Re: Re: Department of Finance, Merrion Row – Grafton Architects

Aside from the overall architectural merits/ demerits, the detailing is superb here- how did they form the panels to the cemetery side is hand laid masonry?? (someone told me Polish brickies were used so I am discounting that they are prefab panels of stone)

I noticed an early pic here showed a cast insitu conc. inner leaf with small projections and offsets- there must be relieving angles fixed to these walls with stone mechanically fixed/ adhered to the underside of these to give a monolithic appearance. The masonry is built off these. I also noticed on Stone Developments website the masonry units were 100mm wide (sanded Galway Limstone) and Grafton stated in their article in IA that the overall thickness of the wall is 425. Apparently the openable (recessed) glazing slides into the internal reveal to create a balcony like situation. So we are probably talking about 100mm ex. stone, 100mm cavity (with some form of insulation) 150mm inner ‘leaf’ of insitu concrete cast off the floor slabs and 75mm internal stud inc finishes….

The glazing is by Sean Billings (BDA ltd), who have done all the good glazing jobs in Ireland (and around the world it would seem- eg Michael Hopkins house in Hamstead), according to his website each panel is a ‘pod’ unit with integrated insulation and downpipes. This may be how they got around the tricky jamb detail in terms of insulation. The reference to downpipes may be how they have weathered the exposed tops of the glazing but I don’t have a monkeys where the water goes to! It remains to be seen if it will weather well in the long run, I have seen streaks and water marks on the flush windows every time I pass it, the stone colour may help however (unlike the new Trinity Long Room Hub in Fellows Square- which although good will be less forgiven than Grafton’s exercise in checkerboard).