Gulliver’s Retail Park Santry
PROJECT DETAILS
Gulliver’s Retail Park Santry
The development is located on a green field site, bordered on the southern perimeter by a new road linking the old Ballymun Road and the Western boundary is the old Ballymun Road. The site is split roughly in two by the proposed access road to the development, in the western section of the site the key proposal is to locate buildings which have most visual interest to the main perimeters. These will be a car showroom at the key corner of the Old Ballymun Road and the link road.
The design of the proposed office buildings in the Eastern section particularly on the perimeter with the new link road is intended to animate and give interest to this perimeter achieved by the disposition of the wings of the building’s and the visual interest of the building gables.
The retail warehousing and the industrial starter unit buildings form the main external space in the western section, open to the link road flanked by the car showroom and neighbourhood retail buildings, in the eastern section the office buildings face inwards to a proposed new Crescent which give access to the buildings and links to the linear park to the North. This terminates in the neighbourhood retail group at the south western edge of the site.
This proposed crescent together with the main north/south avenue through the site is designed to function for vehicular and pedestrian access, but the quality of the landscape and the layout will give them the characteristics of tree lined avenues rather than site distributor roads. The proposed North South avenue has been aligned to preserve existing trees. The other main concepts are to create interesting and pleasant internal spaces and courtyards between buildings and to hide where possible car parking, delivery yards, building services utilities etc. Cycle ways and generous pathways are also a feature of the layout and a comprehensive landscaping plan is intended.
The retail warehouse buildings have a simple visual appearance, which contrasts an easily read external treatment reflecting the internal sub-division and structure of the building, with a strong roof design.
The site design and layout is such that the longest facades form the internal elevations enclosing a large internal space with the dramatic roof overhang on the south elevation giving an exciting presence to the main link road. This complex together with the car showroom neighbourhood retail unit and office buildings will demonstrate the public face of the complex. This elevation finished in high quality materials is highlighted and complimented by high quality landscaping which includes a large water feature and further enhanced by feature lighting.
The car show room and neighbourhood retail buildings are also feature type buildings with a predominance of glazing, and feature roofs as the main design elements.