CLARION QUAY

Apartments
Clarion Quay
Dublin 4

Completed 2003

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Urban Projects - formed by Gerry Cahill, Derek Tynan and Michael McGarry - won an international design competition for a mixed use residential and commercial project at Clarion Quay in the Docklands.

The winning scheme proposed an urban design strategy - in response to the DDDA masterplan - to create a new street - Excise Walk running from the quayside to a new public space - Mayor Square. The original project had over 330 apartments with commercial,childcare, leisure, restaurant and medical uses. As the eastern side was used to accommodate the Clarion Hotel and the National College of Ireland the built western side of the successful scheme now provides 189 dwellings with creche and commercial uses. Of these 39 units are social rentals managed by Cluid Housing Association. There are fourteen different dwelling types, all of which are double aspect with generous floor areas, private balconies and 4 terraces. The hight density serves to eight storey perimeter blocks form a shared communal garden with mature planing and landscaping. This is achieved by restricting underground parking to beneath the building footprints.

In contrast to the adjacent cladding of corporate uses the facade materials chosen were buff clay brick and the naturally weathered timber cladding, fenestration an screens.

The scheme won awards from the RTPI, IAVI, Opus Building of the Year and was selected as Best House Project by the RIAI with the RIAI Silver Medal being awarded in 2007.