Grand Canal Square
Location Dublin, Ireland | Client Dublin Docklands Development Corporation | Size 1 hectare | Status Completed 2008 | Tags Parks and Civic Spaces, Public Realm and Infrastructure | Photographer: Paul O’Connell
MSP’s new Grand Canal Square has given the area a strong presence, and encouraged the community to move forward with other nearby developments.
It helped to keep the neighbourhood thriving during an economic downturn by creating a desirable area in which to work and live; it is now the address for several international company headquarters.
The €8 million project replaced a small paved space over an underground car park. MSP’s design was inspired by the canal, the planned new theatre and entertainment centre by Studio Daniel Liebeskind (completed 2010), and the contemporary architecture of a new hotel to the north and an office development to the south.
The concept embraces the idea of two pedestrian ‘carpets’, red and green, linked by paths that cross each other to connect points of interest. The paths are formed from granite reused from the previous iteration of the square. The hardscape extends to the building edges, giving a feeling of space and allowing for large markets and fairs.
In the centre, a dramatic red carpet reflects celebrity culture; it leads out from the theatre, into the public space and out into the canal. The carpet is made from bright red resin-glass that reflects sunlight; illuminated red ‘pick-up sticks’ provide an exciting theatrical light at night.
The green carpet which connects the hotel to the offices is calmer, with seating incorporated into planters of various heights. Some of the planters, polygons extruded from the green carpet, feature marsh vegetation as a reminder of the historic wetland area of this site. Others offer lawns for picnicking in the spectacular setting. A water feature of randomly stacked green marble offers play for children during the summer.
The plaza features three triangular installations: two pavilions and the water feature. The two pavilions give ventilation and allow access to the stairs and elevator which lead to the underground parking. They are made from stainless steel mesh with blue walls and blue LED lights. The third triangle is a water feature made of layers of green marble, symbolising a brook bubbling up from underground. White LED lights illuminate the water at night.
