Gardens International – A stunning blend of conservation and new construction in the heart of Limerick city.

Gardens International commercial development, located on the corner of the city’s Glentworth and Henry Streets, is a is a striking example of ‘old meets new’. It merges the early 19th century Roches Hanging Gardens, the old Mercantile building and the former GPO, with a gleaming new steel framed building.

Tuesday March 19th saw the official opening of The Gardens International commercial development, one of the first major building developments under Limerick city’s 2030 plan.

JJ Rhatigan started the project in late 2017 with a series of fragments: the two vaults, the original bonded warehouses with the roof top gardens; the red bricked buildings of the GPO and what was left of the courtyard; together with the modern concrete frame sitting in the middle of the courtyard alongside an empty site. The old Hanging Gardens building, as it had been known, was derelict for ten years before – as building had been stalled by the economic crash.

After an 18 month build the resulting 112,000 sq.ft development is a combination of a dynamic modern structure and expertly restored heritage buildings with office space completed to tenant fit-out stage.

The project has been built to LEED Gold standards, which is among the top international benchmarks for sustainability and is Limerick’s first city centre LEED Gold certified office scheme. The five-storey development has been designed to a high specification, with a modern office feel which compliments the aesthetics of this architecturally significant site. The building has been completed with a structural glazed façade to provide a high level of environmental control within the office space, minimising solar gain and reducing imposed air-handling energy requirements. It also includes automated fully glazed entrance doors, natural stone flooring, a turnstile security system, car parking space, cycle bays and other services.

From the impressive entrance on Henry Street, framed by a restored original 19th century arched structure, through to the expansive reception with contemporary finishes, the visitor immediately gets a sense of the quality of this building and the excellence of the design and construction.

Mayor of Limerick City and County, James Collins, said: “This project is a motif for a new Limerick. We’ve built the best because we want to attract the best. It’s a build that respectfully and brilliantly merges old and new and has created a remarkable new structure and standard here in the centre of Limerick.”