Haulbowline Island Remediation Project
Introduction:
Haulbowline Island is a newly designed amenity park located in Ringaskiddy, Cork harbor which has now opened to the public. The Island previously operated as a steelworks dump site before being transformed into a stunning public amenity park. It was Irelands only steelworks location and operated there between 1939 and 2001. Over a 40-year period it is estimated that around 650,000 cubic meters of waste material was deposited there.
In January 2016,Simon Coveney, Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced a two and a half year programme for the development of the park. A plan was implemented to clean up the site and transform it into a public recreational amenity.
In July 2016, a tender notice was published for the design and construction of the Haulbowline Island East Tip Remediation Project. Work commenced on August 30th 2017 and on January 15th 2021 the park was officially opened to the public.
The objective of the park is to create a place for recreation and solace by connecting the people with nature. The park consists of a 4km harbor side walkway and a 1km loop for walkers and joggers. It’s 9 hectares comprises, in the foremost, of public green space. The park is landscaped with 200 trees, woodland mixed planting, native mixed planting, and a wildflower area. Seated areas are located at key viewing points and bird screens provide perfect wildlife observation points.
Credits: Magnifly Vids
Graepels Perforated Corten Service Building & Signage
In addition to the above objectives the signage and service building needed to be considered. Cleverly positioned, large sheets of geometric Corten were used with laser cut writing as park signage. The geometric sheets emulate yacht boat sails associating the signage with its surroundings, Cork harbor.
The design concept of the buildings at the new park incorporates harmonization between the service building and the parks natural beauty. The earthy colour of the Corten panels blends effortlessly with the spectacular panoramic surroundings of the harbor view.
Corten is a weathering steel and, over time, it ages from a bright orange to a deep brown. The rustic colour is keeping with the natural earthy colors found in nature. Over time the darkened colour will aid in providing a seamless interface between the service building and the park.
The service block is clad in 3mm Corten panels with a random hole pattern perforation. The perforation is denser at the front of the internal windows leaving the elevations without the windows unperforated.
The remediation of the East Tip on Haulbowline Island was voted Engineering Project of the Year in 2019 in the flagship category at the 10th annual Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards. The project was also awarded the “Local Authority Engineering Initiative award”, which jointly won with Cork City / Council, Keating and Arup for the Mary Elmes Bridge project.
Graepels are proud to be part of this extensive remediation project. This amenity will offer a space for recreation and solace to the people of Cork.