A public toilet block in Cahir, Ireland, has used EQUITONE [linea] fibre cement facade material to contrast the heritage town’s surrounding traditional buildings – including the medieval Cahir Castle.
The project used EQUITONE [linea], which was specified because of its versatility as a cladding material and also to create a modern, aesthetically-pleasing exterior to the toilet block.
John Deaton, architect at Deaton Lysaght, which designed the building, said: “Cahir is one of the most important heritage towns in County Tipperary and centred around one of Ireland’s largest castles.
“The existing toilet facility was outdated and deemed not fit for purpose and – as the site is the starting point for self-guided tours on three heritage walks – modernisation was vital in order to maximise tourist revenue for the town.
“The building’s design was discussed at length in the office – while we were conscious of the sensitive nature of the surrounding setting, we wanted to ensure the facility appeared ahead of its time while also integrating with the existing building environment.
“To achieve this, EQUITONE [linea] in colour Pebble was chosen for the building’s walls to reflect the colour of the limestone of which the castle, and most of Cahir, is constructed. The orthogonal and diagonal joints in EQUITONE [linea] establish lines of force and break up the scale of the building into manageable planes.”
The new facility includes coin-operated individual toilet units – four unisex and one accessible – with electronically-controlled opening hours and monitoring.
John added: “Due to the shape of the building, we needed a material which could be cut into different shapes and sizes in order to suit the toilet block’s complex geometry. EQUITONE [linea] provided the perfect aesthetic and properties for this due to its unique 3D shape which plays with light and shadow to give the facade a different aspect as daylight changes.
“EQUITONE [linea] is a modern material and the finish and shade we used allowed it to be integrated seamlessly into the existing setting, which is very traditional. EQUITONE [linea] is also a durable, low maintenance material, which is particularly important when it comes to designing for public sector projects in order to keep upkeep costs down.”
EQUITONE [linea] is a unique 3D shaped, through-coloured facade material that plays with light and shadow and has a life expectancy of at least 50 years and a fire classification of A2-s1, d0. All EQUITONE materials are available in a range of colours, finishes and fixing options, giving full creative scope.
All EQUITONE materials are available in a range of colours, finishes and fixing options, giving full creative scope.