High End ‘Cut & Carve’ Refurbishment With A Net Zero Carbon Target

Abbey Street, Dublin City

This landmark redevelopment of Irish Life’s iconic Abbey Street campus in Dublin transforms the central buildings into an environment that redefines how people work, fostering meaningful customer experiences, and establishing a central, connected hub for the entire Irish Life Centre Campus.

The project showcases architectural innovation, involving intricate interventions into existing structures, the addition of multiple floors, and a full-scale energy upgrade of building systems and envelopes. A bold reconfiguration of the 2nd-floor podium garden forms the heart of the design. By raising a section of the garden to create a striking pavilion roof, the design floods the previously constrained lower floors with natural light and creates a spectacular triple-height restaurant and assembly space beneath—a vibrant hub for collaboration and community.

A newly introduced central atrium, crowned with a sculptural open staircase, seamlessly connects all levels up to the 10th-floor event centre, fostering accessibility and unity across the building. Rooftop gardens and terraces, designed with lush planting and thoughtful landscaping, offer spaces that promote health, wellbeing, and inspiration.

The addition of an intricately modulated, perforated façade design draws inspiration from the rich architectural heritage of the 1970s Irish Life campus, echoing the deep brown brick and copper-green tones of the original buildings. A modern twist on a timeless aesthetic. This project not only solves the challenges of adapting a dated campus to modern needs but does so with elegance and ingenuity, creating a sustainable, people-centric space that will inspire for decades to come.