Client: OPW
DBFL were appointed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) to review and assess the integrity of the existing structure of the National Concert Hall and associated ancillary buildings within the campus. The National Concert Hall is to undergo extensive refurbishment works including upgrade works to the 1865 Benjamin Guinness Building, the RM Butler Building, the Pathology Building, and the addition of a new National Children’s Science Centre (NCSC) which will be housed in the North Butler Wing and the Real Tennis Building.
It is intended that, once the works are complete, the complex achieves a design working category of 4 in accordance with the Eurocodes, therefore the buildings need to be able to be used for their intended purpose, with anticipated maintenance but without major repair work, for approximately 50 years. All the buildings on the campus are protected structures and are historically sensitive.
DBFL is providing civil, structural and transportation engineering services to the OPW on the entire National Concert Hall Redevelopment Programme.
This project initially involves the development of the new National Children’s Science Centre (NCSC), a four-story over basement extension overlooking the Iveagh Gardens. The NCSC will house a 15m dome planetarium along with exhibition and workshop areas.
The Redevelopment Programme will also involve the enhancement of the main National Concert Hall auditorium, with a new rehearsal space for the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the design of a 500-seater Recital Performance Space.
Sustainability was at the forefront of the team when developing the design options for the NCH and NCSC. DBFL specified an extensive suite of durability testing in the RM Butler Building to determine the condition of the existing structural fabric across the entire campus and on foot of this testing have recommended to retain all of the primary structural elements. Cathodic protection has been specified for concrete slabs in order to extend the life of the building for another 50 years. For the new build extension, post tensioned floor slabs have been considered for the superstructure slabs. This has allowed for large span floor slabs minimising any internal columns but also results in a reduction in the volume of concrete and steel reinforcement required for these areas. New concrete elements will be formed using high percentages of GGBS, reducing the amount of Portland Cement in the mix designs. The new reception area of the Real Tennis Building will be constructed using glulam timber structural beams as opposed to steel or concrete alternatives. There is a high density of buildings on the campus and existing external areas are largely of impermeable construction, such as concrete paths or tarmac roads. The external realm has been redesigned to maximise planting and green spaces and include SUDS features to capture surface water.
As with any conservation project, a key challenge is adapting an existing building to meet the requirements of current design standards, particularly in terms of the live loading considered for the project. This project is further complicated by the protected status of the buildings on the NCH campus. The existing buildings on the campus are to be refurbished and in the case of the RM Butler North Wing and the Real Tennis Building, are to be repurposed to house the new National Children’s Science Centre. All buildings on the campus are to be designed for a further 50 year design life. Extensive opening up works was undertaken to determine the geometry and condition of the existing structure. Some of the buildings on the site date back to 1865 and a significant amount of work was required to determine the materials and construction methods of the time, and ultimately appraise these materials for another 50years. The refurbishment of the Large Concert Hall includes the demolition of the existing seating and balconies and construction of a new basement and new tiered seating with an additional level of balconies. The demolition methods are chosen with due cognisance of working inside a protected structure. The new structural elements are to be constructed independent of the existing structure in order to protect the original structural fabric.
Project Director
