The project is located on the site of the former single storey public swimming pool building. It comprises a new 25 m swimming pool, sports centre, childcare facilities, 46 apartments and new civic spaces to the front and rear. The object of the design was to create mixed use building that would consolidate the centre of Rathmines, making it a more complete and effective piece of ‘town’. 

 

The new building received a number of national and international architectural awards. 

 

The building, which is generally 5 floors in height, creates clearly defined public space – a linear Promenade space along Rathmines Road and a landscaped park at the rear of the building on Williams Park.

 

The Pool Hall, its entrance foyer and the gymnasium are the spaces that occupy the 20m wide 5m high ‘tube’ that extends the full depth of the building at ground level maintaining a transparency and legibility between the external public spaces. Three metre deep sculpted concrete beams form large-scale skylights to create a fully naturally lit environment in the Pool Hall. A 32x19m multi-purpose Sports Hall is located at first floor level.

 

Above the leisure facilities are located 46 apartment units, grouped around and accessed from a shared first floor podium/garden.  The 50 place childcare facility is located in a separate building facing south over the new park.  A total of 94 car parking spaces are located in a 2 level underground naturally ventilated car park accessed from Williams Park.

 

The height and massing of the proposal and the choice of materials (stone, brick, metal panel) have been considered in the context of the adjacent public buildings, the Library and Town Hall (red sandstone, brick, copper).