Joe Daly Cycles, Dublin

The project was for Joe Daly Cycles, a long estabished business in Dundrum. 

The new premises represents a dramatic move from a modest sintle storey over basement shop to a modern high tech facility. This is the second time that Joe Daly has been compulsory purchased, this time due to construction of the Luas Bridge and Dundrum bypass.

Clearly a landmark building was required on the site which sits cheek-by-jowl against the new Luas Bridge.

The project encountered a number of serious technical challenges. 

• The main Dundrum drain runs under the building and this had to be enclosed in an accessible shaft. 

• The riverbank wall had disappeared and had to be re-built with sheet piling. 

• The site is effectively below the level of the main road which also had to be sheet-piled to  facilitate the construction of a basement.

The form of the building is entirely dictated by the nature of the site with its curving boundary to the Dundrum Road and the need to provide a landmark building in this important location.

The structure consists of a ground floor shop over a basement workshop and stores and offices at first and second floor level. The building is reinforced concrete with in situ concrete floor slabs and a central concrete block lift shaft all sittingon piles and reinforced concrete ground beams.

The geometry of the external wall is based on two intersecting curves and whilst the supporting structure and block walling was being constructed on site to the agreed set out line, the metal panelling was being made in Scotland to the same line. As the cladding was almost a complete circle, minimla tolerances had to be enforced on site. 

The walls were insulated externally and then fitted with enamelled metal ramscreen clacking.  These consist of secret fixed, factory curved pans.. The glazing was part of the skin although from a separate glazing system. The entire roofing. glazing and claddtng package was undertaken by one sub-contractor avoiding the normal problems of  interface between contractors The signage tower serves as a conduit for the single rainwater pipe and provides a focal point for the building avoiding excessive  on-facade signage. The roof Is a raised seam aluminium sheet with one central  gutter and a silver clad lift shaft that is designed to be seen from LUAS trams passing on the adjacent cable-stay bridge.

The building's heating operates on a self-contained basis for each floor. It is fully accessible containing a lift accessible stairs, and an accessible toilet at  leach level.

Architect

PSDP