The Board of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company has unanimously selected a consortium led by Urban Capital, including heneghan.peng.architects as the preferred bidder in its competition to redevelop the derelict Carlisle Pier in the centre of Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The preferred bidder was chosen by the Board following a tender competition launched in July 2003 to redevelop the Pier. Four proposals were short-listed from fourteen proposals originally received.

The short-listed proposals were evaluated by an Assessment Panel of experts appointed to advise the Board. The proposals were also put on public display earlier this year and an independent report on the public views of the proposals was presented to the Board to help inform its decision on which proposal to select.

As the selected preferred bidder, Urban Capital will now begin a detailed process of negotiation with the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company to agree the exact terms of a contract between both parties. Subject to this being completed, Urban Capital will then be required to make application for a Grant of Planning Permission from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council prior to construction work commencing.

The consortium led by Urban Capital includes the Sisk / Park Developments joint venture and Hugh O'Regan. The architects of the development are heneghan.peng.architects. A National Marine Life Centre will form a central cultural component of the redeveloped Pier which will include a 127 bed hotel, 229 apartments, retail, leisure uses and a floating stage.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has set down a series of rigorous objectives for redeveloping the Pier which include a requirement for landmark architecture, a major national cultural attraction, significant permanent public access to the Pier and better links with Dun Laoghaire town centre. Subject to these conditions being met, the Council will consider allowing other uses such as hotel, residential and retail outlets on the Pier.

The heneghan.peng proposal was described by the architectural advisers to the Company as "architecture of great refinement, elegance and sophistication". In its own submission, heneghan.peng describe their proposal: "Along the Pier's length the buildings form a pedestrian street ensuring that the development on Carlisle Pier no longer forms a wall to the town but rather opens up and invites the town into its space".

heneghan.peng.architects was established in New York in 1999 and relocated to Dublin in 2001 subsequent to winning the international architectural competition for the Kildare Civic Offices. Last year, the company won an international competition to design the Grand Museum of Egypt. Its principals are Roisin Heneghan and Shih-Fu Peng.

The exhibition of the proposals to redevelop the Pier was very successful with over 8,000 visitors, nearly 1600 comment cards completed, and structured interviews conducted with almost 600 people. A report prepared by Behaviour & Attitudes Marketing Research for the Harbour Company Board found that the overall favourite proposal based on the structured interview was that of Mailboat Pier Company / Daniel Libeskind Architects at 47%.

Second was the proposal by Laing O'Rourke/ Benton Property Holdings / Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP at 21%. Third was the proposal by Urban Capital / heneghan.peng at 20%. Fourth was the proposal by Pierse Contracting / Scott Tallon Walker at 8%.

Commenting on the announcement, the Chief Executive of the Harbour Company, Michael Hanahoe said: " The Board had a difficult and complex decision to make which had to balance several criteria including the report on the public consultation process, architectural design, compliance with the site's zoning, benefit of the proposed cultural attraction, public access and the proposed financial return to the Company. Across all these criteria the preferred bidder selected is clearly the best with an excellent architectural design, a sustainable cultural attraction, substantial and imaginative public access and an integration of the Pier into the heart of Dun Laoghaire which will create a unique new landmark for the town".