A steel-framed extension looks out over the rooftops of Dublin
The Gravity Bar that sits atop the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin has undergone an expansion in order to accommodate an ever-increasing number of visitors.
Opened in 2000 and offering views across the Irish capital, the Gravity Bar needed more space and the solution was to build a rooftop extension. This consists of a new steel-framed structure that links to the existing bar and more than doubles the available floor space.
The extension is a disc-shaped structure, connected to the existing bar via a new semi-circular structure.
The main steel frame is supported on four CHS columns, supported from the existing structure. Before these were installed, the Edwardian steel columns below were strengthened with stiffener plates. The floor of the new bar structure is formed from a grillage of box girder beams and UB section infills.
In summary, the judges said this popular bar sits above Dublin’s most visited tourist attraction and the works were carried out with the building remaining operational throughout.
- Merit: The Gravity Bar, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
- Architect: RKD
- Structural engineer: Arup
- Steelwork contractor: Steel & Roofing Systems
- Main contractor: PJ Hegarty & Sons
- Client: Diageo
