The Grand Canal Harbour development delivers 596 apartments over 6 blocks ranging in height from 3 to 13 storeys. The development also boasts in excess of 7,000sqm of retail, shared working spaces, internal amenities and landscaped communal spaces, over a 7,000sqm, 1-storey deep basement, near the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin 8.
The unique character of this historic former dockyard has been maintained with the restoration and refurbishment of the Harbour Warehouse protected structure which will host a medical centre, café, retail units and co-working spaces. A generous public plaza with a central water feature provides a large flexible outdoor space with the potential for use for future outdoor events.
The basement and superstructure are of in-situ RC construction, with flat slab floor plates and cores and shear walls providing overall stability. A key feature of the development is the four 2-storey high reinforced concrete V Frames cast to the northern portion of Block 2 at Grand Canal Harbour which have been designed to support 7 residential levels and a roof terrace overhead. These architectural expressions of structure are a prominent feature at the epicentre of the overall development, occurring above a unique water feature and immediately facing the pedestrian thoroughfare and northern plaza.
Design considerations and challenges on this significant project included working on a site in an area of historic significance, ensuring sympathetic and sensitive approach to design. To maximise future flexibility in floor plates, shear cores with blade column and flat slab construction was adopted.
From a sustainability aspect, the incorporation of green roofs, attenuation tanks and flow control devices serve to effectively manage surface water run-off from the site. The project will achieve high HPI certification on completion.
Project Director
