Dublin

KING'S BUILDING (CHURCH STREET)
 
Country: Ireland
Location: Dublin
Purpose: office space, retail, services
Main Contractor:  Byrne’s Carlisle Trust
Architect:   FGL
Our contribution: Performing static, fabrication and site project curtain walls.
Complete: 2008

The 6-storey office building situated between Ireland's Bar Council building and the St Michan's Church along the livelyChurch Street.   
The King’s Building is one of the best-finished buildings of this type in Dublin, finished after many perturbations, the King’s Building lived to see the development that ensured the profitability of the operation.   The large office building in Dublin was partially completed in 2008, but The finishing works were abandoned due to the crisis on the real estate market. The building was left empty until 2014 when the finishing works where finally completed. In the same year the King’s Building became the European headquarters of the American software company Workday.

PROJECT 
The King's Building, designed by father and son - John Byrne senior and John Byrne junior. Byrne Sr., who died in November 2014 at the age of 94, has designed many famous office buildings in Dublin, incl. O'Connell Bridge House and D’Olier House. The building has approximately 30 000 square meters of usable space, two separate entrance lobbies and a modern glass façade. Construction of the King's Building consists of a single-storey underground level with private parking, high ground floor with a height of approximately 5 meters and five upper floors falling office arranged for open plan with a height of 2.9 meters. The whole ground floor is intended for commercial activities and services.
    
CONSTRUCTION
The land preparation was based on the use of 10 m long load-bearing piles for the internal support of the building. Cutting piles around the perimeter of 15 meters were used to secure nearby roads and properties. A waterproof membrane is used inside the incisal piles. 
The superstructure consists of a steel frame with precast, reinforced concrete girders and mesh, which are used to provide lateral stability. On this skeleton, a light façade structure based on a combination of stone, metal and glazing was created. 
An old informal burial site was discovered during construction in the courtyard of the building. This funerary annex could not be dug out due to the prohibition of the conservator. The annex is 48 meters long and 13 meters wide, so three trusses have been used to span the building over it. The ground floor is located approximately 250 mm above the annex and is supported by the lower boom of the lower truss. Each truss is 8 m high. The construction time for the entire building was 22 months, including the facade which is particularly complex and took over 11 months to complete.