After a four hour bus ride from
Barcelona to San Sebastian, Spain, a 15 minute train ride and a 30 minute walk
we arrived in Hendaye, France. In our
original plans we were not planning on making it to France but as our three
weeks in Spain led us to within minutes of the border, we couldn't pass up the
opportunity. Hendaye is a small town on
the Bay of Biscay in Atlantic Ocean in south western France. There are equal parts German and Spanish
architectural influence with a smidgen of English and French style thrown in as
well. In addition, being so close to the
Spanish border we heard more people speaking Spanish than French. I didn't know what to expect in this town,
but as I studied French for 5 years in Middle School and High School I was
excited to visit France for the first time.
After walking around for a while
it was evident that this seasonal town capitalized, incredibly nicely, on their
waterfront. As you can see in the map
below, there is a large bay housing a marina leading to the canal which
ultimately leads out to the ocean. There
is a pedestrian walkway along the bay and a separate lane which is only for
bicycle use. This has been something I
have seen a lot of, that not only is there a heavy focus on pedestrian traffic
but there are usually separate lanes for walkers and bikers. The route along the bay is very nice, but the
oceanfront promenade was the highlight of the town for me.
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| Map of Hendaye, France |
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| Bay Boardwalk 1 |
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| Bay Boardwalk 2 |
The route along the bay is very nice, but the oceanfront promenade was the highlight of the town for me, well besides the cappuccino and crepes with chocolate. Between the hotels, shops and
other buildings and the ocean there is about 60’. Which is a rough estimate as
I didn’t bring my 100’ measuring tape on this 4 month adventure. 40’ of this overall 60’ width is dedicated to
pedestrians. The day we visited Hendaye was quite
overcast, and there were still loads of people surfing and using the promenade. There were plenty of places to sit and watch
the ocean, many bicycle racks to accommodate the even greater summer population
and a central plaza with wide stairs leading down to the beach.
In this promenade alone there was
a wide range of materials used. There
was sandstone in the wall directly along the beach. There was exposed aggregate in the 20’
pedestrian walkway, and gravel beneath the brushed aluminum bicycle racks. The
materials chosen for this space added to its how unique it is. The benches of brushed aluminum with wood
slats for the seats were set on rectangular areas of composite wood
decking. The bicycle lane was colored
concrete and separated from the road by a simple but very nice granite block
curb planter.
You find many seaside towns using
boardwalks, walkways or path system along their waterfront but the overall
scale of the space and the materials selected make the difference between a good
walkway and a great boardwalk. Take a look at the photos below and see what you think about the spatial layout and the materials selected for this oceanfront promenade.
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| Looking West (Rt-Lft 6' Sidewalk, 20' Parking/ Travel, 2' Curb and Planter 8' Bike Lane, 8' Tree Lawn/Bench Pad/ Bike Rack/ Gravel Pad, 20' Pedestrian Walk, 2' Wall, Beach) |
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| Close Up Looking West |
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| Sculptural Concrete Seating |
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| View Looking East (Notice the Steel Vehicle Stoppers to Compliment the Metal Used in the Other Elements) |
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| Open 'Plaza' Area an Steps to the Beach |
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| Wide View of Street, Promenade, and Ocean |
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