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facility was outdated and deemed not fit for purpose and – as the site is the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.
