Contest to remodel and expand the Adare Heritage Centre launched.

Limerick City and County Council has launched a contest to remodel and expand the Adare Heritage Centre [Deadline: 21 July 2023]

The winning team will upgrade and expand the village’s existing two-storey visitor complex which was constructed in the 1990s and currently hosts a tourist information centre, historical exhibits, retail units, a restaurant and public welfare facilities.

The project aims to enhance the visitor offer and ‘make Adare a tourism hub for the local area while also providing a facility that can be utilised by the local community.’ Proposals will be expected to optimise environmental energy efficiency while also enhances the building’s connections to its surroundings.

According to the brief: ‘The overall objective is to develop and revitalise the Adare Heritage Centre site to ensure the facility maximises the potential for tourism whilst also providing a community hub for local activities and events in the village of Adare. The project aims to enhance and add to the existing facilities optimising the use of the building and the surrounding grounds.

It is proposed to modernise and extend the existing building to increase the potential income of the property with expanded retail offerings and a larger restaurant. The existing building needs remodelling and reimagining to provide a greater sense of openness and optimisation of the accommodations visibility, interface and functionality within the village whilst also improving the building’s energy performance and visual improvement.’

Adare is a small village of 1,100 inhabitants located on the River Maigue around 10km southwest of Limerick. The settlement is an important tourist destination and is home to 109 protected structures of which 76 are listed on Ireland’s National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

The latest contest focusses on upgrading and expanding the village’s heritage centre which occupies a prominent site next to the settlement’s main car park. The competition comes shortlist after Níall McLaughlin Architects completed a new International Rugby Experience on the edge of a conservation area within Limerick’s Georgian Quarter.

Earlier this month, Limerick City and County Council announced an architecture contest for €14.5 million of new infill housing at Pineview Gardens.

The winning integrated design team for the Adare Heritage Centre job will be expected to feature architectural, engineering, quantity surveying and interpretive design specialisms. Bids to deliver the contract will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality and 30 per cent on cost.

Competition details

Project title Re-modelling and Expansion of Adare Heritage Centre
Client Limerick City and County Council
Contract value Tbc
First round deadline Midday, 21 July 2023
Restrictions Tbc
More information https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:361830-2023:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0