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