A scenic view of the Comillas dune promenade with people walking along the coast, showcasing modern design and natural integration.

Innovative Dune-Inspired Promenade Transforms Comillas’ Coastal Experience

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Written by Seth Sebastian

2026-10-02

Integrating Sand into Comillas’ Seafront

Situated on Spain’s northern coast, the town of Comillas boasts a remarkable architectural legacy, most notably the El Capricho, a rare creation by Antoni Gaudí outside Catalonia. Amidst this historic setting, the seafront, known as the seaside walkway, has undergone a striking transformation by Hector Navarro + arkhitekton, reflecting an evolving bond with the Cantabrian Sea. Rather than viewing sand as merely an obstacle, this project embraces it as a dynamic element within the promenade, allowing sand carried by wind and visitors to settle in planted areas and permeable surfaces, seamlessly integrating into the public space.

View of the promenade with coastal landscape design featuring planting beds and paved walkways.
all images ©Imagen Subliminal

Comillas Dune Promenade: Dune Inspiration Bridges Town and Shoreline

Taking cues from the natural dune ecosystems of the Cantabrian coastline, the design team has crafted a unique landscape that bridges the urban area of Comillas with its beach. The passage employs a blend of vegetation, permeable materials, and minerals to adapt to the coast’s shifting conditions. Limestone riprap strengthens the connection to the rugged coastal terrain, while the use of permeable materials ensures that water and sand naturally interact with the landscape architecture.

Aerial view of promenade showing sequence of planted areas, paved paths, and sandy beach.
aerial view showing the sequence of planted areas, paved surfaces and sandy beach

Reimagining Comillas’ Waterfront with Versatile Spaces

The boardwalk is thoughtfully dotted with individual benches, offering serene vantage points to admire the sea, free from the interruption of continuous street furniture. By reducing vehicular presence and expanding pedestrian space, the project prioritizes public accessibility. This approach eschews alien installations, instead harnessing the site’s inherent dynamics—wind, sand, vegetation, and water—to craft a revitalized public landscape for Comillas, highlighting the innovative coastal design.

Sand is blended into promenade design, reflecting its natural coastal environment.
sand is incorporated into the design as a material already present in the everyday life of the promenade
Renewed seafront smoothly transitions between urban town and sandy beach.
the renewed seafront establishes a continuous transition between town and beach
Linear landscape design connects the urban area with the beach along the promenade.
the promenade is conceived as a linear landscape between the urban fabric and the beach
Promenade features planting and mineral surfaces adapting to changing coastal conditions.
planting and mineral surfaces respond to the changing coastal conditions
Paving integrates pedestrian pathways with planted strips and resting zones.
the new paving combines pedestrian continuity with planted strips and resting areas
Dune-like planting beds introduce native coastal vegetation into promenade design.
dune-like planting beds introduce coastal vegetation into the promenade
Local limestone riprap creates edges, seating areas and defines surface transitions.
local limestone riprap defines edges, seating areas and transitions between surfaces
Benches, planting, and stone elements form inviting pause points along waterfront.
benches, planting and stone elements create small places to pause along the waterfront
Existing trees provide shaded areas for seating with views of the bay.
existing trees provide shaded resting areas overlooking the bay
Coastal plants and limestone rocks ease the transition to historic balustrade.
coastal planting and limestone rocks soften the transition towards the historic balustrade
Single bench offers an unobstructed view towards the sea, framed by landscape.
a single bench frames the open view towards the sea
Ice cream kiosk, a light pavilion, seamlessly integrates into the promenade design.
the new ice cream kiosk is designed as a light pavilion integrated into the seafront
Seafront walkway with people enjoying the peaceful beachside atmosphere.
Modern architectural elements on the promenade blending with natural surroundings.
Trail with benches and coastal views along the Comillas promenade.
Sunny day on promenade, people strolling past plantings and ocean backdrop.

Sources & Links

Source: designboom.com

Frequently asked questions

What is the new design approach for Comillas’ seafront?

The project embraces sand as a dynamic element, integrating it with planted areas and permeable surfaces within the promenade.

How does the Comillas promenade connect the town and shoreline?

The design takes inspiration from natural dune ecosystems, using vegetation, permeable materials, and minerals to connect the urban area with the beach.

What elements enhance public accessibility in Comillas’ waterfront project?

By reducing vehicular presence and expanding pedestrian space, the project prioritizes public accessibility and offers serene vantage points free from continuous street furniture.

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