THE PAVILIONS CAFE
A design competition for new tea room on a small pocket park in Dublin at the junction of Kevin Street and New Street, once known as ‘the four corners of hell’. The project re-imagines the whole island park as a single entity with three distinct pavilions: the Edwardian Toilets, the Tearoom and the Kiosk.
The verdant impression of the park is retained by a carefully considered combination of paved, planted and play areas arrayed around the pavilions. Low linear hedges appear to direct pedestrian flow through the park whilst small carved out areas provide sheltered seating spaces. A small mounded grass area enclosed by the space formed between the kiosk, tea rooms and toilets provides an informal public area under the canopy of the big trees.
The take-away kiosk with its arresting bronze ‘top hat’ acts as a signifier to those approaching from the south. It is intended to serve the needs of passers by and those using the park.
The tea room, a narrow linear building, presents a near solid barrier to the noisy traffic choked Kevin Street. The tall, bright and airy volume of the tearoom provides a welcoming vibrant space with a strong visual connection to park. Tall pivot doors open out onto the quieter outdoor terrace overlooking the play area. The tea rooms are imagined as a warm and welcoming place away from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets. The west gable faces onto a richly planted area of tall grasses and flowering plants.
The Edwardian toilets are to be restored without heavy handed intervention or alteration. Previously ‘Men Only’ the toilets will be restored as Gender Neutral. A frame-less glazed enclosure extends above the toilets acting as a ‘Display Cabinet’ for large scale Temporary Art pieces.
Unrealised – 2019 Competition
Dorman 