Hammonasset Beach State Park is situated toward the end of Long Island Sound, with the West Beach Bathhouse serving as a major gateway to the park’s largest beach. Recent hurricane damage, storm surges and flooding became a primary driver for the project.
The new bathhouse includes a lifeguard station, a police communications center, public restrooms and a concessions stand inland of the flood velocity zone. The underside of the building structure is set roughly six feet above grade and approximately 15 feet above sea level, as the new facilities are still located within the 100-year flood plain. An elevated platform creates a unique dining area with commanding views of the Sound. The building’s scale, materials and truss profiles recall the vernacular of seaside buildings that were once located on or near the site.
With the relocation of the bathhouse, parking lot renovations now accommodate 750 cars, a boardwalk connects the new facilities to the existing beach boardwalk, and sand dunes were created between the new facilities and the Sound.
The project also includes new sand volleyball courts, a children’s play area and a paved bicycle trail. A portion of the bathhouse is designed as a year-round comfort station to accommodate offseason pedestrian use.
