International Rugby Experience - Ireland

About the project

A Cathedral of Sport

Rugby is a national sport in Ireland, so the idea of establishing the event and exhibition center dedicated to the sport as a new attraction in Limerick is not a bad one.

“We were inspired by pictures of red-clad Munster rug­by team fans flooding the streets after winning a game and we loved the idea of a cup-winning team standing on that balcony at some point showing off the trophy to the crowd,” says Tom McGlynn, partner at Níall McLaughlin Architects. But that wasn’t the sole inspi­ration. Another image was that of the many churches and public buildings in Limerick. The Rugby Experience refers to this existing fabric and towers like a cathe­dral above the neighboring houses, without denying the Georgian neighborhood, as there are connecting points throughout, from the building configuration to formal elements, right down to the brick surfaces.

Here the brick is more than just decorative – it is dom­inant inside and out. This dominance is reinforced be­cause the concrete or steel elements are also (brick) red. The theme runs through the entire building, from the “Grand Portico” to the two-story foyer, from the café to the shop, from the exhibition spaces to the educa­tional rooms, and ultimately into a public event space, the glazed crown of the building with a panoramic view over the whole city.

A considerable number of bricks come together here, nearly half a million, the architects assure. Three hand-molded brick types were mixed to achieve the ap­propriate color tone to match the neighborhood, and the building dimensions were tailored to the brick size to minimize waste.

“The project, because of its exterior, entices people to go in and find out what awaits them inside,” points out jury member Ingrid van der Heijden, and that is the best thing one can say about a structure such as this.

“The project, because of its exterior, entices people to go in and find out what awaits them inside.”