Holles Street, Dublin
The NMH at Holles Street dates from the mid 1930’s. It has seen a significant increase in births necessitating a re-organisation of its existing accommodation and a significant extension to provide new Operating Theatres and a Neo-Natal Unit. The scheme briefed and completed was anticipated to be an interim development pending the relocation of the NMH to a new green field site within a 10 year period – This has yet to occur over 15 years later.
The temporary nature of the proposed development resulted in the project being reassessed throughout its pre-planning design and site appraisal stage in terms of priority of accommodation etc. The key consideration for the Design Team was the impact of the new works to the day to day operation of the Hospital and the sequential phasing and departmental decanting from the existing accommodation to the new departments. The agreed rationalised scheme, which incorporated the 1935 Hospital Building and also three adjacent Georgian Terrace Buildings in the ownership of the hospital – received planning permission.
This approved proposal was further reassessed and a reduced ‘medium-term solution’ was sanctioned which provided reduced accommodation within a temporary finger infill extension to the rear of the Holles Street Hospital Building. The architectural response to the preferred strategy was to make a case for a permanent structure in-lieu-of temporary accommodation, and this approach was accepted by the client following consideration of cost, quality and function.
Planning Permission was secured for a six storey extension connecting to the existing hospital on five levels, the refurbishment and extension of existing departments and support facilities etc. and the provision of extended Emergency Triage, Antenatal and Operating Departments and the refurbishment and extension of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The new accommodation envelopes a new therapeutic roof garden at second floor, above an extended café at Level 1.
Michael Regan of EPCA was Director in Charge / Project Architect for this project whilst Managing Director of Reddy O’Riordan Staehli Architects
