This project was one of the first of a series of projects undertaken on AIB when Una McQuillan was working with BDP. The project was interesting in that the previous building was old and had been added to over time but it lacked a consolidated feel and the freshness of the bank’s overall brand. Therefore, the overall brief was to: extend, refurbish, modernise inside and out to make it more inviting for both customers and staff.
The materials used on the outside directly relate to the uses internally. The glass on the upper level reflect the bright space behind, which was to be created for the staff offices, with the brise soleil to shade from glare. The lower level however, was much more solid, housing the public areas of banking. The attractive use of materials has made it a small landmark building in the middle of Terenure Village.
The interesting part was the continued use of the bank during the refurbishment works, which was directly attributable to good management on behalf of the bank staff and the main contractor’s management team.