5, Harcourt Road, an almost futuristic building set in the heart of the commercial sector of Dublin, owes much of its dramatic effect to the clever use of Kilkenny Blue Limestone, supplied by McKeon Stone and fixed by Stonetech of Carlow.  The architects, Scott Talon Walker, expect the best in materials for their designs, and in the flamed finish of the exterior cladding and the dark honed panels inside, they got exactly what they demanded.  The stone contrasts beautifully with the glazing of the exterior, and the more muted colour of the panels inside are exactly what is needed to complement clever lighting and the best in commercial design.

     

Scott Talon Walker is a name to be conjured within Dublin wherever prestige projects are the topic, and the new building at 5, Harcourt Road, in the centre of the commercial sector of the city has certainly raised considerable interest.

This is a landmark building. It is seven storeys high, and it is ultra modern.  There is a glazed elevation, which is contrasted and enhanced by the use of the Kilkenny Blue Limestone- flamed finish that McKeon Stone provided at request of the architects Scott Talon Walker.  Both the architect and the main contractor  Stewarts of Galway demanded, and got, the best.  The work of fixing the stone was carried out by the cladding company Stonetech of Carlow.

The flamed finish on the blue limestone makes an excellent setting for the slender patterns of glass that are the hallmark of this innovative design.  Anodised aluminium is the material that holds the glass, and there are shine and glitter that immediately catches the eye.  Part of the brief was that it was to be a sustainable office, and the Kilkenny Blue Limestone supplied by McKeon Stone was in keeping with that demand.  McKeon Stone prides itself, not only on the quality of the beautiful stone it supplies but also on the careful husbandry of its quarries.

The interior of the building is no less impressive, and here McKeon Stone supplied dark honed limestone, which has a dramatic, although slightly more subdued aspect. This is a darker shade than the classic blue variety. The lighting is clever, and the effect of it upon the satin finished aluminium of the lift doors and other fixtures set against the dark stone is a testament to excellent teamwork in interior design.

The building is modern to the point of being futuristic.  There are no concessions to softness here, and the lines and angles, both in the exterior and the interior, could not have been achieved to anything like such effect with any other materials. This is a fine example that shows the creative use of traditional material such as Irish Blue Limestone can complement ultra-modern materials such as glass and stainless steel in the most cutting-edge design.