Winner of Architectural Design Ideas Competition for sites at Kyrls Quay announced at Exhibition Launch -Wednesday 18th May. As part of the Cork Capital of Culture 2005 Programme, Cork City Council in conjunction with the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) held an Architectural Design Ideas Competition for a prominent group of sites on Kyrls Quay in Cork. In January 2005 the City Council invited architects, urban designers and landscape architects to submit ideas to revamp this historic block of waterside properties fronting onto Kyrls Quay. The closing date for entries was 20th April 2005. Over 80 entries were received from around the world including Ireland, UK, Italy, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, USA, Japan, and Australia and were considered by an International Assessment Panel.

The winning entry, submitted by Conroy Architecture, was announced last night at the Exhibition Launch held at the Bodega Bar, Cornmarket Street, and the winners, partners Bobby Conroy and Patrick Little were presented with their award. Runners up were also awarded prizes.

The exhibition will continue at the Bodega Thursday 19th and Friday 20th May, 12 – 6pm and will then move to City Hall for the following week 23rd to 27th May, 9am to 5pm. The display will include the prize-winners and a number of other entries selected for display by the assessors.

The International Assessment Panel included architects Piers Gough, Tom de Paor and TG Mitchell, Dublin City Architect Jim Barrett and urban designer Kelvin Campbell. The assessors were impressed by the wide range of strategies presented by the entrants for this complex site and commended Cork City Council for its initiative and vision in taking this approach to such an important part of the city.

City Planners hoped that the proposals would provide ideas for striking new buildings and landscaped public spaces and see this as an opportunity to promote high quality innovative ideas in urban design, architecture and landscape design, which also respect and connect with the character of the Historic City Centre. It would appear that the winning results have indeed realised these objectives.

1st Place - Conroy Architecture, Scottish based Bobby Conroy, and Patrick Little

This entry was distinguished by a number of elements; The recognition of the importance of the river by the provision of a raised river-side walk. The entry was one of the relatively few four schemes to address the river this way. The proposal opens new routes between Kyrl's Quay, the City Wall and the City. Placing the buildings at right angles to the quay creates new route through the site allows views across the site, links to the river, and improves the permeability of the entire area. The entrants showed a careful consideration of circulation routes and the use of different levels linking to public spaces. The residential buildings are orientated to maximise light down to ground level retail streets.

The concept and building forms are sufficiently robust to accommodate a range of uses including retail offices, residential, leisure and cultural facilities. The mass and form of the proposed hotel defines a new urban space and relates well to Corn Market. The ends of buildings facing the river give a forceful rhythm to the composition along the river, and replicate the scale of existing buildings along the quays. The assessors noted that the architectural expression of the buildings was under developed, but the strength and flexibility of the strategy will allow for differing architectural forms to be developed.

2nd Place - ChristianCarlsen Arkitekfirma (Denmark)

The entrants propose a single seductive idea; the creation of a special place in Cork, a place for shopping.

The concept is that the shopping takes place on green spaces with trees set down in an almost arbitrary, way making interesting spaces which are then treated as green open spaces. The buildings are printed with tree-like imagery to create a total environmental image. The assessors recognised spaces that related to those of Cork and echoed those of Cork City.

The assessors commended the lightness of approach, and the appropriate level of development on the site, which seemed to be much more considered than many other entries. The building heights were carefully layered from the quayside to the Shopping Centre to create an appropriate building form.

Special Award – Donaghy and Dimond Architects (Dublin)

The assessors considered the urban strategy to be deft, which is facilitated by the removal of the Garda Station. By breaking the rules this architect came up with an interesting scheme. The proposal extends Corn Market by an internal Market immediately off the existing Market, defined by a town wall building and a peeled building.

Highly commended – BRE, in association with MATRIX Partnership (UK)

'The assessors commended the concept of a simple series of layers based on the historic form of the city and praised the quality of the sketches and the presentation.'

Commended:
Kiosk Architects from Cork
Magee Creedon Architects from Cork
Angus Pond Architects from London
Marie Pierre Avgeri, Theophilus Kizos, Irene Stolidou and Maria Kechrinioti from Greece