1989 – Former Tourism Office, Limerick

The tourist office is a modern structure evoking a nautical image, with a light elegant suspended structure and a transparent building, which allows visual contact with the river. Over half of the footprint of the building is openspace covered by transparent canopies. In recent years, the light structure has been defaced and made visually heavy by the addition of large signage boards. The building won the RIAI Gold Medal, which is the premier award for a building in Ireland. No longer in use as a tourism office, and is falling into dereliction.

This building was described as “This highly extrovert building is uniquely successful in terms of both urban design and architecture. Its urban significance lies in its fulfillment of a key pivotal role between the river, the 18th century city and medieval street network of Limerick. In doing so it provides the city with a focal point and a significant visual landmark. Its siting, its form and in counterpoint, its transparency all combine to integrate the building with its wider riverside context and maximize the opportunity to be at once a gateway and a place of spontaneous social assembly.”

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