MARINE RESEARCH CENTER KUTA BEACH PREVENT AND PROTECT
On 26 December 2004, a sea earthquake triggered, off the coast of Sumatra Island, giving birth on all the Indian Ocean coasts to the most deadly tsunami of History : more than 220.000 casualties. In cause : the violence and rapidity of a phenomenon nobody seemed to be prepared for, as well as the plane topography of the island and thus the lack of refuge. The project proposed here aims at making up for those lacks and avoiding such drama to repeat. The idea is to create two buildings ; the first one dedicated to research and prevention of tsunamis, the second one dedicated to protection.
Study to anticipate
The 1st building is a Marine Research Center composed of 3 massive blocks, immersed at 75 %, and with the appearance of coral reef. The 1st block is open to the public, the 2d one is dedicated to research rooms and the 3rd one shelters the private sections of the scientists. In the event of a tsunami, the whole building, compact and resistant, is fully submersible. On the concrete walls, the coral grows up, thus creating a real undersea landscape. A landscape visible from the inside thanks to large bay windows which also allow the visitor, in the frame of a deep-sea diving, to notice the private sections of the building.
Share and protect
The 2d building, located on the coast, is designed like a stone arch. Off the ground, from the building comes out a public space designed to host an indoor market, for instance. In the building itself, we can find restaurants, shops and nightclubs. The roof, large plane surface, is also public, offering a wonderful view on the sea and multiple possibilities of limited uses (festival, open-air theatre, etc.) Located at 14 meters (46 feet) above the sea level and accessible by large stairs, it is also a huge refuge for the population facing the arrival of a tsunami.
Multiply to preserve
The project presented here for Kuta beach aims at being multiplied and repeated at different strategic places of the coast, under different forms but all based on the same principle. In the everyday life, the arches include pleasant and functional public spaces. In case of alert, they offer a solution of quick protection, near the beaches, and they can host about 5.000 people in no time. The idea of roof-refuge had already been considered by specialists and scientists after the 2004 disaster, and several hotel keepers now plan to make the roofs of their building available in order to allow people to take refuge in case of alert. These refuges, in association with the largest ones offered by the arches-refuges suggested here, will create a real protection barrier against huge waves. Besides, we can imagine that all the constructions situated on the shore will be designed with a roof-refuge in order to systematize this principle of protection.
