The project is the Headquarters building for Limerick County Council located outside of Limerick City, in the suburb of Doora­doyle. The building is designed to accommo­date and enhance the public services offered by the Council and to provide office space for its 260 employees.

Our aim was to reinforce the use and understanding of public space in this suburban landscape. The building is located in the Limerick city suburb of Dooradoyle: directly adjacent to a large shopping mall and the small county library. The environment created by the building is a ‘hinge’ between semi-natural open space that follows the Ballinacurragh creek, and the shopping centre. The environment created by the building is linked to the semi-natural open space through the sloping green planes on the western portion of the site; these planes are planted with naturally occurring vegetation. The building is a hinge between sky and land: the gesture of the timber screen, in its tilting backwards is towards the sky, the gesture of the land, its inclination towards the building, held by timber retaining walls, link the sky and the land.

Photography : Michael Moran

fig. 1

Council Chamber

Fig. 2
Southwest facade

Fig. 3
timber brise-soleil truss structure, south facade

Fig. 4
main atrium, 'breathing lung' for the building, and meeting place for local authority and public

Fig. 5

Atrium structure and brise-soliel, timber structure

Fig. 6
west facade, ramp, and planted berms

Fig. 7
main atrium looking into office spaces

Fig. 8

Public stair at atrium

Fig. 9
first floor public counter

Fig. 10
office space with exposed in-situ concrete soffit, up-lighters, and furniture

Fig. 11
vertical ventilator timber insert, up-lighter, concrete soffit and desks

Fig. 12

North facade, precast light shelves and service core

Fig. 13

North elevation, precast light shelves

Fig. 14
east facade

Photograph : Peter Maybury

Fig. 15
atrium structure detail

Photograph : Peter Maybury

Fig. 16
up-lighter detail

Photograph : Peter Maybury

Fig. 17
atrium roof structure

Photograph : Peter Maybury

Fig. 18
east facade

Photograph : Peter Maybury

Fig. 19
truss structure detail

Photograph : Peter Maybury

Fig. 20
council chamber table

Photograph : Peter Maybury

Fig. 21
atrium facade, between the structure and the glass

Photograph : Peter Maybury