Foster + Partners designs seafront masterplan for Larnaca, Cyprus

Foster + Partners is working closely with Petrolina Group to design a masterplan that will transform Larnaca’s seafront into a thriving and sustainable community for the city’s residents, future generations and new visitors...

all images © Foster + Partners

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From the architect: The Land of Tomorrow masterplan gives back to Larnaca by enhancing the land’s ecological value and doubling the length of the waterfront that is accessible to the public. The new development is carefully stitched into the existing urban fabric and acts as a catalyst for expansion towards the north of the city.

Ben Scott, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, said: “The masterplan retains and enhances the city’s character while creating an exciting new vision for its future. Our approach has been developed in close consultation with the city authorities, building on the municipality’s key initiatives which promote sustainable and holistic urban growth.”

A network of shaded, tree-lined streets and landscaped plazas connect the different elements of the masterplan. The city’s canals are rewilded to create new habitats for wildlife and bring greenery towards the coastline. The existing highway, Larnaca-Dhekelia Road, is transformed into a verdant and pedestrian-friendly street with new public amenities.

New developments are sensitively located between the enhanced ecological zones that connect inland areas to the coastline. These new parts of the city are low-rise, human-scale and a natural extension of the urban grain. Larnaca’s industrial heritage is celebrated through the architectural design and integration of industrial artefacts, which are repurposed to activate the urban realm.

The developments will create new opportunities for residents, attract people and businesses to the city, activate the coastline and enhance the blue economy. A sustainable mobility strategy, connecting the masterplan area with the rest of the city and the wider region, is being developed in collaboration with the authorities.