The National Lottery headquarters on Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1, has come in for a €250,000 makeover, a major refit of its reception area and adjacent grand prize hall. It has transformed the reception area, the threshold across which dozens of Irish Lotto millionaires have stepped.
Oppermann Associates, architects and interior designers, was commissioned to design and oversee the refit. It presents a striking blend of glass, metal and timber with much use of recessed wall and ceiling lighting that provides a light and airy new entrance for the lottery company.
The look is very modern with sharp, straight edges, cream-tiled floors and extensive use of white on ceiling and walls. Oppermann attempted to blend the functional and the practical, with hidden recessed spaces both for functional space and for maintenance access.
Metal panels on the ceiling provide a clean, fresh look but are removed to provide lighting access. A sweep of walnut veneer behind the reception desk is actually a hidden wall providing access to a small office area to the rear.
The design themes apparent in the front reception area are carried through to the grand prize hall adjacent to it, entrance to which is provided through a roll-away sliding wall. The two spaces together create a single large function area when required, but for most of the time, the grand prize hall has a different use. It is home to the weekly draw for the Winning Streak programme, as well as hosting jackpot winners, game launches, regular meetings and training seminars for Lotto agents.
Walnut is used for other appointments including internal doorways. Black leather and chrome seating and glass tables punctuate the reception area and the entire street frontage is glass.
Glass also finishes the two-person reception desk. A large back-lit metal grille has been fitted to the front of the desk, illuminated using pale blue in keeping with the company's corporate logo. The logo's red element is reflected in high gloss red graphic panels featuring a state-of-the-art plasma screen and strong visuals behind raised glass. These portray the variety of works supported by National Lottery funds.
Project manager for the refit was James Schnauer. "We are particularly proud of our work with the National Lottery," says Schnauer. "It demonstrates our capabilities while taking account of the functional requirements of a space which has remained largely untouched for the past 30 years."
