The winning submission in the competition to regenerate Waterford's North Quays was announced in the city yesterday.
IDOM UK, a London architectural firm, won a €250,000 prize for its plan to develop the quays. The design includes a plan to rejuvenate the 70,000 sq m waterfront as well as a design for a multifunctional venue for cultural, trade and sports activities.
The plan is for a mix of development, with residential and office buildings and light industrial units, but the focal point is the venue building. The site encompasses about 1½ miles of land between Rice Bridge and Abbey Church.
A steering committee was set up four years ago to assess the quays' potential for development, given their prominent waterfront site.
The historic South Quays have undergone massive development in recent years, but the North Quays have remained largely untouched and consist mainly of warehouses, mill buildings and silos. The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, announced the winning entry at the Waterford Institute of Technology yesterday.
There was an "overwhelming" response to the international competition, according to the Office of Public Works which launched it in April. Some 99 firms from 23 countries competed to design the winning plan, including firms in the US, Australia, Japan and Argentina.
Entrants could only register for the competition on the Internet, making it a unique competition, an OPW spokeswoman said.
IDOM UK is part of IDOM, a Spanish company with offices in Europe, north Africa and South America.
The company has already worked on the new European Food and Veterinary Office in Grange, Co Meath, and the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in Spain.
Submissions were received from 24 firms in this State. Some 45 entries have been selected to go on public display in Waterford from Monday next.
