The brief

To provide a striking façade for the new 3-storey extension at University College Dublin’s (UCD) Moore Centre for Business, part of the renowned UCD Quinn School. Our client had been extremely impressed by the new exterior of Microsoft’s European Headquarters in Dublin – also supplied by Aliva – and wanted to replicate its lustrous finish.

What we did

Taking our cues from Microsoft’s exemplar European Headquarters project, we specified our Alucovering Piana F cladding system – in a brushed bronze effect, to contrast with plain stone used elsewhere on the new building. Our design programme ran for less than ten weeks, in tandem with the design of the building’s curtain wall system. Any changes to the 720sqm walling system called for efficient amends to our own designs, so as not to disrupt the wider construction work – requiring a flexible and co-ordinated approach with our contractor partners. The building’s shape presented the biggest challenge in delivering our full design package. The modern extension had been designed to mimic the prow of a ship – with straight sides and a curved front. Our multi-directional Alucovering was used horizontally to enable us to accommodate the contours of the building, without compromising on quality. The project was extremely well received by both contractor and client, having been delivered on time and on budget yet again.

What makes it special

On completion, the Moore Centre for Business was nominated for an Irish Construction Excellence award in 2019.