A Cathedral of Sport

“We were inspired by pictures of red-clad Munster rugby team fans flooding the streets after winning a game and we loved the idea of a cup-winning team standing on that balcony at some point showing off the trophy to the crowd,” says Tom McGlynn, partner at Níall McLaughlin Architects. But that wasn’t the sole inspiration. Another image was that of the many churches and public buildings in Limerick. The Rugby Experience refers to this existing fabric and towers like a cathedral above the neighboring houses, without denying the Georgian neighborhood, as there are connecting points throughout, from the building configuration to formal elements, right down to the brick surfaces.

Here the brick is more than just decorative – it is dominant inside and out. This dominance is reinforced because the concrete or steel elements are also (brick) red. The theme runs through the entire building, from the “Grand Portico” to the two-story foyer, from the café to the shop, from the exhibition spaces to the educational rooms, and ultimately into a public event space, the glazed crown of the building with a panoramic view over the whole city.
 
This “sublimity” is underlined by the building’s pronounced verticality, which makes it appear taller and more elegant than it already is. The elevated entrance, the balcony above it for presenting the trophies, the brick pillars protruding from the façade and only structured by delicate, horizontal precast concrete parts, the arched shape of the glazing on the top floor and the use of slender columns inside the building.