With ever evolving requirements and global trends to consider, delivering modern waterfront development and marina design projects can be challenging. Nowhere is this as important as in developing markets such as the Middle East.
Marina design is often considered to be a simple process of establishing a berthing layout and assessing an appropriate mix and scale of berths, typically aligned to a set of internationally recognised design criteria. Indeed, these are very important aspects to marina design. However, the process is far more complex when the marina is situated within and featured as part of a wider waterfront development. In this scenario the “marina design” process starts much earlier and involves a more intricate level of planning.
The marina design must first recognise and respond to a set of fundamental factors, namely whether the marina is a relatively modest berthing facility within an estuarine environment, or a superyacht facility situated within a large-scale mixed-used development. Nevertheless, the market conditions and its opportunities, the site’s conditions and constraints, and the overarching vision and aspiration for the development are critical components that inform the very fabric of the marina and how to best leverage the value created by berthing and the associated waterspace activity.
There are of course many other factors that need to be considered when designing a marina. As the surrounding waterfront development increases in size and nature, the landside allocations typically become ever more diverse and comprehensive. The interaction and alignment between the marina users and the waterfront requires careful planning to ensure a harmonious synergy across the development. This is necessary both throughout the design process and into the operational phase.
An important waterfront asset
A marina can introduce an aspirational feature and an important focal point to any waterfront development. Creating a display of on-water activity, the marina affords the adjacent landside high-quality views and animation providing interest and intrigue to the surrounding development. Well-designed, integrated marina facilities increase the appeal and value of the wider development, realised through increased property revenues and commercial opportunities.
Through detailed planning and design, a marina should be delivered in a way that responds to the waterfront’s theme, and due consideration of the marina’s character and typology is therefore critical. A waterfront development that promotes a more high-density urban environment versus one that is more exclusive and boutique will attract a very different boating culture and a different set of marina user groups. Not all boats are the same, and, as such, not all marina customers are the same. Day boats, cruising vessels, charter yachts and superyachts may all be leisure vessels but their individual requirements vary. They require diverse berthing products and differing service levels and access.
The design of a fully integrated marina recognises this from the outset to ensure the marina most effectively leverages and connects to the surrounding waterfront. By having an understanding of the immediate upland allocations around the marina basin - such as retail and hospitality zones, public spaces and residential properties - one can project and anticipate levels of public activity, providing an opportunity to align the various vessel user groups in the most appropriate and complimentary locations. For example, it is prudent to position the smaller, more active day boats in areas of the marina that are adjacent to the vibrant and dynamic public waterfront. Conversely, vessels which typically prefer private berthing conditions such as superyachts might be aligned to the quieter, more exclusive areas of the marina.
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Design challenges
The interaction and integration of marinas into waterfront developments can often present several design challenges that need to be addressed at an early stage to avoid unnecessary compromise to the marina’s operation and functionality.
Different marine leisure markets across the world present their own set of unique design challenges, whether designing a brand-new facility or redeveloping an existing one. The headline considerations are broadly consistent, but the resultant design process and output can be very different.
A good example of this is the design of the quayside edges, a critical piece of infrastructure that aims to provide a consistent function no matter the location. This could be access for the public realm around the marina, access for customers to and from the marina, access for berthing vessels directly to the quayside, or indeed achieving all or a multitude of these objectives across the same site.
The quayside design may need to accommodate a variety of functions, responding to a number of design influences such as sea level rise, tidal variances or development levels. The quayside’s relationship to water levels is extremely important to establish and maintain a strong connection between the waterfront and the marina. Failure to consider these fundamental influences can lead to a significant disconnect between the upland development and marina basin, negatively impacting the whole location. Whilst designing for sea level rise with any degree of accuracy is a challenge within itself, there are proven and successful adaptive strategies that can be adopted, providing the developer with the flexibility to respond over time to any necessary changes.
The design of the marina edges and adjacent landside areas have consequences for their operational interaction. A marina is an important asset for any waterfront and its inclusion into the wider development and interaction with the public realm can be critical to the success of the marina. However, balancing the marina’s operational needs such as customer access and security against a desire for the marina and waterfront to be “open and inclusive” can be difficult and requires careful forethought.
For example, a marina featured within a mixed-use development with an active public waterfront requires sensitive design and management to ensure that neither the marina nor waterfront areas are compromised. This is perhaps most critical for facilities that provide berthing directly to quayside structures, whereby access to vessels and berthing equipment may need to be situated within the public realm.
In these instances, the waterfront design is critical to ensure the marina’s operational requirements are fully realised and integrated into the landscape architecture. As a priority, any operational zones for berthing need to be identified, introducing appropriate segregation strategies where necessary to manage access for both the public and marina customers. This is often achieved through well-considered landscape design strategies that aim to achieve discrete, effective visual separation without the need for physical barriers that can detract from the aesthetics of the waterfront, overall enhancing the presentation of the marina and waterfront environment.
Additionally, when the marina shares quayside infrastructure with the wider estate, issues relating to the latter’s management and maintenance need to be identified and appropriately tackled to ensure long-term financial stability.
The Red Sea and UAE’s growing marine leisure markets
Within newer markets where marine leisure is growing and expanding - such as the Red Sea and the UAE - waterfront developments are testing conventional designs and introducing new marinas that aim to take berthing to a new level.
Balancing the aspiration of the waterfront development with the fundamentals of good marina design becomes increasingly testing, particularly within locations that present challenging site conditions. A marina is foremost a safe haven for yachts and the infrastructure required to create the necessary protection needs to satisfy that requirement. However, it must also recognise the objectives and vision of the waterfront masterplan.
Sometimes, the scale of development means that multiple marinas may feature as part of a single mixed-use waterfront. These large-scale waterfront schemes require more than just “marina design” and extend into the site-wide infrastructure to enable safe movement and navigation whilst also providing the necessary supporting services and infrastructure needed to facilitate a sustainable boating market.
To this end, establishing a marine leisure strategy can provide a site-wide design framework for all marine leisure assets. This process ensures that marinas are designed to complement one another, catering for different typologies and user groups, and providing access to supporting services and facilities.
Modern marinas form an integral part of the waterfront experience, and the design process needs to consider all the resulting complexities and opportunities.
This article was also published in issue 150 of Marina World magazine. Click here to read the online version.
