PIER 39 – COVID ON THE BEACH

Beaches at the Atlantic have been reopened and webcams on the scene give anyone who is interested an authentic view.  Some see the images of the beach with a feel of triumph, others however are condemning the new optimism after tough weeks with Covid-19.

Simultaneously, we receive images from the Baltic Sea and the North Sea showing a steady view of a long stretch of white sand leading to rolling blue waves, with people in groups milling about all over. It also shows a long pier, occasionally visited by a few pedestrians. The Beach is reportedly requiring large groups to practice social distancing, though many voices say this is not enough to make them safe.

The beaches are open for “essential activities,” including various forms of exercise, while activities are sunbathing are supposed to be prohibited or regulated.

       How those prohibitions will be enforced remains to be seen. On the news photos and videos show people playing volleyball together, eating and apparently just enjoying the weather, in many cases.

Some proponents of the reopened beaches defended them by saying that they are not so different from parks, hiking trails and other outdoor spaces such as restaurant terraces.

Covid and the retail world

Asked a specialist consultant about the future of retail schemes such as shopping centers or mixed-use developments combined with food outlets, we read in 2019 that the main dangers in Europe for such complex systems were amazon and the internet offering food delivery to our homes.

We listened to concerns coming up in the context of CO2 discussions and considerations that were painting a dark future without individual car traffic and therefore suburban malls were supposed to die as alreday examples in the US were showing.

Apart, there were studies about the difficulties to attract younger people to spend their rather low salaries reduced along the severe 2009 Lehman brother crisis – Millenials without a future – all the money to be spend on the flat – these were the headlines of the last five years at least around the Mediterranean Sea.

But we designers found out that these tendencies could not stop the desire to lunch out –  creating a lovely quality atmosphere and increasing the food zones at our schemes. Yes, the meal is delicious and the service is excellent.

And it was wonderful to sit with friends, catching up between sips of wine in the balmy evening air.

This was yesterday…

What we find today is: “Slide the mask up over your nose and lean towards the electronic thermometer. You have a temperature of 36.8C,” says the smiling restaurant maitre. At least I assume he’s smiling. His own surgical mask is pulled up to the top.

The waiter gestures with gloved hands to a guestbook in which I record my name and phone number. These details will be submitted into a centralised database and retained for 30 days. Should anyone in the restaurant test positive for Covid-19, authorities will trace any diners who may have come into contact with them that evening and tell them to self-isolate. I cast a furtive glance at my fellow diners to see how healthy they look before venturing in. These measures aren’t exactly key ingredients for a relaxing meal with friends. But then again, we are dining out in the middle of a global pandemic.

It’s been a few days since the government authorised restaurants to reopen their doors to customers. The easing of the country’s movement-control order followed nearly two months of being cooped up, forbidden from anything other than infrequent trips to the local supermarket. Even outdoor exercise of any kind was strictly prohibited.

The maitre leads us through an almost empty restaurant into a new outside area, where long rectangular tables have been pushed together to form one larger table to ensure we’re all sat a safe distance apart. Too far away to clink glasses as we raise a toast to finally being allowed out.

“New normality”

But more things have changed apart from the face masks: the menu shows only a few dishes available, a way to limit interaction between kitchen staff. And in the restroom there are lines of red tape to avoid accidentally brushing against one another reaching out for soap.

  

The summer will be a period of experimentation and the best we as customers can do is cross fingers and accept that things won’t go back to “normal” for a certain time and raise a glass to the efforts of those who protected us from the worst.

PIER 39      

That is the context where this new plan layout comes up with a scheme of diverse outdoor dining options.

Embedded within existing buildings and carefully repairing the urban texture, this mixed use compound with offices, artist´s studios, theater student´s rehearsal zones and stages, a food market and car park facilities enables the solution to dine at open air that seems to be the best solution for the next time.

Madrid, 15th of June 2020