Tesco, Dundalk

From the outset, the public realm associated with the planned shopping centre upgrade was central in terms of planning and design.  The project presented an opportunity to create a positive open space and frontage to the planned new road from what was previously car parking for the centre with a culverted stream.

The opening up of the stream was a focal element for the scheme, with an opportunity to create ecological / biodiversity gains and visual amenity.  The banks for the stream were clad with local stone and a visually open handrail was installed for safety.  The bed of the stream was finished with stone, soil and native aquatic plants.

The plaza was designed to create a strong geometric pattern drawing attention to the stream using bands of new limestone and resin-bound paving.  Timber and limestone bespoke site furniture were also incorporated, together with feature lighting, specimen native trees, fruit trees, and herbaceous planting.

Murray & Associates’ commission included all aspects of the landscape planning and design for the project including landscape and visual analysis for EIS, conceptual and detailed design, tender documents, supervision and certification of works on-site.  The project budget was c.€20M, with the Landscape & External Works Budget approximately €1.5M.