CONCEPT

The two divining elements of the competition brief i.e. the requirement for a landmark tower, and accommodating Ireland's most prominent musicians has produced a response that the building should be generated by a physical form that links the two. In an attempt to provide a connection between the site's location and music, the Irish Harp ("Clairseach") has been utilised to generate the physical form of the building. Set within the four storey platform the "Grand Canal Dock's Clairseach" is tipped backwards in it's playing position towards the river Liffey to create a "Beacon Gateway" to the docklands area, and Dublin as a whole.

PROGRAMME

As required by the brief the scheme provides a nightclub, bar and restaurant on the ground and first floors. Having considered the Grand Canal Dock area as a whole, together with the aims of the master plan for the area, it is felt that a "destination" use for part of the scheme would generate additional visitors to the area so that the full potential of the amenities proposed within the master plan can be realised. It is therefore proposed to provide a centre of Irish music and culture on the top two floors of the platform element, with an external performance area located on the terrace area at level four.

The floors between the platform element and the U2 studios are proposed as office accommodation. A height of 3.6 metres from slab to slab has been used, which is the optimum height to accommodate the service requirements of the offices. In an attempt to provide a sustainable approach to the building and its use of energy, a plenum floor with either a chilled ceiling or chilled beam system would be used to heat and cool the building (apart from specific cooling requirements e.g. the U2 recording studio). This along with raised floors can be accommodated within a 3.6 metre slab-to-slab dimension. To give the building sustainability with regard to it's function in the future, the height of 3.6 metres would allow the provision of residential use if required.

The U2 studios are located on the top two floors of the building, with a dedicated access at ground level for visitors to the studios. A private and secure parking /delivery area with direct access to the studio lift is located at basement level. The studios have the required floor area together with two garden/terrace areas. The top floor has a slab-to-slab height of 7 metres; this would allow the recording studio to be physically independent from the main building's structure. This separation would mean that the studios would not be compromised by vibration or noise generated from the tower.

With regard to the actual studios a definite solution is not proposed at this stage. One approach could be to re-construct the acoustic characteristics of the bands existing studios. The reason for this is that the band and their engineers/producers may wish to have an identical sound as their existing facilities. The premise being that their "ears" are tuned into the existing studio, and to create a new acoustic character would be like listening to music through a different set of equipment. Currently there is only one basement level proposed (as required by the question and answers of the competition brief). It is suggested that an additional basement level could be introduced to provide more adequate car parking. The basements could be constructed using "dam-wall" construction techniques that are currently used at similar sites e.g. The docklands area of London.

ENVIROMENTAL APPROACH

The building has a sustainable approach to its design. Low energy use environmental systems would be employed for the building, and would incorporate where appropriate solar energy devices, e.g. photovoltaic cells, using the heating potential of the sun, and the cooling potential of the surrounding water. The use of natural elements, would deliver a natural and sustainable heating and ventilation system for the building.

Only environmentally responsible materials and construction techniques would be used, together with providing a building that has an in built flexibility, so that it's functions may be altered to accommodate future demands of the property market.