Winner of Fit Out Project of the Year - Conservation, at Fit Out Awards 2024.

Phoenix Park, Dublin

The OPW aimed to revitalise the interiors of Block J, a 2,000 sq.m, two-storey protected structure within the Garda Headquarters in Phoenix Park. The goal was to create a modern, flexible workspace that would enhance operational efficiency for An Garda Síochána while aligning with contemporary practices and ensuring future adaptability for its occupants.

The existing accommodation had not received any major upgrade works in over 30 years and was outdated and obsolete as a modern working environment. The building required comprehensive renewal of service installations as well as fit out and redecoration.

Internally Block J had been significantly altered through the years, while efforts have been made through numerous destructive interventions to rationalise the layout and circulation routes the building remained incoherent in how it was navigated.

MCA’s interventions streamlined circulation and optimized space usage. Central stairs were removed, along with several restricting dividing walls, enabling the creation of a new circulation route along the entire length of the south façade at both ground and first floor levels. This corridor not only optimized the building's circulation but also allowed the design to benefit from the natural sunlight streaming through the restored sash windows.

The corridor's inner wall is largely lined with glazed screens, allowing light to filter into the adjoining spaces. Timber sliding screens, featuring an organic motif, punctuate the corridor, playing homage to the building’s park location. Positioned in front of the internal glazing, these screens diffuse the natural light and provide flexibility in how the space interacts with the rooms behind