Friary Place transforms a former industrial site in Drogheda into a landmark 11-storey residential community
The recently completed Friary Place apartments have transformed a derelict industrial site into a vibrant residential community overlooking the River Boyne. The 11-storey landmark building creates a new visual and physical Western Gateway to the rich historical fabric of Drogheda. This social housing scheme provides 41 contemporary apartments each with private balconies and access to a communal roof terrace and other shared amenities. Since the 1970’s, the adjacent Bridge of Peace over the River Boyne and its associated road infrastructure have separated this site from the rest of the urban fabric of Drogheda and this building seeks to start the repair of the severed links with a new pedestrian and cycle route to the town under the Bridge of Peace. We hope the scheme breaths life back into this beautiful neglected and forgotten district.
The site is located in Drogheda’s Heritage Quarter on the northern bank of the River Boyne, beside the remains of Donaghy’s Mill and it flanks the 1970s Bridge of Peace. Drogheda’s rich urban fabric can be traced back to its medieval origins, evident in the remnants of its defensive walls and historic architectural landmarks, such as St. Laurence Gate and the Priory of St. John. Previously the buildings along the riverfront were industrial businesses and warehouses, depending on the river for transport and generally, these buildings were 4 to 6 stories high. The new apartment building, Friary Place, has a tall slender form that contrasts with the horizontality of the river, the adjacent bridge and the ruins of Donaghy’s Mill.
The Mill Lane Apartments have won the award for Architectural Metalwork in the 2024 Irish Steel Awards. The intricate perforations on the custom metal cladding allows for natural ventilation and light control, while adding textural interest to the building’s facade. Van Dijk Architects were the Design Team Leaders, Architects, Landscape Designers, PSDP, Design Certifiers and Assigned Certifiers for this project.
The internal building layout, is designed to maximise the number of double and triple aspect apartments to provide a high level of natural light and to take advantage of the views down the river and over the townscape. The floor to ceiling heights within the apartments in 2.7m allowing natural light into the centre of the living areas. Friary Place pays homage to the remains of the neighbouring Mill building by inverting an abstraction of the Mill elevation to the vertical and using the scale and fenestration as a basic rhythmic pattern. It also echoes the hues and tones of the traditional brick and stone Mill façade with its contemporary brick elevation and aluminium panel grid. Openings were cut into the brick at each level for fenestration – the solid mass being eroded away to let light enter the building. Within these eroded cuts into the skin of the building, the aluminum cladding and glazing were recessed in different planes to create a taut play of light and shadow, solid and void that varies throughout the day and at different times of the year. The skyline has been carefully considered by grading the elevational composition with a triple height gathering of windows at the top of the brick element, which creates an appropriate ‘crowning’ in this location. The final design achieves a contemporary style of architecture, both stylish and complimentary to the surrounding buildings.
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VDI KSA, Unit J Auto Moto Business Park King Faisal Road, Ar Rakah Al Khobar
VDI Poland Sp. z o.o. No. 41A/6 Swieradowska Street, 50-559 Wroclaw
VDI Project Management Ltd. HDS Business Centre 3204 (Cluster M) Jumeirah Lakes Towers Duba
Mill House, Mill Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth, A91 XTF7
Scottish Provident Building, 7 Donegall Square West, Belfast, BT1 6JH
VDI KSA, Unit J Auto Moto Business Park King Faisal Road, Ar Rakah Al Khobar
VDI Poland Sp. z o.o. No. 41A/6 Swieradowska Street, 50-559 Wroclaw
VDI Project Management Ltd. HDS Business Centre 3204 (Cluster M) Jumeirah Lakes Towers Duba