Independent newspaper journalist Paul Melia interviews Sean Harrington about how good design can unlock the potential of small inner city sites in Dublin.
See; http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/size-of-a-plot-should-not-dictate-the-quality-of-the-building-31155279.html
SEÃN HARRINGTON ARCHITECTS

SEÃN HARRINGTON ARCHITECTS

Sunday, November 9th 2014: The Rosie Hackett Bridge which links the north and south banks of the River Liffey has been voted Engineering Project of the Year by the Irish public in an online vote in the fifth annual Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards, in association with ESB.

The Rosie Hackett Bridge by Dublin City Council, designed by Roughan & O’Donovan and Seán Harrington Architects and built by Grahams is the newest bridge overlooking Dublin’s riverscape. The graceful structure, with a total depth of only 45.7 centimetres at mid span, just 15 centimetres longer than a standard ruler, connects the north and south of the city centre with two southbound bus lanes, one southbound light rail (LUAS) track, two footpaths and two cycle tracks.

Speaking about the bridge, Tony Dempsey, Chartered Engineer and Director at Roughan and O’Donovan, said the Rosie Hackett Bridge set a new standard in the capabilities of structural concrete, far exceeding anything that has been achieved in this country before. The span to depth ratio achieved on this bridge is a match for anything seen globally and has been the topic of much discussion within the international bridge world since it opened.

We are delighted to announce that the Umbrellas in Temple Bar’s Meeting House Square have just won a prestigious international ICONIC AWARD 2014 in the “Special Architecture” category from the German Design Council.

The German Design Council’s cross-disciplinary architectural competition took place for the second time this year and honoured a total of 48 submissions from numerous high-quality entries with the highest award Best of Best – including the Meeting House Square umbrellas.

“The great success of the 2014 Iconic Awards demonstrates that there is a sustained demand for an architectural competition, which honors the interaction of the disciplines through a holistic approach. The outstanding submissions, a strongly growing public interest and the increasingly international character of the competition, have already established the Iconic Awards as a benchmark in their second year of existence,” notes Andrej Kupetz, General Manager of German Design Council.

This is the second international award for the project, following on from the International Award for Architecture 2013 from the Chicago Atheneum and the European Centre for Architecture.

Our thanks go to the client Temple Bar Cultural Trust and the German firm of MDT-tex who manufactured and engineered the umbrellas.

We are thrilled to have been doubly successful at the 2014 RIAI Awards. Granby Park was voted outright winner in the Public Space Category, and Our Lady’s Nursery, Ballymun was commended in the Educational Category. Also many thanks to all of those who voted for our projects in the People’s Choice Category.

The jury’s citation for Granby Park read;

A transformative pop-up park achieved by the fulfilment of an ambitious process of collective creativity. From artists, architects, schoolchildren, horticulturists, cooks, musicians, and more this community based project brought forward, through a remarkable volunteering spirit, the potential of everyday vacant city spaces alive and inventive, the park embraces resourceful design; polytunnels for shelter and a winding amphitheatre constructed from industrial timber pallets featured. A significant element of the project is that, although temporary, it was designed as a template for other communities and their spaces.

To see more of Granby Park: http://www.sha.ie/portfolio/pallet-theatre/

To see more of Sillogue Nursery: http://www.sha.ie/portfolio/sillogue-nursery

Many thanks to our clients, fellow consultants and collaborators involved in bringing these exciting projects to fruition!

Dublin’s newest crossing, the Rosie Hackett Bridge, was officially opened his afternoon. From 6am tomorrow morning it will be open for use, for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and taxis. South-bound LUAS trams will use it following the scheduled completion of the LUAS cross city project in 2017.

Lord Mayor Oisin Quinn, said it was an honour to be involved in the opening of the bridge which was named after woman who led Jacob’s workers in the 1913 Lockout, before taking such an active role in trade unionism and the struggle for Irish freedom.

“From 6am, we can say meet me at the Rosie”, he said. “By bike, bus or brogue, we can mosey across the Rosie.

Last night the lighting for the Rosie Hackett Bridge was tested and commissioned. Designed in collaboration with Kevin Cleary & Associates (www.kca.ie), all the light fittings are LED based, being effective and economic, with the minimum energy usage. As well as marking the gateway to the bridge, the four tall lighting masts will provide support for the overhead cables for the LUAS. (Photos 1 and 2; photography by Deirdre Brennan wwwdeirdrebrennan.ie)

Yesterday the finishing touches were being put in place for the opening of the Rosie Hackett Bridge in Dublin. The seasonal planting was lowered into the stainless steel planting troughs, integrated into the hardwood seating on the bridge. Protective plastic sheeting was stripped off to reveal the shiny aluminium bronze leaning rails and everything was given a good clean.The bridge, designed in collaboration with Roughan & O’Donovan Consulting Engineers was built by Graham Projects Ltd for Dublin City Council, and will be officially opened next Tuesday 20th May by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Oisín Quinn.
See also; http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/landmark-liffey-bridge-ready-for-grand-opening-30276163.html

There have been many wonderful events held under the umbrellas in Meeting House Square. One of our favourites is the recent Secret Garden pop-up restaurant, which was a huge success, being booked out every day while it was on. Lets hope they come back next year!
For info, check out;
www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/secret-garden-is-a-foodie-fairytale-30255863.html,
and for a cool movie on how it was all put together, see;
http://www.lidl.ie/cps/rde/SID-DDF7DCB6-E1ECB11C/www_lidl_ie/hs.xsl/4083.htm

If you would like to rent out this unique location for your own event, talk to Temple Bar Cultural Trust at;
http://www.meetinghousesquare.ie/