Dublin Royal Convention Centre
The Dublin Royal Convention Centre will present a unique civic benefit by bringing much needed activity to this area through tourism, business meetings and large scale conventions adjacent to Dublin Castle in the heart of the city. DRCC has a distinctive character generated for the most part by the history of the site, surrounding context and the sensitivity with which new buildings and public space have been designed. The convention centre also augments the existing Radisson hotel facility with an international quality convention centre consisting of conference halls, meeting and conference rooms which will bring much needed activity to the inner city adjacent to Dublin Castle attracting both international and national conference/exhibition markets.
The project is the second phase of the development to the rear of the Radisson Hotel on Golden Lane which forms a new civic square on the site of Dublin’s earliest Christian church, 6th century Michael Le Pole Church and graveyard. The development consists of a convention centre over 2 levels, basement accommodation over two levels with support accommodation for the Convention Centre such as kitchens, stores and carparking. The Dublin Royal Convention Centre is accessed from both Ship Street and from Le Pole Square at first floor level and provides a significant impetus to the redevelopment and upgrading of an important civic thoroughfare set in the context of the historic city core, creating a strong sense of place in an area undergoing significant renewal and rejuvenation.
The building comprises of a large double height event space for business conferences or exhibitions catering for up to 1,100 delegates with pre-conference suites / bars and support accommodation. Further meeting spaces are provided at first floor level overlooking Ship Street and the new route between Le Pole Square and the public realm. The Convention centre creates a strong presence at street level by having meeting rooms and reception areas overlooking the streetscape. The Convention Centre also connects with the Radisson Hotel across the new Le Pole Square and the combined hotel, function rooms and business suites will form a hub of activity in this area. Extensive archeological excavations were undertaken prior to the commencement of the construction phase of the project and during this excavation a number of significant Viking artifacts were found. The discovery of these Viking artifacts heavily influenced interior scheme for this project, such as the handcrafted oak Viking boat wall to rear of reception which was made by Irish Artisan Craftsman Luke Bulfin. The exterior landscaping mosaic is also draws inspiration from the Viking pottery found during the excavation works and is spot lit for maximum night time impact. Lastly a modern interpretation of ships lap wall claddings are used through the scheme to emulate the woodcraft techniques used by Viking Boat makers and link the scheme to the sites rich history and archaeological significance.
