A stunning design for a major new public space - Grand Canal Square - in Dublin’s Docklands, has been unveiled by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. At 10,000 sq metres, the Square, located at the west end of Grand Canal Dock facing on to the water, will be one of the largest paved public spaces in the city. The new Grand Canal Theatre and Le Meridien 5-star hotel will both face on to the Square as well as shops, cafés and restaurants at ground floor level.

John McLaughlin, Director of Architecture with the Docklands Authority said "we are delighted that this project will make the public space the focus of the development, complimenting the different buildings. The fact that it will open on to a large non-tidal body of water will make it a unique space in Dublin. Such spaces have traditionally only occurred in Mediterranean cities like Trieste and Venice".

The Docklands Authority selected American Landscape Architect, Martha Schwartz, to design the space. Her design features a striking composition of a red "carpet" extending from the theatre into and over the dock crossed by a lush green "carpet" of paving with lawns and vegetation. The red "carpet" will be made of bright red resin-glass paving covered with red glowing angled light sticks. The green "carpet" of polygon-shaped planters will offer ample seating and will connect the new hotel to the office development across the square. The planters will feature marsh vegetation to soften the space and to act as a reminder of the historic wetland nature of the site. These will bring colour and variety to the space and act as a setting for the new buildings.

Grand Canal Square will be further criss-crossed by granite-paved paths that allow movement across it in any possible direction, while still allowing for the Square to host major public events such as festivals and performances. The layout will accommodate a diverse range of activities throughout the day and night. The Square itself will become a stage for street performance and the sloped under-croft of the Theatre will also encourage outdoor acoustic performance. The bar and restaurant terraces of the hotel will come alive in the morning and afternoon sunshine, and the dramatic glazed under-croft of the Theatre building will light up at night to reveal spectators as actors on the urban stage.

At night-time, coloured lighting designed by Martha, in collaboration with Edinburgh based Spiers and Major Associates, will illuminate the square and add to the theatrical experience of the space. The Docklands Authority is currently investigating, with the designers, ways to make this lighting interactive.

It is envisaged that construction of the new Grand Canal Square will begin in February and be constructed in phases in line with the completion of the surrounding buildings. The last phase will coincide with the delivery of the Daniel Libeskind designed Theatre in 2008. The design for Grand Canal Square will go on public display later this year.

"This truly dramatic design by Martha Schwartz will create an interactive public space that will be an urban magnet both day and night" said Paul Maloney, CEO of the Docklands Authority. "

The Square replaces a smaller paved space and is built over an underground car park at the centre of the Grand Canal Dock development area. The opportunity arose to substantially extend and reconfigure the space increasing its area from 4,000 square-metres to almost 10,000 square-metres, and to connect it to the dockside. This €8 million project is one of the most innovative landscape design projects ever undertaken in this country.

Boston-based Martha Schwartz, is the founder of Martha Schwartz and Partners and has over 25 years experience as a landscape architect and artist. During that time, she has won numerous awards such as an honorary fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects and design awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects. She is an adjunct professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Recent projects include the private residence of Sheikh Saud Al-Thani in Qatar, working in conjunction with Arata Isozaki, Philip Johnson, Santiago Calatrava and Jean Nouvel, the Master Plan for Baltimore Inner Harbour, and the design of Manchester Exchange Square. This is her first commission in Ireland.

Grand Canal Square is just one initiative by the Docklands Authority in the development of public amenity space in the overall regeneration of the docklands area. Already the campshires - the area between the road and quay wall – have been revamped to provide a natural pedestrian avenue for two miles along the River Liffey and around the docks. Cycle lanes, seating, innovative lighting and architectural features create a recreational wharf-like environment for public to enjoy. Another major project is the development of a one kilometre linear public park on the banks of the Royal Canal in Dublin’s Docklands. Currently at design competition stage, in association with the RIAI, this is a major landscape architecture project for the Docklands Authority and one which will transform the stretch of the Royal Canal where it enters the River Liffey into an attractive and welcoming area.