National University of Ireland in Galway

RMJM in collaboration with Taylor Architects were commissioned to develop a new Engineering Building for the National University of Ireland, Galway.

The new 14,000 m² building provides a state of the art holistic 21st century learning environment for the newly re-structured College of Engineering & Informatics which unites the University’s five engineering departments – Civil, Electronic, Industrial, Engineering Hydrology and Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering.

The concept was conceived as a ‘Pavilion in the Park’; the New Engineering Building sits as a gateway to the Northern Campus, mirroring a similar relationship of the original 1863 Quadrangle to the South Campus.

Building on the long tradition of Engineering at NUI Galway, the new project captures the spirit of engineering in the materials and methods of construction, challenging the student/visitor to understand the nature of the structural forces at work.

The glass clad southern postgraduate block appears to float effortlessly over the solid podium base which lifts the ground plane on entering the building and brings the user to the first floor from where one engages with the panoramic view over the River Corrib.