Stretching for nearly a mile along the coast of southern Spain, the Benidorm     West Beach Promenade is a vibrant pedestrian walkway that reflects the colors of a rainbow. Rebuilding the promenade with brightly colored circular porcelain tile, which were custom made by Tile of Spain branded manufacturer Keramia Cerámicas of Castellón, Spain, was part of the city of Benidorm’s revitalization efforts to breathe life back into its seaside community.
 

The design was the vision of architects Carlos Ferrater and Xavier Martí Galí of OAB (Office of Architecture) in Barcelona, Spain. During the creative process, it was important to develop a new pedestrian walkway that would be visually stimulating while still maintaining its function.
 

“To build a privileged place between the earth and the water — between the city and the beach,” was among the design goals for the project, according to Ferrater. “[Additionally], we wanted to obtain this through organic geometric chaos — creating an abstraction of wave movements, fusion forms that entwine to make different passageways and rest areas and platforms raised over the landscape, which allow a complete view of the horizon,” explained the architect.

Customizing the colors
In total, 22 customized colors were developed by Keramia for the promenade project.
"To build a privileged place between the earth and the water — between the city and the beach," was among the design goals for the project, according to Ferrater. 
As pedestrians and beach-goers walk the promenade, the surface transitions from green to yellow, orange, red, violet and blue.
 

Celebrating success
From design to construction, the entire project took about three to four years to complete. As the city of Benidorm lives on tourism, the new West Beach promenade was a critical component to the city’s revitalization. A party was held in July of 2009 to celebrate its completion.