Beaufort Maritime and Energy Research Laboratory, Cork Office Building, Modern Irish Architecture, Images
Beaufort Maritime and Energy Research Laboratory in Cork
Ringaskiddy Institutional and Landscape Architecture Project, Ireland – design by McCullough Mulvin Architects
29 Dec 2017
Beaufort Maritime and Energy Research Laboratory
Design: McCullough Mulvin Architects
Location: Ringaskiddy, Cork, Ireland
Beaufort Maritime and Energy Research Laboratory

photo © Christian Richters
The project – a Maritime Energy Research and National Ocean Testing Facility – located beside the Lower Harbour in Cork, Ireland, involves a tall element housing research spaces and a lower tank hall containing testing facilities. Conceived as a stone outcrop on the edge of the water, subject to the action of wind and sea, the plan form is driven by the size and relationship of the four testing tanks, used alternately still or agitated with paddle mechanisms and profiled floorplates to simulate wave action, coastal erosion, ocean floor modelling. 
photos © Christian Richters
A large volume, long span space is required to facilitate a slow balletic movement of heavy lifting gantry cranes, instrument bridges, access gangways, suspended camera equipment, people and forklifts moving independently over each other and travelling along and across each tank ? thus a series of 45m long trusses swing across the volume supporting a folded roof.

 

photo © Magnaparte

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