The Marine Institute headquarters at Oranmore, Co. Galway has scooped two of the top Opus National Architectural Awards, which were announced last night (Tuesday 7th November) including the highly competitive “Large Development Award” for projects valued at over €7 million.
The project also won the “Wood Excellence Award” for its use of sustainably grown timbers, such as American ash and oak, Iroko, maple, cherry and beech throughout the building
Speaking on behalf of the Institute and its staff, MI Chief Executive Dr. Peter Heffernan said, “This project was a once in a lifetime challenge to create a building that was not only a modern, world class headquarters for the Marine Institute, but also a symbol of Ireland as a ‘happening place for research and innovation’. It was also essential that the layout of the building fostered the meeting of minds and sharing of ideas between the multi-disciplinary teams that work there. Feedback received from staff, as well as the national and international visitors to the Institute, confirm that we were successful in achieving all our design goals thanks to the talents of the OPW Architectural Services Team. On behalf of the staff, I congratulate them on their success and thank them for creating a unique environment from which to promote the sustainable development of Ireland’s seas.”
The building was designed by an award-winning team from the Office of Public Works, led by Ciaran O’Connor, whose work includes the new State Laboratories at Backweston and the extension of the Botanic Gardens.
His vision was a building that was not only in harmony with the spirit of the site, but which also worked functionally as a working environment and could be delivered within the budget of the project.
Inspiration for the design of the building and its unique semi-circular crescent shape came from the vastness of Galway Bay as seen from the site, the movement of water around it and, in particular, from John Constable’s sketches for the painting “Seascape Study with Rain Clouds” (1824-25). Ciaran O’Connor studied eddies, waves and water droplets, as well as making over 50 sketches of the beach, the shore and the effects of ripples in the sand around Oranmore to incorporate into his final design, based on “the common geometry of the wave”.
In all, over 700 drawings were completed in the architectural design of the building. There were no objections to the location or design of the building during the planning process.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Dr. John Joyce – Communications Manager, Marine Institute. 087 2250871
Notes to Editor
The MI Headquarters at Oranmore
As a working environment, the Marine Institute headquarters has been designed to make the best use of its surroundings and of natural light. Careful studies were undertaken to ascertain where light fell on the building at any time of the day using computer simulations. In almost any location within the building it is possible not only to work without artificial light, but also to look out and see the sea.
The building is also designed to encourage the maximum movement and interaction of people, so that scientists, technicians, administrators and support staff mix and mingle with each other. Areas such as the library, the restaurant and the coffee docks are strategically placed to encourage staff to meet and interact.
The unique crescent shape of the main office facility is designed not only to represent the swirling effect of water but also to guarantee open views of the sea from anywhere within its walls. The upper floor corridor is separated from the lower floor along its length by windows of double-glazed fireproof glass, giving protection as well as the impression of light and open space.
The development also houses 54 laboratories within a “U-Shaped” building immediately adjoining the office crescent completed extremely economically compared to similar facilities in the UK in Europe. This economy was due to their “generic” and modular design, which allows any of the partition walls within the laboratory block to be moved or removed so that laboratories can be adapted as scientific methods evolve.
So successful has this generic laboratory design been, both in the Marine Institute and at the State Laboratories at Backweston (also designed by OPW) that interest has been generated from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the USA.
The Marine Institute
The Marine Institute was created under the Marine Institute Act in 1991 to “undertake, to co-ordinate, to promote and to assist” in the development of marine research and development in Ireland. Since its early days in Harcourt Street Dublin, it has grown into an internationally respected science body with over 200 staff, two purpose-built vessels – RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager, a research facility near Newport, Co. Mayo and now a brand new headquarters and laboratory on the shores of Galway Bay.