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Built Form
The building's form is, more or less, a reflection of the constraints of the brief in terms of height and slenderness ratio. However, this form, massing up towards the building line on the banks of the Liffey provides the basis for the drama of the scheme. The dynamic of the build up is accentuated by the fin effect of the balconies and twin, tower like, semi-circular bay windows extending the entire height of the upper stories. The bay windows characterise the buildings gesture to the Liffey and provide panoramic views of the river to the East and West.

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Structure and Materials
The scheme proposes the use of a concrete frame on a 7.5 m grid. The cladding of the building consists of Brickwork panels and anthracite coloured steel windows with opening elements in wood with a natural finish. The Balconies are constructed from pre cast concrete units and carry thin stainless steel fascias to pick out their lines in the sun light.
These materials are chosen in contrast to the blandly repetitive white planes of modern commercial architecture and consciously draw on the material themes and atmosphere of the docklands site.

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Building use
The building proposes a restaurant/bar and small shop at ground level. These uses will activate the street level, with entrances on Britain Quay and a façade to the water on the West side which can be opened up using large door elements at regular intervals along the quay wall. The area to the South will function as a waterside "Biergarten".
On the first floor a nightclub and bar(s) are behind a closed façade, which offers the maximum acoustic protection to residents.
The second and third floors consist of office space and allow for a variety of different spatial office concepts and up to four separate office units.
The next ten floors can accommodate residential or office uses. For residential use the tower element divides down into up to 6, between 1 and 3 bedroom units - two of which per floor feature the room size semi-circular bay windows with views of the Liffey.
The top two floors are given over to the U2 recording studio. Acoustic separation will be achieved by a "house in house" system allowing the studio element itself to float on a bed of horizontal springs and thus de-coupling the room(s) from the rest of the structure. The space surrounding the studio has, of course breath taking views of the city and the panorama of the Liffey.

Parking
The provision of only 4 parking spaces would seem to be neither economical nor adequate. On the other hand, the width of the site and, critically, the pedestrian and leisure use at ground level seem to preclude the provision of conventional basement parking. We therefore propose the use of an automated "parking safe" which would, in this case, allow for at least 56 parking spaces using a double-decker system in one basement level.