Although some have likened the sloping roofs of the two-storey Pavilions shopping centre in Swords to aircraft hangars, John Smyth of OMS architects says the intention was purely to "break up the mass of a 300,000 sq ft building - and at the same time produce a dramatic building".
Due to open on Monday, the £100 million (#127m) Flynn and O'Flaherty development differs from other high-profile suburban shopping malls as it is actually located in the town of Swords, as opposed to developments such as the Blanchardstown centre, which is adjacent to the town bearing that name.
"Fingal County Council wanted to produce something that was more urban than suburban. They didn't want to wallpaper it with car-parks, and the proposed second phase will incorporate an important pedestrian link back to Swords town centre as well as an open civic square," says Smyth.
While the Pavilions is still a flurry of fit-out and construction activity, a spokesman for Hamilton Osborne King, joint agents with Lambert Smith Hampton, is confident that it will be ship-shape for start of business next week.
The external envelope of the building incorporates aluminium roofing, the same terracotta tile used on the Fingal civic offices, stone cladding and suspended structural glazing.
Inside, the very high proportion of glazing allows natural light to flood through the mall. The glazing theme is extended to the lifts and pedestrian bridge which links the upper floor to the multi-storey car-park. The unusually high ceiling has spotlighting and is flanked on one side by a wall of cherrywood panelling which also features around the lifts and travelators.
There are two car-parks attached to the shopping centre: a 1,070 space multi-storey facility to the rear, which will be screened by the main building and which will link directly to the two shopping levels, and 650 surface spaces to the front.
A few of the 52 commercial units have been held back "to ensure there is a good tenant mix" according to Hamilton Osborne King.
There are currently two confirmed anchor tenants, Dunnes Stores and Superquinn. C & A had been expected to occupy 24,500 sq ft on the upper level, but has since pulled out of Ireland.
Fintan Tierney of Lambert Smith Hampton says it is expected that a letting agreement will shortly be reached on that unit. There will be high quality and discretionary spending outlets on the upper level, while convenience and comparison goods will locate on the ground floor.
Dunnes is understood to be paying around £15 million (#19.05m) for 80,000 sq ft over two levels. The ground floor will be used as a supermarket and the upper floor as a department store. Superquinn is relocating to a 40,000 sq ft premises costing approximately £16 million (#20.3m) and which they claim will be the most technically advanced supermarket in the country.
Customers in a hurry will be able to scan products themselves and bring a bar-coded chit to a dedicated station for payment. The system was devised by NCR, which has nominated Superquinn as its centre of excellence. Customers will also be able to check their Superclub points and access recipes and nutrition advice on a touch-screen system.
Rents are pitched in the region of £120£140 (#152#177) per sq ft on the ground floor and £100£120 (#127#152) on the upper floor. The rent roll is likely to be in the region of £6 million (#7.6m).
The main entrance to the centre is currently off the old Malahide road, but that will change when the second phase is operational. It is envisaged that the phase two element will comprise a multiplex cinema, a retail element, a restaurant and office space. The developers withdrew their planning application when it was appealed because "they like to get things by consent", according to John Smyth. The third phase is as yet undefined but is likely to comprise retail, services and commercial elements.
The Pavilions is expected to capture a significant share of customers from the local catchment area - there are 665,000 people within a 30-mile radius.
