Design Challenge and Design Ideas

The design challenge for College-Square was centred on balancing the site’s complex urban context with the need for a modern, functional, and aesthetically cohesive mixed use development. The site, located in the heart of Dublin City Centre, was previously a neglected area with varying architectural styles. The challenge was to create a building that not only revitalised the area but also respected its historical surroundings.

The site demanded a civic response, to replace dead street-frontages, dull asphalt, and poor connectivity. In place of grim concrete slabs, new and colourful rhythmic façades follow the street edge with active frontages all around. A setback facing Trinity College creates a generous street corner, set against a backdrop of a south-facing double-height portico.
From here a diagonal shortcut opens up the site for a mix of uses and links College Square to the river and to and from Tara Street station.

How the brief was fulfilled

College-Square (Phase 1&2) is a unique mixed-use development that creatively integrates a 10-story Grade A office building with an 11-story residential tower (delivered under phase 3). The design combines modern architecture with historical context, featuring a façade inspired by the surrounding historic landscape. The use of multi-coloured reflective terracotta adds a distinctive character to the building, making it a standout feature in the cityscape. The project includes a dynamic public plaza creating a new route through the city block.

This new passageway and its reflective luminous soffit not only improves the pedestrian experience and wayfinding, it generates a whole new spatial sequence of external open spaces in a hitherto closed-off part of the city. The new covered route blurs interior and exterior space as it opens onto double-storey entrance lobbies and a landscape diamond-shaped plaza at the centre of the site.

The quality of the detailing, coupled with the scale, exhibits the “beyond competence” level achieved by the design & contractor team. The design responds effectively to the site’s complex urban context, addressing challenges like fire egress, maintenance access, and structural integrity, while maintaining its clean visual presence.
The building includes high-quality self-finished materials, chosen for robustness, visual integrity, and empathy with its surroundings.

College-Square aligns with several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as:

SDG 11: The development enhances urban sustainability by transforming a neglected site into a vibrant mixed-use hub that promotes community engagement. The inclusion of public plazas, pedestrian pathways, and retail spaces contributes to creating more inclusive and accessible urban environments.

SDG 13: The commitment to LEED Platinum certification reflects a proactive approach to mitigating climate change, specifically by prioritising energy efficiency, reduced emissions, and reduction in water use. These features reflect a strong commitment to sustainable urban development, aligning with the RIAI 2030 Sustainability Challenge.

The design of College-Square adheres to the principles of universal design “beyond regulatory compliance”, ensuring accessibility for all. The project includes a mix of residential, commercial, and public spaces, all designed to be easily navigable. The introduction of a new pedestrian passageway enhances connectivity and accessibility at a city-wide scale.