J R McCann Architecture: The New Lansdowne Road

In May 2007, the Lansdowne Road Stadium which was such a legacy within Irish Rugby was demolished. Two months later the construction of the “New” Lansdowne Road had begun from the ruins of its predecessor. Three years later this stunning structure was completed on time and under-budget, and this was marked by a match between two composite provincial sides; Ulster/Leinster and Munster/Connacht.

The architects which were working on this project were Populous (led by Ben Vickery) Scott Tallon Walker (led by Bryan Roe). With Populous’ ethos of “drawing people together”, which works brilliantly with sport, and Scott Tallon Walker’s award winning design experience, the “New” Lansdowne Road was in for a fantastic re-build. The design of the structure has been restricted by the site, keeping its height at its lowest closest to the adjacent two storey houses, hence the “open” end of the ground. Crowd management was a priority for the design within a residential area that includes a DART line crossing, riverbank walkways and bridges over the river. A tunnel underpass was added to enable the level-crossing to remain closed during events, also a new passenger concourse for the DART station and upgrading of the river bank to allow safer access and to provide flood defences were all part of the crowd management issue. Unfortunately one house had to be demolished to create wider access to the stadium.

The use of a transparent shingled polycarbonate skin enables the organic form to wrap around the entire stadium. Glass was considered but was deemed too heavy and brittle and would need a heavier structure to hold it. The enclosure creates a highly atmospheric seating bowl, so ensuring the continuation of the “Lansdowne Roar” which is such an iconic atmosphere for every Irish rugby fan, and the lower end allows wind to swirl around the ground which the “Old” Lansdowne was also famous for. The stadium's curvilinear form is now instantly recognisable on Dublin's skyline as Ireland's international stadium.

On the 28^th November 2010, my Dad and I had the pleasure of going to see Ireland v Argentina at the wonderful Aviva Stadium. Even when we were flying into Dublin the stadium was instantly recognizable like a glowing UFO parked near Dublin Bay. It definitely has become a stand out feature of the city’s skyline. On game day the atmosphere is incredible before even reaching the stadium, one of the unique features of Lansdowne Road was the sense of anticipation and excitement as everyone travelled to the game by foot or train. I loved how neat the rendered finish of the stadium and internal concourse areas were. When we reached our seats the view was incredible and was a very bright stadium due to all the natural light which was allowed to flood in from the “open” stand. Also with it being such a modern stadium, the seats were so comfy. Probably the comfiest stadium seats I have ever experienced.

Unfortunately the ground wasn’t full due to the ticket mess up by the IRFU but was still a great day. One thing I regretted was not being able to experience the “Old” Lansdowne Road ground. However Dad was able to explain how the old stadium was so similar to the new one in terms of atmosphere and how everyone flocked to the pubs straight after the game. This showed to me how well the architects have kept so much of the history behind the area. It was a very cold day but a pint of Guinness warmed us up and rounded off a fantastic day!

All photos are taken by myself unless stated otherwise.