Fuse

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Fuse

Firm

Type

Commercial › Office

YEAR

2007

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$0 - 10K

The client, an expanding graphic design
company owned two small adjacent buildings on the corner of Synge Street, a
residential terrace, and Lennox Street, a mix of commercial and residential, in
Dublin 8. The proposal was to demolish the badly constructed existing 1950s commercial
premises, in order to extend the office space of the remaining building. Brief
1. To provide a modern office building to
meet current building standards and a creative working environment
2. To increase the efficiency of the building
and provide additional functional space for a growing company
3. To create a hierarchy of private and
public spaces, with designated private offices, open plan working spaces and a
client meeting room
Site Context
The site was narrow (20.5m x 3.5m) and was
a left over space at the junction of the two streets with the commercial
premises on Lennox Street once overlooking a canal basin. The redundant 1950s
building was an anomaly in the existing streetscape as it was in disrepair and
subject to vandalism. The new proposal was intended to contribute to the urban
fabric of this street and the new elevational treatment responds to both the
neighbouring buildings and the urban context of the site.
Design Approach
The site was long and narrow and the
location of the entrance was key and a decision was made to move the entrance
onto Lennox Street, beings more appropriate to the residential nature of Synge
Street. Moving the entrance also maximised the space available and created a
double height, top lit space with the circulation behind a wall concealing how
one moves from the differing levels. The new elevation proclaims the extension
to be a modern intervention through its contemporary style whilst using
contextual materials.
The new facade interlocks three dimensionally
with the façade of the retained building to create a coherent composition of
new and old. On an urban scale the new extension acknowledges its position as a
building with a view to the canal. The line of the adjacent parapet level is
broken as the new build steps up slightly repeating a condition, which occurs
further along the street. Brick was selected to clad the extension, referencing
the existing material of the retained building, with the new brickwork
responding to the tones of the neighbouring brick buildings on Lennox Street. The
new entrance is defined by a recessed large opal glass screen and adjacent
timber door.
The recess emphasises the sense of entrance
and re-appropriates the language of the adjacent shop fronts on Lennox Street.
The brick skin is punctured by glazed openings informed by the interior spaces.
The glazed band at street level provides clerestory natural lighting to the
basement area. This glazed band wraps around the corner vertically to
acknowledge the laneway and, in conjunction with a window above the side door,
provides additional light to the basement area in the afternoon. At Ground
floor level, a large picture window provides a view to the street from the
meeting room.
This window has timber ventilation panels
to each side, and externally the brick skin is detailed to conceal this panel
so the window appears as a simple glazed opening. Internal glazed screens are
used to both ends of the meeting room and basement to provide views to the
double height voids within the building and to the street beyond. This visual
link between levels provides a sense of how this complex building works and
orientates the occupant.
At first floor level, rooflights above a
light shelf provide reflected natural light to the open plan workspace, views
are provided by a large corner window and three slit windows provide more
focused intimate views and allow increased occupant control.The combination of
tall voids, carefully positioned rooflights and clear internal glazing screens
ensures natural light enters all areas of the building from multiple sources
and the occupants have a sense of openness and space within this relatively
small building. The vertical glazing at the stairwell, defines the link between
the old and new building, and provides a consistent visual reference to the
external surroundings. Externally this glazing defines the break between the
two buildings, enhancing the interplay between old and new.

Product Spec Sheet

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Team

Gary Mongey

Principal designer: Gary Mongey

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Fuse

Fuse

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team