach umbrellas. The wooden cladding provides additional beach areas and provides access to the sea.

The main axis between the beach facilities and the pool complex is emphasized by the roof pavilion and the communication path. Under the pavilion roof, there is a bar, a relaxation area with hammocks, a beach library, children's playground, an entrance pavilion, changing rooms and showers. This visually unifies seemingly different contents and provides shade where it is needed.

We also gave a lot of thought to the use of the space outside of the summer season, so we designed the bottom of the children's pool in such a way that it turns into an additional playground when it's time to relax. The wooden platform offers a viewing pier to admire the sunset, while the concrete slab on the slope can be used to organize concerts and other events.