The proposed design for this residential design at Trinity Street, Drogheda has been inspired and influenced by the historical quality of the immediate context and the site itself. The former functions of the sites existing buildings as well as their placements on the site has strongly informed the design process and inspired the proposed new site layout.
At its core, the proposed new layout for the site has a central public realm to ensure the public open space is universally accessible. This new public realm is surrounded by a combination of refurbished and repurposed buildings as well as a new building to the rear.
The McCloskey’s Bakery Shop, which is a protected structure, is at the heart of the project addressing Trinity St. The scheme proposes a complete refurbishment of the original shop front including the existing doors, windows and façade materials, restoring it to its former glory. The internal layout of the shop is reworked, not only to accommodate a new entrance to a residential unit above but also to create an internal visual and physical link between Trinity Street and a new public square to the rear. This provides opportunity for external café tables and chairs in the centre of this new public space. The shop becomes an important element of the design by activating the public square through its use.
Above the shop, the existing offices are refurbished to create a spacious four-bedroom home. Very small alterations are needed to allow this to happen. The roof of the extension to the shop provides a large private amenity space for this unit. Next to the shop, the existing kitchen area and store becomes the ground floor of a new three storey 2 Bedroom townhouse. The currently unoccupied upper floors are restored and converted to complete the house.
Moving back along Trinity St, the existing delivery gate is removed opening the new public square to the street. The existing bakery buildings at the corner are converted to new residential units, whilst the remainder of the derelict structures and canopies are demolished.
The former bakehouse is modified and celebrated through the insertion of a new four storey building inside, keeping the vent grills, wall textures and roof profiles intact. The void formed between the new and old walls on the Fairgreen side forms a perfect lightwell for the lower units below ground level. Similarly the existing redbrick store building along Brickfield is also converted to residential use through slight modifications.
A new ‘L’ Shaped building occupies the rear of the site, replacing the sheds and stores scattered across this area. The building is organised around two solid stair cores reminiscent of industrial chimneys – an example of which is still intact at Donaghy’s Mill – a stone’s throw from the site. These two stair cores give access to all of the upper floors as well as the basement level (accommodating bulky storage & long-term bicycle storage) and the rooftop communal amenity space. All of the apartments at ground floor level open directly on to the public areas making the best possible use of the public realms.
At the upper floor levels, each apartment front door opens into an external entrance loggia/amenity space leading to an inner front door. This omits the need for internal circulation corridors and maximises floor areas.
In terms of expression, the development has been influenced by both elements of the Bauhaus Style as well as the Art Deco Movement – both of which would have been present at the time McCloskey’s Bakery first opened in the 1940s. Simple, clean lines are utilised throughout the scheme in keeping with the original shop front. A palette of dark and pale bricks pay homage to the materials first chosen for the sight and are complimented by elements of glass, metal cladding and timber.
