Dalian Amber Bay

Dalian, China

Photo © GRAFT

Architects: GRAFT

Location: Yuejin Road, Dalian, China
Year: 2011
Size: 16,000 sqm

Dalian Amber Bay Beach Front Development

The Amber Bay is located along Binhai Road, Dalians famous scenic coastal road on the city’s south east side. With a just 15min drive to the city centre, this picturesque stretch of coastline, with its beaches and towering rock formations offers the ideal place for seafood dining away from the bustling noise of downtown Dalian. Within this unique setting, the Amber Bay Beach Front Development will provide approx. 10,000m2 of restaurant and shop facilities. The Project will be built into the sensitive beach front area. Therefore the main design objective was to develop an architectural language, which blends the building volumes into the natural setting; a language that does not try to imitate nature but provides an architectural interpretation. A topographic architectural landscape, rich in variety of publicly accessible platforms, stairs and roof terraces.

The materiality of the buildings is emphasizing this intention, natural bleached wood equals driftwood on the shore, and surface-treated concrete, composed with local sand and aggregates will match the color and texture of the existing rocks and sand. The main feature of the Beach Front is a large scale Boardwalk. A wooden Deck, which serves as a public stage along the half moon-shaped beach. The wooden boardwalk provides a natural transition to the beach, being partly on the same elevation, so natural sand dunes will blur the circular shaped edge.