Grand Canal Square, Dublin Docklands

Grand Canal Square is a new public space at the heart of the Grand Canal Harbour area of Dublin’s south docklands area. It is home to Dublin’s newest cultural building, The Grand Canal Theatre, as well as a new hotel, offices, apartments, restaurants and cafes. One side of the square opens out onto the Grand Canal Dock, a body of still water at the end of the Grand Canal where it meets the River Liffey.

We took advantage of the opportunity that this afforded to engage with the water by extending the space out over the dock thus providing a unique experience for Dubliners who have few opportunities to connect with the element that defines their city.

The overall area of the square is approximately 10,000m2 which makes it one of the biggest pedestrian public spaces in Dublin. In addition to hard landscaping, the square introduces soft textures through raised planters and colour through the distinctive “light sticks” that illuminate the square by night