Solicitors A & L Goodbody have been installed in their new purpose-built offices on Dublin's north quays since last November. Among the particular delights of this building are not just its six-storey central glass-topped atrium, but also a staff gym and restaurant, plus a collection of contemporary art put together by Ronnie Tallon, of the project architects, Scott Tallon Walker.

The first of these to greet arrivals is a large Louis Le Brocquy tapestry behind the reception desk; this is the first time in several decades the artist has undertaken such a commission. The majority of paintings elsewhere, by artists such as Michael Coleman and Sarah Walker, are shown against plaster panels left deliberately plain to provide the best backdrop for the work. Ronnie Tallon says the colour scheme throughout this building has been kept neutral thanks to the use of only a small number of materials, predominantly American white oak for all furnishings, powdercoated aluminium and Wicklow granite. The main shaft containing lifts and lavatories is coated in sheets of Portuguese limestone.

Although the building (excluding car-parking basement and rooftop plant) runs to almost 12,100 square metres, a substantial portion of its centre is taken up by the atrium; its low-weight pyramidal glass top permits plenty of natural light to enter at every level, aided by an open-plan design on every storey but the fifth. Here, instead, large portholes look down to the ground floor, where intense planting of trees and bamboos shields the staff restaurant from the eyes of visitors. An oak path, which at one point diagonally crosses over a pool (containing a Michael Warren sculpture), leads from the front to rear section of the building. The restaurant at the latter can be given addition privacy thanks to the installation of floor-to-ceiling oak screens. A large self-service coffee dock is adjacent while around the perimeter of the building a series of client meeting rooms and a library have been installed. The height of ceilings at this level is more than four metres, while on the upper storeys this is 3.6 metres.

Thanks to the atrium, plus large windows around the outside of the building, no part of any workfloor is more than 7.5 metres from natural light. Divisions between open-plan spaces and private offices have been made by installing glass doors and full-length, double-sided storage cabinets in oak. The higher the building, the stronger the light, particularly on the south front, which overlooks the Liffey. To minimise the problems of excessive sun (not necessarily a constant problem in this country), brise-soleil screens have been fitted above many of the windows on this side. Internal blinds are also provided. On the fifth floor, a balcony runs the length of the front and from here, there are views over the entire south city as far as the Dublin Mountains. Each floor has its own spacious meeting room and there are also staircases on every side. To encourage their use, they are fitted out with the same materials as elsewhere and have both exceptionally wide returns and plenty of light thanks to a generous provision of windows.