The EXO commercial office building is a significant new development situated on the eastern edge of Point Square, an emerging urban space in Dublin. Its name derives from the prominent large external steel structure, which serves as the building’s most striking and iconic feature.
The site occupies a strategically important narrow plot between the 3 Arena (formerly Point Depot) and East Wall Road, located at the northern end of the East Link bridge crossing the River Liffey. This location marks the boundary between the traditional city and port areas and will be the final development within Point Square.
The project’s goal is to deliver a commercial building offering a world-class work environment for up to 2,000 occupants. It also completes the urban edge planning and creates a landmark that relates to Point Square, the port, and the city. Additionally, Point Square is designed as a traditional public space capable of hosting large-scale concerts and music events for up to 13,000 people, enhancing the area’s unique character and atmosphere.
The building features an elevated beam design, with eight floors on the southern end facing Liffey Quays, connecting to seventeen floors overlooking Point Square. This design highlights the complexity of the square’s functions by raising the structure seven meters above ground level, creating a public space where citizens can freely circulate. This allows the building to act as a permeable filter rather than a barrier near the main entrance of the 3 Arena live music venue on the square’s east side. At the northern end, a three-story independent glass cube building is designated for future retail or hotel use, filling a gap within the square.
The building’s language and aesthetic are inspired by the desire to integrate into its surroundings. It incorporates blue cranes and gantries—symbols of the dock area—as structural elements in both image and expression. This constructivist approach gives the architecture a distinctive identity suited to its unique environment. Two massive trusses flank the building’s sides, providing the main external structural support for the crossbeam spanning its width. These trusses rest on only three elliptical giant columns at their midpoints on each side.
The EXO building measures 20 meters wide and 112 meters long. The representative 18-meter-wide floor slab on the 17th floor contains three accommodation service core areas. This linear floor plan allows tenants to enjoy sweeping panoramic views of both the port and the city. Along East Wall Road, three elliptical giant columns support the elevated ground floor, injecting new vitality into one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
Project Drawings
△ Base schematic diagram
△ Axonometric diagram
△ First floor plan
△ Plan view
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Perspective view
△ Perspective view
△ Perspective view
△ Sectional perspective
△ Section diagram
△ Sectional perspective
△ Sectional perspective
△ Partial detailed drawing
Project Information
Architect: Shay Cleary Architects
Area: 20,784 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Jamie Hackett Photography
Manufacturers: Cimolai, TVITEC
Lead Architect: Shay Cleary
Team: Shay Cleary, Shane Fitzpatrick, Ronan Costelloe, John Callan, Karl Tobin
Client: NAMA / Grant Thornton
Project Type: Commercial Office Building
Owner: Tristan Capital Partners & SW3 Capital
Executive Architect: MCA Architects
Project Management: Virtus
Quality Monitoring: Linesight
Structural Engineer: OCSC
Landscape Design: Cameo & Partners
Planning Consultant: Brady Shipman Martin
Facade Consultant: Murphy Façade Group
Fire Safety Consultant: Michael Slattery Associates
Contractor: Bennett Construction Ltd
Steel Manufacturer: Cimolai
Facade Contractor: Tvitec Ireland
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up