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Hampton Beach State Park hosts over one million guests per year, with 100,000 visitors enjoying this state beach on a peak sunny summer day. The visitor serving facilities, including the Seashell complex, bathhouses and boardwalk, were in disrepair or otherwise ill-prepared to handle visitor demands. ORW worked with New Hampshire State Parks and team architects to prepare a schematic master plan and later design and construction documents for renovations to Hampton Beach State Park. In addition to new bathhouses and stage complex, the area will have a greatly improve boardwalk area including shade structures and planting that separate the pedestrian way from the parking areas, ADA access to the beach, sheltered shade areas for sitting that will help to create a more hospitable environment for beach visitors. (Typically, the largest number of emergency calls are for sun-stroke because there is no place to get out of the sun). Safe pedestrian navigation between the beach and the Ocean Boulevard shops and lodging will be greatly aided by wayfinding signage and pedestrian walkways. The memorable ‘sunfish’ wayfinding signs will help visitors orient themselves at the state park. The plan was developed though a workshop process with the public and was enthusiastically supported by the community. The vision set out in the schematic design phase brought the plan to the desk of the governor and funding by the legislature within one year. The budget allocated for the development represents the largest capital appropriation for improvements to a state park in New Hampshire.
Architect: Samyn D’Elia Architects, PA
Environmental Graphic Design: Chuck Gibson Design
