Cork developer John Cleary (JCD Group) asked the consultancy to provide high level townscape advice for a tall building scheme on the edge of Cork City centre. The site is at the junction of Albert Quay and Albert Street, the main N27 where it crosses the South Chanel of the River Lee over the Eamon de Valera Bridge.

The site is to be included within a, soon to be adopted, conservation area and includes two former railway buildings, which are protected structures; a pub, listed on the NIAH list; and industrial buildings. It stands to the south of the protected Custom House and a fine range of bonded warehouses, also protected. It marks the transition between the city centre and Cork’s docklands, where tall buildings are envisaged.

The consultancy assisted Henry J Lyons Cork office as architects and Urban Initiatives, together with the JCD’s planning team, to develop a townscape strategy, a height limit, and an approach to the architectural composition through collaboration with the architects for a build to rent housing scheme. The scheme was determined on a fast track housing planning imperative by the Planning Board while consultations also took place with the City planners.

The consultancy attended these meetings, assisted in the presentation to the Planning Board and contributed to the application documents. We believe the resulting scheme is a worthy, if modest, landmark of carefully judged, skilful and polite design, embodying an Irish clarity of enduring quality rather than one of fashionable whim. The Board accordingly gave its approval.