The project is based on a comprehensive strategy, climate proofing the harbor and expanding the many existing cultural environments by creating additional recreational urban spaces, each their distinct identity – among these a marina, a harbor park and a promenade along the quayside.
The vision for Den Blå Kant (The Blue Edge) is to secure the harbor from storms and flooding while creating coherence across the harbor, strengthening the existing cultural environments and adding new recreational and social value to the harbor area and to the city. Here, we have worked extensively to ensure that the solutions are adapted to the existing local environments and the location-specific conditions along the harbor edge in such a way that the current maritime and social activities can continue are not obstructed while construction is ongoing.
Climate proofing Svendborg Harbour
Today Svendborg Harbor is exposed to floods and extreme climate events. Therefore, one of the main ambitions of the ‘the Blue Edge’ project is to establish a climate-proof barrier on the outer side of the harbor which will protect the inner harbor against raising water levels of up to three meters.
“We have succeeded to position the climate proofing barrier on the outside of the inner harbor. This way, we ensure an accessible inner harbor with a direct connection to the water for both locals and visitors – the visual and physical contact between the city center and the water remains as we avoid a large physical barrier along the harbor front.”
Christian Bøcker Sørensen, architect
Most of the suggested flood solutions are integrated as design and activity elements in the new urban spaces in the harbor. The aim is to connect the city center with the harbor environment while at the same time supporting Svendborg’s vocation as a sports city. The new facilities include a new harbor bath, a promenade, a workshop with maritime leisure facilities and a new harbor park that can host a great variety of activities.
The climate protection strategy is a combination of several technical measures seamlessly integrated into the new recreational urban spaces and harbor basins. A combination of locks and dikes placed on the outer part of the harbor and Frederiksø ensure both a direct connection from Svendborg city center to the water and the preservation of the harbor areas. In addition, the suggested solution introduces a new bridge combined with a flood control facility as well as polder locks placed on the seabed at the entrance of the harbor. During high tides these locks are activated to protect the entire inner harbor.
The new pedestrian and cycling path runs continuously along the inside and across of the harbor, ensuring that the individual cultural environments are tied together and that the connections across the harbor communities are strengthened.
