Service
Architecture, Masterplanning
Sector
Life, Live, Mix, Play
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Gallery Quay marked a pivotal step in the transformation of Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock, setting a benchmark for high-quality residential development within the city’s wider regeneration.
Completed in 2005, the €63 million project comprises 300 apartments arranged in a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units, including duplex family homes and social housing. HKR’s design is organised around two landscaped private courtyards and a newly created public street, establishing both intimacy and connectivity within the urban block. At ground level, retail units and a café add activity and permeability, while double-height entrances create a sense of arrival and community. Material clarity underpins the architecture, with stone, render, aluminium, and timber expressed in clean modern lines, complemented by cedar detailing at penthouse level. Distinctive roof gardens offer panoramic views across Dublin, providing valuable private amenity space in a dense city setting. Gallery Quay combines urban presence with liveability, shaping a model for sustainable city-centre living.
Urban Regeneration & Place-making
As one of the early developments within Grand Canal Dock, Gallery Quay played a formative role in redefining the area from underused industrial land into one of Dublin’s most vibrant urban quarters. The project creates a strong edge to Pearse Street and Macken Street while opening new pedestrian connections across the site. By framing landscaped private courtyards and a new public street, the scheme balances urban density with liveable scale. Generous glazing and double-height entrance halls ensure transparency and natural light, reinforcing both identity and legibility.
Residential Quality & Architectural Expression
Gallery Quay delivers a diverse residential mix, from compact one-bedroom apartments to larger family duplexes, ensuring inclusivity and long-term resilience. Social housing is fully integrated into the scheme and designed to the same high standards, supporting a socially mixed community. Private balconies, roof gardens, and internal courtyards enrich everyday life, creating much-needed outdoor amenity in the city centre. Material selection reinforces architectural clarity: reconstituted stone, composite panels, and aluminium-timber windows combine with cedar cladding to provide warmth, durability, and a refined urban character. The result is a building that is both modern and enduring, rooted in clarity of form and material honesty.
Gallery Quay exemplifies HKR’s approach to urban housing: pragmatic yet ambitious, contextually attuned, and focused on creating places where people can live well. As part of Grand Canal Dock’s regeneration, it set a new standard for residential-led mixed-use development in Dublin’s evolving cityscape.
