European Landscape Architecture: Best Practice in Detailing

Smithfield, Dublin

Along the eastern boundary, adjacent to existing
government offices, a new hotel was developed
at the same time as the open space, to which its
main accesses relate. The existing chimney, from
the top of which the site can be viewed, is now a
tourist destination. It is a central feature of the new
enclosed Smithfield Village, designed by architects
A&D Wejchert, which links the rear of the hotel to
adjacent streets to the east. There has been less
public activity in the area than originally envisaged
in the brief, although, around Christmas, the site is
the location of a temporary ice-rink.

Design philosophy

The site boundaries provide a high length-to-width

ratio. The designer wished to retain the site as a

single strong visual entity with a purity of form. It

is not subdivided and the 45º angle of the paving

across the whole site increases the sense of width

in relation to length. To the east, the road and paving

boundary curve in a long arc, which is emphasised

on the ground by the choice of different coloured

materials for the road and the central area. Dark

grey basalt and granite setts from the existing

surface were reused in the central area while a

new, lighter grey, Chinese granite was used for the

roadway. The maintenance of this colour differential

was important to the designer. No kerbstones have

been used; instead, the edge paving was cut to

provide the delineation of the roadway. The design

philosophy would have been interrupted by a linear

kerb line on two counts: first, the integrity of the

diagonal design would have been compromised;

second, the purity of the curve of the roadway, in

contrast to the surrounding darker materials, would

have been lost.

Pedestrian access across the site is prioritised by

using level road-crossing points and maintaining the

use of the same materials for the road and paved

areas. Removable stainless steel bollards with 45º

angle slits have been designed for the site. The very

tall and visually interesting lighting columns, with

2.3

Diagonal pattern of the paving

2.4

Edge paving cut to delineate the roadway