An ‘Interim’ Scheme

During the covid-era lockdowns, Dublin City Council sought to help food businesses by creating street build-outs for outdoor dining. These were done with speed and economy but once the popularity was clear – particularly along Capel Street – they sought to provide an upgraded version. The aim was an ‘Interim’ scheme with a view to testing ideas ahead of a possible future full-pedestrianisation. Likely features of a permanent scheme – full traffic removal, granite surface, terraces adhered to buildings, symmetrical tree avenue – were not appropriate, so the approach was instead to ameliorate the surface materials, then deploy a modular ‘kit of parts’ that could colonise the space and generate a vibrant new public realm. These could then be removed in the event of a final scheme, then redeployed on other streets to ‘seed’ upgrades throughout the city. It was also important to make these upgrades robust, durable and aesthetically pleasing, in the knowledge that projects initially intended as temporary are often still in place for many years.

The goal of the project was to establish a new civic addition to Dublin City, where locals and visitors could spend time outdoors in the public realm, without being required to buy something to do so. The first step was reducing traffic dominance. For wider flows the southern-most section was required to remain open, but the rest of the street became restricted to just pedestrians and cyclists after 11am, while the northern-most section was closed fully (apart from emergency vehicles). We then added raised table crossings which are the best method for slowing bicycles, while also improving crossing accessibility. The nicer materials in the central zone and angled benches encourage pedestrians to move into the middle, further forcing cyclists to slow.

The locations of outdoor terraces are sprinkled asymmetrically along the street, so the design required flexibility to adapt to different forms and arrangements. The elements are also removable to accommodate changing business uses and new ones being established. The original idea was to have standardised planter buffers, wind barriers, and rain awnings for every terrace, however it was decided to only execute the buffer planters for the interim scheme. For sustainability reasons, we sought to retain sub-surface layers where possible, while upgrading the uppermost layers. Resin Bound was chosen for its natural texture and dirt resistance due to the large gravel size. This was combined with granite kerbs, and various furniture items in steel and timber, all painted a unifying colour.

The addition of substantial planting hugely increases the biodiversity and aesthetic experience along the length of the street. In-ground planting in deeper soil supports larger species such as street trees and shrubs ,and these are mostly located at tributary streets to encourage positive footfall towards the street (and protected by a temporary chestnut fence for the first 2 years of establishment). Modular planters in different sizes, with built-in seats, feature throughout the length of the street, but with greater concentration in the busier footfall areas such as street junctions. A generous number of bespoke benches are the primary catalyst for facilitating spending time on the street. They seem to be very well used even during less-than-perfect weather, which is a strong sign that if public spaces are designed for people to use, then they will inhabit them.

Project Lead: Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects
Client: Dublin City Council (collaboration of Parks + Roads Departments)
Main Contractor: Cairn
Landscape Contractor: O’Brien Landscaping
Furniture Fabrication: OMOS

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