DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
The Wood Quay site was allocated as a proposed headquarters of Dublin City Council in the 1940s but construction did not begin until the early 1980s due to the discovery of the remains of the Viking city.
The monumental towers were built to a design by Sam Stephenson, whose original design included two more towers to the north-west. However the latter part of the design was shelved, with the later phase of the offices built to a design by Scott Tallon Walker in the late 1990s. A strong horizontal emphasis is created by recessed window strips, which articulate the facades.
The later connecting glass atrium to the centre provides a contrast to the solidity of the granite cladding, the combination of these materials characteristic of contemporary architecture. The building has continued in its original use and remains a controversial but focal point and landmark structure in the city.
