An environmentally-conscious bank

The Central Bank of Ireland’s new headquarters in Dublin’s Docklands is a renewed and revitalised manifestation of the institution and its functions.
Its sculptural profile reflects the maritime setting and presents a commanding new civic identity through its protective outer curtain.
The internal transformation of the building blends flexible and efficient open plan offices with a variety of collaborative and collision spaces that create an innovative working landscape for the Bank’s 1,450 employees.
The heart of the North Wall Quay headquarters is the atrium equipped with collaborative spaces and a design that allows easy access throughout the building and the floors. The building has more than 250 internal meeting rooms and collaborative spaces, while the areas open to the public include a visitor centre and an archive. In recognition of the innovative concept of the spaces and the efforts to minimise environmental impact throughout the design and executive process, the project won the Universal Design category in the Irish Architecture Awards 2017.
The transformation of the existing concrete skeleton was designed to allow for the best possible layout of the offices and collaborative spaces, making a working landscape that places the individual as the focus. The insertion of platforms, bridges and staircases into what was to be an empty lightwell creates a dynamic central heart that supports an open and technology-rich culture.
A public exhibition space, conference facility, learning centre, and library complete the complex promoting internal and external communications.
The building form is created by wrapping the workplace in a glass skin which is shielded from glare and solar heat gain by an outer layer of anodized aluminium triangular mesh panels. The façade incorporates strong and dynamic sculptural forms expressing a unique identity and is broken down into a number of elements; the double glazed unitised inner skin, an outer solar shading skin, a unique glazing system to the atrium vertical walls and roof, and a rainscreen cladding which forms the roof plantscreen and rooftop canopy.
The White Experience marble-effect porcelain tile collection from Italgraniti Group was chosen in a 9.5 mm thickness for the floors and walls on both the interior and exterior of the new headquarters. The Statuario white and Pulpis grey colours faithfully reproduce the authenticity of marble, allowing for a high degree of versatility in terms of application.
White Experience combines powerful aesthetics with the strength, durability and ease of cleaning and maintenance that are typical of porcelain, while also meeting the strict demands for sustainability of contemporary architecture designed to achieve high environmental certification ratings.