Grand Parade, Cork
The new Cork City Library Project was one of the most prestigious and ambitious undertaken in the City and involved an innovative partnership arrangement between the City and a preferred Developer, selected from a public expression from interested Consortia, who owned significant lands immediately adjacent to the City Library. This provided the unique opportunity for the Library to remain in the City Centre and for the Developer to jointly develop the new Library as part of a much larger mixed use development.
The scheme as developed integrated the new City Library, retained on its original site, as part of a new urban quarter development that encompassed an entire city block. The proposal sought to reinstate and open up two historic lanes and reconnecting the North Main Street and Grand Parade retail streets. This would increase permeability across the scheme and support the new retail, commercial, residential and civic accommodation to be provided within the dilapidated city centre site.
The new Library was arranged over a series of floors overlooking the Grand Parade. The adjacent accommodation was subject to rigorous assessment throughout the design process to ensure its viability. At Planning Stage the non-library accommodation was predominately commercial, with less retail and residential that at concept stage. This was reflective of a city wide deficiency of purpose designed office accommodation.
The building massing and architectural style is distinctly ‘landmark’ in its quality, to give a strong presence to the Public Library on its prominent site. The development of the adjacent sites were designed to maintain the historic urban grain of the streetscape, but within the block allowed for floors to be interconnected for greater flexibility and regularisation of the internal planning.
After an detailed pre-planning engagement process with the City Planning Authority Planning Permission was obtained for the development as illustrated.
Michael Regan of EPCA was Director in Charge / Architect for this project whilst Managing Director of Reddy O’Riordan Staehli Architects
