CATEGORY: Hotel and Leisure

SIZE: 8700 m2

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Bay of Shells site is located about halfway between the ferry port and the Old City of Korcula. Each journey is about 5 minutes by car along Put od Luke Street.

The old city Korcula is a well established destination for tourists and sailors yet attractive connections to other parts of Korcula town have not been established. Key to any significant development of this nature is the creation of a masterplan linking the site to the local sites of interest. Immediately west of the Bay of Shells site lies the stunning Hober National Park. However, this park is currently underused and lacks proper maintenance. There is the potential to provide direct access to the park for recreational purposes and can be achieved merely by crossing Put od Luke Street. The key position of the Bay of Shells site provides the most direct link between the sea and the park by allowing for the unique possibility of crossing from the sailing experience directly into the deep pine forest. Furthermore, the equestrian route around the Hober Park strategic vistas will allow for a full appreciation of the beauty of Korcula town and its immediate archipelago surrounds. It is therefore proposed that the new Lungo Mare is extended from the old town via the existing port and from the marina around the Marko Polo Hotel to the Bay of Shells mini-port. This would act as The Interchange between the Old Korcula and Hober Park, linking them both directly to its seaborne visitors as well as the new public piazza and its inhabitants. The creation of a new public square, and the marina linked to the Bay of Shells Boutique hotel, is the new Interchange designed to provide another reference point for tourists and Korcula visitors. This creates the establishment of a strong pedestrian promenade and links all relevant city programmes. Two extraordinarily beautiful pedestrian routes are proposed to be accessed, (and therefore fully accessible to the public) from the new public piazza on the Bay of Shells Hotel site. A link via an external public staircase or an internal Hotel lift will provide access to the new entry points to Hober Park. This path would take approximately 5 minutes and reward visitors with amazing park views of the town and its surroundings. The second proposed link is the Lungo Mare (seaside walk), which links the site to the Old City. This walk would take approximately 20 minutes and will have stunning views across the sea alongside the traditional developments and into the historic ancient City. Both proposed walks will be available to the local inhabitants and visitors alike and will be significant additions to Korcula’s many current pleasures.The creation of a new public square, and the marina linked to the Bay of Shells Boutique hotel, is the new Interchange designed to provide another reference point for tourists and Korcula visitors. This creates the establishment of a strong pedestrian promenade and links all relevant city programmes. Two extraordinarily beautiful pedestrian routes are proposed to be accessed, (and therefore fully accessible to the public) from the new public piazza on the Bay of Shells Hotel site. A link via an external public staircase or an internal Hotel lift will provide access to the new entry points to Hober Park. This path would take approximately 5 minutes and reward visitors with amazing park views of the town and its surroundings. The second proposed link is the Lungo Mare (seaside walk), which links the site to the Old City. This walk would take approximately 20 minutes and will have stunning views across the sea alongside the traditional developments and into the historic ancient City. Both proposed walks will be available to the local inhabitants and visitors alike and will be significant additions to Korcula’s many current pleasures.