Designed to reflect the spirit of entrepreneurship it aspires to foster, the new Dr Tony Ryan Academy of Entrepreneurship at Citywest will be a state-of-the-art facility with some "radical and unconventional features".
Two large semi-conical shells in titanium will be the focus of the building, which is understood to be costing somewhere in the region of £5 million plus. The shells are the two lecture theatres, each designed to hold 100 people, and are designed by architects de Blacam and Meagher to be environmentally friendly.
The Dr Tony Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship is being funded by Dr Ryan's three sons and will have links with University College Dublin and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The establishment of an educational facility in his name will see the Ryanair boss join the exclusive ranks of Irish multi-millionaires with university institutes dedicated to their honour: Michael Smurfit has the Graduate School of Business in Carysfort and Tony O'Reilly has the O'Reilly Hall at UCD.
Located at Lake Drive at the National Digital Park in Citywest, the academy is being established to provide entrepreneurs with management and other necessary skills needed to implement business ideas. Short intensive courses will be the mainstay of the institute, with an average of 200 students signed up for each programme.
While the state-of-the-art lecture theatres will be the central focus of the building, there are many additional facilities located in the building. The one storey glass block will contain a large study area, meeting and seminar rooms and a canteen/coffee shop. Parking will be provided in an underground facility.
Architects de Blacam and Meagher, best known for the recent Wooden Building in Temple Bar, have designed the academy to be environmentally friendly.
The shells are multi-purpose, and their shape allows a natural ventilation system to flow throughout the building, making the installation of an air conditioning system unnecessary and thereby reducing long-term costs. "The shape and position of the shells relative to the prevailing wind will create a vacuum that will assist in extracting air, similar in concept to the British Research Station building," explains architect John Meagher.
The glass building and layout maximises light, and the internal design takes full advantage of this. The study area will be in the central part of the building, with the coffee bar and foyer located by the lecture halls.
Contemporary in design, an 18th century stone portico is the one traditional feature incorporated into the academy. The portico stands as a piece of sculpture, symbolic of the ancient traditions of education and learning, according to John Meagher.
The campus at Citywest is landscaped to a high standard, with extensive use of water throughout, and this element has been incorporated into the academy's design. When completed, an artificial lake will surround the building.
Architects de Blacam and Meagher have extensive experience in designing educational institutes and include the Smurfit Graduate School of Business, the atrium and dining hall at Trinity, and the new library and IT building at the Cork Institute of Technology among their extensive portfolio. They have also recently completed the new Esat Headquarters at Grand Canal Quay.
