St. Vincent’s University Hospital

The new St. Vincent's University Hospital rises up as an excellent architectural ensemble in Dublin, with an Honourable Mention in 2012 in the category of Best Sustainable Building. The team at the architecture practice of Scott Tallon Walker is behind this project, which has been operating since 2010 and uses Blanco Miño granite extensively for a large part of its constructional language, chosen for the facade for its high performance that meets the technical requirements of the project, as the building is exposed to the humid climate, intense rain and harsh frosts that are commonplace in Ireland. The great hardness of this granite and its resistance to high temperatures were instrumental in its selection, although its timeless and uniform beauty, so well suited for a medical architecture project, was also a strong factor. Thanks to its presence, the building has taken on a restrained image that is evident at first glance and interacts in a balanced way with the modern architectural parameters of this highly efficient project, with 37,800 m2 arranged across eight floors and that has succeeded in establishing a new concept for hospital design in Ireland.