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Intention To design an architectural form that is sensitive to its surroundings in mass and materials. To provide not a stark, predictable tower, but a sculptural object that captures the essence of place and purpose. To produce an architectural form that has vibrancy and excitement to enliven an industrial area undergoing urban renewal.

Site/Context In order to provide the required areas we have maintained the predominant building line on all but the top two floors, but formed the mass by carving and slicing the façades to reach out and engage a dialogue with its surroundings. This takes its form in four distinctively unique responses. The West façade with its lower panelized portion facing the existing industrial buildings; the South façade with its terraces and projecting canopy reaching out to the Quay; the North façade with its wider glass corner sited prominently as the "Beacon"; the East façade with its inviting entrance and views over the promenade. The facets of the podium element with its multiple skews create a dynamic character which draws in the pedestrian at street level. The Ground Floor spaces that face the pedestrian promenade along the waterfront provide interaction and entertainment opportunities between the building and its context. The vehicular access to the site is from Britain Quay, as well as the discrete entrance for U2, concealed within the industrial panelized lower façade. The slender communication tower facing the River Liffey becomes a beacon in the larger urban context and a visually stimulating silhouette on the skyline.

Building To break down the scale we have used a hierarchy of forms with shimmering transparent elevations facing many directions, utilizing materials that suggest industry and shipbuilding. The use of progressive forms has produced a glimmering, dynamic landscape of glass, steel, and corrugated metals. The "Industrial Chic" image connects the building to its neighbors but also gives the structure a sophisticated modern look. To give the appearance of movement, its faceted forms resonate with transparent colors and layers of off-plane shifts. The Studio with its glass corner has views in all directions with its adjacent expansive roof terrace crowned by a seemingly floating illuminated metal plane. The juxtaposition and articulation of the building's many parts becomes more pronounced at night, further promoting its landmark identity.

Program One enters the building and entry plaza under a descending folded plate metal canopy which penetrates the East façade at its center. The Bar with its separate entrance and connecting upper floor overlook the water. The Nightclub and First Floor Restaurant hug the corner of the site providing activity and life. The curvilinear forms of the Bar juxtapose with the angular spaces of the Nightclub and redirect one to the views inside and out. This interaction with its surroundings is further enhanced by a protruding peninsula to the South, providing the Bar with outdoor terraces. The upper two floors of the Podium contain commercial office spaces. The Office Lobby/Reception is centrally located and oriented eastward with Private Offices at the back wall. The large Conference room and Executive Offices hold the corner. The floors of the Tower are exclusively residential, having framed views in every direction. They are reached by private elevators and provide a myriad of possibilities for unit size and layout having larger multi-story units on the higher floors. The Tower's top two floors contain U2's studio located at the north end of the plan atop the glass corner, with an expansive two story space and an interior technical core.

Conclusion The building's form and function are united by the integrated use of materials, vision, and siting. The building orients itself and responds to the scale of the Dockland's landscape. It becomes an extension of the promenade at the lower floors, while the upper floors project transparent light, mass, form, and views. A unique place of which to be a part.