RIAI | Irish Architecture Awards

Citation

Dublin - Under £100,000

A fitting and inviting architectural interior, with a clever interplay of new and existing structures with solid and void, and a range of uses of natural and artificial light.

The lighting showrooms are located at the eastern end of the Liffey Quays. The original building was a single-volume warehouse rising clear to stell trusses set behind an elegant Victorian red-brick face. The building featured central glazed roof lighting which admitted natural light to the deep plan form. Two new floors were inserted into the original space, creating a section which was dictated by the existing structural heights.

Natural light is allowed to penetrate the lower areas from above through a series of voids in the floors. This naturally lit central area then defines the circulation route and to the various levels within the building. Smaller display spaces are organised perpendicular to the central area and are artificially lit, thus fulfilling the primary use for the refurbished building.

The recurring theme of contrast between old and new, solid and void, light and dark, is carried through to the b/w colour scheme, while the planting and materials are used are used to soften the interior and create an inviting space for the public.