New Face of the Ancient Port

International architecture and design practice Scott Brownrigg is submitting a Planning Application to redevelop a 28 hectares city centre site at Larnaca Port and Marina in Cyprus. The project aims to reinvigorate the ancient Byzantine city of Larnaca, transforming it into a major cruise and marine destination at the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean, with a mixed use public waterfront environment rivaling the best the world has to offer. The scheme expands the dilapidated marina to a 950 berth state-of-the-art facility and converts the existing commercial port to combine commercial, and cruise facility uses. The new cruise berths are located on an off-shore jetty; a strategy unseen outside the Caribbean.

The project is a 35 year Design Build Finance & Operate concession for the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and is being delivered by Zenon Consortium, a diverse group of local and international partners including Bouygues Batiments International, the Port of Amsterdam, Lievense, Costa Crociere, Louis Group, Iacovou Brothers, General Constructions Company, Petrolina, Marinaman and Scott Brownrigg as masterplanners and architects.

Preferred Bidder status was achieved in July 2010 and a start on site is likely to be next year, when final negotiations are concluded. A unique opportunity of such a scale requires the most committed and skilled input at every level. Zenon Consortium have mobilized international and local expertise to cover each aspect of the project to ensure it’s success, from internationally recognized masterplanners, architects, marine engineers and port & marina operation specialists to local and international real estate experts, through to ‘on the ground’ local and tourist interview market and reaction studies.

The core project team has the benefit of in depth knowledge of the site, having begun work on the project in 2006. The current proposals are the product of all the team’s expertise, having taken each design step, from concept to the definition of the detailed urban proposal, in partnership and close collaboration with the Authorities, notably the Public Works and Planning Departments. Working to such a scale, with a project of such importance, was very important to approach the project with some high level philosophical concepts; a clearly defined vision.

The celebrated French philosopher Alain Finkelkraut commented “Western civilization, in its best sense, was born with the promenade”. He was reflecting back to the time of Socrates and the beginnings of society as we know it, of walking and thinking, so this seems a very appropriate reference in a Hellenic context.

Project information:
Client: Zenon Consortium (Bouygues Batiment International, Port of Amsterdam, Lievense, Costa Crociere, Louis Group, Iacovou Brothers, General Constructions Company, Petrolina, Marinaman)
Masterplanners/Architects: Scott Brownrigg
Site Size: 283,000 sq m
Total GEA: 250,000 sq m

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Materials provided by Scott Brownrigg Limited