Hotel Europa Spa, Ireland : Architecture Information

Spa & Leisure Building, Hotel Europa, nr Killarney town, County Kerry 2008 Gottstein Architects Photos : Paul Tierney Architect's Comments The Hotel Europe is located just outside Killarney town in Co Kerry within an area of Prime Special Amenity. The site is on an inclined landscape overlooking "Loch Lein", the largest of the Killarney lakes with the Mc Guillycuddy Reeks mountain range forming the backdrop to the view. The nearby Black Valley and Gap of Dunloe, where huge glacial boulders emerge from the hills, define the local landscape. Originally built in 1962, the hotel has been substantially extended over the decades in and is now configured as a south-facing "U"-shaped building orientated towards the lake. The Client's brief was to integrate some 4,500sqm of Spa and Leisure accommodation into the site whilst maintaining the view and connection to the lake enjoyed by the existing hotel facilities and bedrooms. As the hotel is located within a Prime Special Amenity Area, much consideration was given to how to minimize the visual impact of the new building on the site. The approach was to carve the building out of the hill, creating a series of stone 'boulders' that emerge from the landscape and stretch towards the foreshore of the lake, echoing the surrounding geological forms and imagery of the glaciated valleys. As the grass-covered volumes emerge from the garden a series of indoor and sheltered outdoor spaces are created which are viewed as 'rooms' within the garden. Inside, the spa is experienced as a sanctuary within the hill. The largely subterranean environment is expressed as a contrast of dark and light, density and void. Internal courtyard gardens are 'scooped' out of the plan - bringing natural daylight deep into the building whilst allowing places for private contemplation. Within the 'garden rooms' the threshold between interior and exterior is blurred as dark stone slabs wrap around from the outside, through the frameless glazing, and into the room to line the floor and walls, reinforcing the feeling that the space has been hollowed from the landscape. These rooms accommodate the pool hall, relaxation rooms and thermal suites, which are all designed to overlook the lake and engage with the setting. Area : 4,500m2 Design to completion : 2005-08 Contract Value : €40 million Hotel Europa Spa & Leisure Building images / information from Gottstein Architects

Living bridge – over River Shannon, Limerick, County Clare
Wilkinson Eyre

photograph: Ros Kavanagh
Limerick Bridge