Location
La Lucia, Durban
Year
2025
Typology
Public Realm
Status
Design Concept
La Mercy / Durban
Dino Park
Project Summary
Set within a lush parkland and framed by a protected nature reserve, this small lifestyle centre is conceived as a social and recreational anchor that dissolves the boundary between architecture, landscape, and water. The project combines a community-focused sports component with a café and public amenities, all carefully woven into a network of boardwalks that trace the lake edge and extend into the surrounding wetland landscape.
The architecture is deliberately low and horizontal, allowing the pavilion-like structure to sit lightly within its context. A continuous roof plane shelters a series of open and enclosed spaces, encouraging fluid movement between indoor and outdoor areas while maintaining strong visual connections to the lake. Timber boardwalks and terraces hover above the water and planting, forming gathering platforms that double as viewing decks and social spaces.
