2000 – Apartments Old City, Cow Lane, Dublin

One of the newer apartment developments in the western end of the Temple Bar Area, the tower by de Blacam & Meagher is wonderfully clad with brick and timber predominating. Originally it was designed to be higher, but a couple of stories were removed at the behest of the planners. However, its site on a patch of sloping ground towards Lord Edward Street makes the building appear higher than it actually is. On a narrow street, the head has to crane upwards to see the top levels. An interior courtyard presents a different aspect to the building with a central portion being more expressed as a tower with the brickwork taking central stage.

The Wooden Building is constructed of wood, stone and glass, representing building materials that link the past with the present. Based upon Viking-period excavations, wooden post and wattle structures lying approximately 2 metres below modern ground level were located, and there is evidence of extensive use of wood as a building material in Dublin during this time.