NORD Architecture

An open international competition to design the new headquarters building for Wexford County Council was won by NORD in early 2007. Wexford County Council announced the two-stage competition in the summer of 2006 in order to procure a building of outstanding architectural quality. A total of 94 entries were received from around the world and after a short-listing process, which gave six offices the opportunity to develop their proposals further, NORD Architecture were selected unanimously.

NORD Architecture’s proposal resolves beautifully the programmatic and architectural complexities of a contemporary council headquarters while integrating a strong sustainable environmental strategy.

A generous urban scale forecourt, a terraced civic garden, forms the transition between the street and the main entrance to the new building. Areas of soft landscaping are dedicated to a rich variety of plants indigenous to the Wexford area, while hard surfaces are formed from smooth cut slabs of stone derived from local sources. The landscape is further punctuated by shallow pools of water.

Individual panels are internally lit with fluorescent tubes that can clearly be seen through the diffused polycarbonate. The enclosure alludes to the advertising hoarding or illuminated bus shelter commonly found in our everyday streetscape. Again the notions of travel and transience are explored.