Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council

7.4 Public Realm
A sense of place will reflect the quarter’s status as the point of arrival and
departure for Swords. The development around the Metro Stop will celebrate
and exploit the new connectivity brought by increases in density and form.
The scale and standards of the public realm, plus the quality and type of the
surrounding buildings will do much to reinforce the importance of this new
place in Swords and mould the identity of Swords in Ireland and the wider world
of international trade, culture and tourism.
The new public realm will be planned over two levels:
1. R132 level
2. Metro Plaza level (+7.5m)
Direct vertical circulation will be provided between these two levels in the form
of stairs, lifts and escalators. The success of the Metro Quarter is dependent on
having these connections in place and as such all vertical circulation elements
should be of high architectural quality and be part of an integrated design solution.
The following key public spaces will be developed in accordance with specific
urban design objectives and parameters.
● Metro plaza
● Metro platform
● R132 and Metro setting.
The urban design quality of the area will be set at an international level of
excellence with a particular emphasis on the open spaces and landscape setting
commensurate with the ‘Emerging Green City’ identity being forged in the FCC
Strategic Vision for Swords.
7.4.1 METRO PLAZA
A public place will be formed around the transport interchange at the level of the
new streets crossing over the R132 (+7.5m). This will be called Metro Plaza and is
intended as the primary arrival and departure point from the town via public
transport. Buildings will respond in their uses and appearance to this public space.
CHARACTER
● Metro Plaza will be a 24 hour major meeting space located at the crossing point
of several key routes through the Pavilions and Barrysparks developments. It
will be the Town Centre’s key bridging point of the Metro line and the R132.
● The space will accommodate a major transport interchange, operating over
2 levels serving metro, bus, taxi, cyclist and car users.
● A point of orientation, the Plaza will be a busy and well used space which
people will pass into and through. It will also be a meeting place and a space
that will become a focus for minor events.
● Animation and activity may be provided through the introduction of a series of
small kiosk type buildings located on the plaza, containing such uses as
flower shops, newsagents, coffee take away etc. The number and location of
these kiosks must be well considered and not serve to clutter the place.
S W O R D S M A S T E R P L A N
DESIGN
● The main function of the space is to access public transport services. Direct
access to both the Metro and all bus links must be facilitated directly from
the plaza.
● The buildings surrounding the Metro Plaza will be significant in scale and
presence. They will have active uses to upper ground level (+7.5m) which
will directly address the plaza.
● The buildings will include an arcade/collonade treatment at level +1 along
the R132 to allow movement along this edge between the bus link and
shopping streets of the adjoining lands until the arrival of the Metro Plaza.
● The adverse effects of noise and pollution from traffic should be minimized
through the introduction of measures that might include walls of running
water, bands of tree planting and/or acoustic shelters.
● The space, its edges and enclosure will have a civic presence. Façades and
surface treatments including lighting and furniture will reflect the civic quality.
● Elements of hard and soft landscaping will be integrated into this urban
space to ensure the continuity of the ‘parkway’ character of the R132 and to
act as screens to control environmental conditions.
● A ‘branding and public art’ programme is required that sets out the range
and location of possible interventions by artists working in the public domain.
● Signage, in the form of custom designed illuminated freestanding pillars,
will orientate and inform visitors to the Quarter as part of an overall
Metro Plaza
Linking components
Access to Pavilions
development
Parkway conditions
landscaping
8 2
T
To Dublin
branding strategy for the Town Centre.
● Illuminated glazed canopies, and Metro and bus signage will be provided to
mark the locations of access points to the metro and bus stops below the plaza.
7.4.2 METRO PLATFORM
CHARACTER
● Measuring 10m x 100m the platform’s main role will be to wait for and
access the Metro as well as buying metro tickets.
● The space shall include a uniform surface treatment while rationalising
various forms of movement.
DESIGN
● The platform will have a sheltering canopy and screens to protect it from
the elements and to discourage crossing at any point other then dedicated
crossing points.
● The platform will have ramped access at either end leading directly to a safe
pedestrian crossing point.
● The north end of the platform will provide direct vertical circulation to the
Metro Plaza 7.5m above.
● Adequate seating will be provided along the platform length.
To Belfast
To Swords
Town Centre
Kiosk
The Rise Bridge
Linking
Components
Access to
Barrysparks
Central Street
Bridge
Public Realm at
R132 level
Central Plaza
Slip road to
car park