Parkmore Business Park

Murray & Associates, Landscape Architecture was commissioned by the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland to prepare landscape development proposals for the existing Business Park at Parkmore. The sites have been developed over a number of years to accommodate business and industrial activities of varying scales and intensities. This has led to large variety in both the built environment and the surrounding landscape which were developed at different times and to serve different functions.

The report presented preliminary proposals for the further landscape improvement of the site. The proposals endeavoured to initiate a bold and fundamental improvement of the public spaces and facilities which would be appropriate, modern and suitable as a setting for business and industry.

The proposals put forward in this document encompassed a wider vision which addressed concepts of orientation, order and unity. The aims of the proposals were as follows:

• To create a high quality landscape setting for the facilities as a whole, providing a visually and spatially stimulating environment for the workers.
• To propose a master landscape strategy which can be applied as new units are proposed and built. This will ensure a high quality setting for each unit.
• To respect the context and character of each site.
• To unify each site within the framework of the existing buildings and landscape features.
• To provide each site with a distinctive, contemporary landscape which reflects the industrial or technological business environment.
• To propose a landscape scheme which can be maintained in a practical and sustainable manner. The requirements and subsequent proposals for the site began to manifest themselves as strategic interventions located within the landscape. These interventions were located along an axis, which extended into the Business Park along existing and proposed routes. The sculptural interventions were naturally drawn towards the extant earth mounds, which dominated the immediate horizon, and the junctions which dominated approaching routes. The interventions occupied specific points within the Business Park and were visible from the surrounding area. Acting primarily as beacons and sculptural landmarks they also served to effect a type of hierarchy and order upon the site which was previously absent. The sculptures were designed using both traditional and modern materials. During the daylight hours the timber structures which are wrapped in copper and the light stainless steel frames which are wrapped in braided steel wire act as markers and are visually stimulating. At night time their presence is extended with lighting which emanates from beneath copper hoods and along the braided wires. Additional lighting throughout the Business Park complemented the light sculptures and provided vistas and acted as directional indicators which flowed towards them.