Father Collins Park, Dublin
European Garden Award 2011
Ireland’s first sustainable park opened in May 2009, designed by Abelleyro and Romero (Argentina) / MCO Projects (Ireland). Father Collins Park is named after a much respected local parish priest who was instrumental in its acquisition as a public park.
The 23 ha park forms the heart of the wider community, designed to serve diverse ages and interests and to link with green spaces and pedestrian networks in the area. The project has taken the lead in Ireland for demonstrating the integration of sustainable technologies into the design of public spaces.
The park is dominated by the central lake and a 360 m long promenade, flanked by five 30 m high wind turbines. The design includes vehicle and pedestrian bridges, a stage within the lake, grass covered amphitheatre and wetland areas. Two water features involve underground storage and a 10 meters high concrete waterfall. The vast majority of the power needed for lighting, security, maintenance vehicles and water features is generated on site.