PROJECT
THE EBRINGTON HOTEL, DERRY
RPP ARCHITECTS TOOK ON THE CHALLENGE OF COMBINING HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND NEW DESIGN TO CREATE A UNIQUE TOURIST DESTINATION IN DERRY… DESIGN TEAM LEAD ARCHITECT
R PP Architects led the design team at The Ebrington Hotel project and was responsible for delivering both new-build and Listed Building elements, as well as developing the interior design in conjunction with Eamon Carberry Interiors. Structural and civil engineering was provided by Wallace Doherty Consulting Engineers, with M&E engineering input from the McCaul Group and quantity surveying services by Conway McBeth. The 4-star hotel is located in a prominent position on Ebrington Square, facing across the River Foyle towards the city, and features an interesting mix of old and new, with preserved Listed Buildings and contemporary new-built elements to provide bedroom accommodation. “The iconic Clock Tower barracks building and the former Captain’s House, built in the 1840s, offered an exciting opportunity to create a new infill development to connect these two Listed Buildings,” commented Kevin Rainey, Associate at
RPP Architects. “Behind the Clock Tower, there was the added challenge of the Star Fort Wall, a Scheduled Monument. This required careful and diligent construction methods on the part of the main contractor, while from a project management perspective, coordinating the various disciplines and statutory bodies involved in delivering these quite distinct building elements added complexity.” ECHOES FROM THE PAST To preserve and enhance these buildings in their new use as a hotel, RPP Architects designed a contemporary intervention to the front, facing the parade ground which would connect the two Listed Buildings and house bedrooms and entertainment spaces, whilst at the same time respecting the scale and massing of the original architecture. “We consulted with Derry City & Strabane District Council and Historic Environment Division regarding conservation best-practice principles, delineating the new-build from the existing
components to ensure historic legibility was maintained,” Kevin explained. “The Spa element of the hotel is orientated to embrace the views out to the Scheduled Monument, while the fenestration of the Clock Tower provided a strong vertical emphasis, which informs the design of the deliberately contrasting new-build metal cladding, echoing the materiality of the naval and military machines of the site’s past use.” RPP Architects is extremely proud to have been part of this project. “The intention was to offer a unique experience for Derry City which would become a desirable destination for foreign visitors and local tourists alike, and that appears to have hit the mark, going by early reports from the hotel management,” Kevin added. “The hotel contributes positively to the redevelopment of Ebrington Square as an economic kickstarter and attraction and will encourage future opportunities for development.”
Belfast: 155-157 Donegall Pass, BT7 1DT. T: +44 (0)28 9024 5777 Derry: 18 Clarendon St, BT48 7ET. T: +44 (0)28 7136 2782 E: info@rpparchitects.co.uk - www.rpparchitects.co.uk
www.nibuilder.co.uk
FOLLOW US ON:
NI BUILDER | 33
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online