County Hall, Cork

Cork County Hall
Halla an Chontae, Corcaigh
Cork County Hall
County Hall is located in County Cork
County Hall
County Hall
Location in Cork
General information
AddressCarrigrohane Road
Town or cityCork
CountryIreland
Construction started1965
Completed1968
Design and construction
Architect(s)Patrick McSweeney

The County Hall (Irish: Halla an Chontae, Corcaigh) is a 17-storey office block, owned by Cork County Council and housing its administrative headquarters. The building is located on Carrigrohane Road in the City of Cork. Although the building is owned by Cork County Council, it is located in a separate administrative area from the County - Cork City. At 67 metres (220 ft) tall, the building was the tallest storied building in the country upon completion. However, it has since been surpassed by three other buildings. It is now a protected building.

History

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Originally meetings of Cork County Council had been held in the back portion of the top floor of Cork Courthouse.[1] By the 1950s these premises were becoming inadequate and work on a new purpose-built building, designed by Patrick McSweeney, the then Cork County Architect, started in 1965.[2] It was officially opened in April 1968.[3][4] Oisín Kelly's statue, Two Working Men, stands outside the complex.[5]

Redevelopment

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A redevelopment project began in 2002 to re-clad the existing building, add a new storey to the tower block and build a six-storey extension to the side of the tower.[6] The original distinctive concrete facade had been severely eroded and it was decided to replace rather than repair this as part of an expansion scheme. A louvered glass cladding replaced the original concrete, and the six-storey extension at ground level was completed in June 2006, as well as a new concourse and council chamber. The redevelopment cost €50 million.[6][7]

References

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  1. ^ "Cork County Hall: 50 years" (PDF). Cork County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  2. ^ "County Hall, Carrigrohane Road, Cork, Cork City: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage". www.buildingsofireland.ie. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Cork County Hall, Cork - Building #1351". www.skyscrapernews.com. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Local Authorities". Oireachtas. 26 May 1982. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  5. ^ Neil Collins. "Oisin Kelly- Wood Carver, Stone and Bronze Sculptor From Dublin, Ireland". Visual-Arts-Cork.com. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  6. ^ a b "Shay Cleary Architects | Projects | Cork County Hall". newsca. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Revamp moves tower up in design stakes". The Irish Times. 15 June 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
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