Ireland
the large-scale stone structure of the General Post
Office. These units are, however, deeper than those
previously specified (166mm) to avoid or minimise
the potential for a weakening of the surface integ-
rity as a result of the slueing effects of vehicles.
The granite paving units have sand-blasted, bush-
hammered sides and bases to assist in effective
mortar bonding.The units are flame-finished and the joints mortared.
Flame-finishing is a widely used stone treatment in
Europe and provides the minimum texturing for slip
resistance, but produces a very even finish. The
granite blocks used under the GPO portico and on
the adjacent pavement are 350 x 350mm with a
depth of 70mm. They are flamed and bush-ham-
mered with mortar joints.Lighter stones are used to mark the carriageways,
below the GPO portico and on the western open
area of pavement. The edge of the roadway is
marked by large stainless steel studs. These studs
are also used at the controlled crossings to provide
a tactile warning for the visually impaired. To pro-
tect the base of the Spire from vehicular damage,
there are stainless steel bollards and these are
complemented by stainless steel mounting posts
and surrounds for the traffic lights which control the
pedestrian crossings.The trees, recessed lighting and some of the stain-
less steel waste bins are set into a band of pink
granite. The 1200mm-wide granite margin contains
the formal trees and up-lights and it forms a peri-
meter around the four sides of the central plaza,
which runs from the edge of the GPO portico on its
north side, across the pavements and carriageways,
down the eastern side parallel to the shop fronts
and back across to the southern pillar of the portico.
It is edged internally and externally in dark grey
which provides a contrast to both the pink and the
paler grey of the main bulk of the paving. It is in this
band that the change of level occurs at the cross-
ing points of the roadways. The trees are planted
at a spacing of 4.4m. The drainage for the wide
pavement area is a linear system integrated into
the design detail. There are large lighting columns
with seven units on each post to complement the
recessed pavement units. The interface between
the surrounding buildings and the light grey pave-
ment is of dark grey 100 x 100 x 70mm granite
setts. At the entrances to the building and in bands
below the portico pillars there are larger granite
slabs of the same colour.2.14
Construction of granite kerb and carriageway paving
2.15
Details at the base of the Spire, including protective
bollards