Redevelopment of Dublin Port’s Redbrick Substation.

Dunwoody & Dobson Ltd are proud to be associated with the renovation, restoration, and redevelopment of Dublin Port’s Redbrick Substation. The finished building is the latest addition to Dublin Port’s distributed museum, a key part of their Masterplan 2040’s strategic objective to integrate the Port with the City.  The Building has been shortlisted in the Architectural Project of the Year in the Irish Building & Design Awards 2024.

Dunwoody & Dobson Ltd were the Main Contractors & PSCS for the project.

The Redbrick Substation was built in the early 20th century and had played a pivotal role in the early electrification of Dublin Port.

The project included the stabilisation of the existing structure and the complete renovation of the substation with an extension to the footprint. The existing building had significant structural defects and was braced with a temporary external steel frame. Significant temporary works design was required in consideration of the work sequence. The project also involved collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to uncover, expose, record and stabilise Dublin city’s 18^th century sea wall over which the substation had been built. The historic sea wall is now on permanent display beneath a glass floor.

Works successfully completed included: –

• Diversion of existing underground services.
• Stabilising the existing building, structural repairs to same,
• Internal, and external groundworks.
• Underpinning to existing walls.
• Piling.
• Removal of an internal mezzanine floor.
• Internal steel skeleton support frame to the original building.
• A new steel skeleton to the extended building, finished with curtain wall glazing.
• Haute concrete finishes.
• Gustaf panelling.
• Restoration of historic brick work.
• Roof finishes.
• Restoration of existing joinery elements and internal features.
• Complete mechanical and electrical fit out.

The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery & Reform, Paschal Donohoe, TD, opened the building on the 22^nd of September 2023.