John Sisk & Son Redevelop Páirc Uí Chaoimh – Cork GAA's Colosseum
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John Sisk & Son John Sisk & Son Redevelop Páirc Uí Chaoimh – Cork GAA’s Colosseum Irish building magazine took a tour of the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh stadium and spoke to members of the John Sisk & Son site team about the completion of the €70m project. This is a great achievement for Cork, the Cork GAA County Board, John Sisk & Son Ltd, the subcontractors, the Design Team, and the Gaelic Athletic Association not just regionally but also nationally. tephen Ryan, Sisk Senior Engineer on the Hurling Championship match between Valley Dining Area Sproject took us on a tour of the 45,000 Rovers and Blarney. The stadium was opened capacity stadium, including the stands and for its first major inter-county games on 22 terraces, which now has the most up-to-date and 23 July with Tipperary playing Clare and public amenities for a stadium of this size, as Waterford playing Wexford in the Senior well as the expansive players changing and Hurling Championship Quarter Finals. welfare facilities and of course the exclusive conference centre. The pitch which has a totally Stadium Redevelopment Team new playing surface is in magnificent condition and is replicated by an all new full-size 4G All- John Sisk & Son were the successful bidders adjacent to the stadium. for the construction of the project back in 2015. Prior to this, they had redeveloped Croke We can tell you that the facilities are superb Park and constructed the Aviva Stadium. Sisk and the stadium is a great example of the completed the four stages of the Croke Park expertise of Sisk in stadium construction redevelopment, which was carried out over and the strength and capability of the Gaelic a 12 year period, while the ground was kept Athletic Association. We spoke to Dave Cotter, open for key games including All-Ireland The facilities are superb John Sisk & Son Regional Manager and the Finals. Here in Cork, they had the benefit of construction project manager, to find out about and the stadium is a great a closed site. The Páirc Uí Chaoimh Design the construction and to Bob Ryan, Chairman Team was comprised of other well-known example of the expertise of the GAA Steering Committee to get an local companies. Malachy Walsh and Partners overview of this large redevelopment. were the Project Managers and Engineering of Sisk in stadium Construction was completed on the original Consultants, Scott Tallon Walker were the construction and the stadium in 1976 and it served Cork GAA for Project Architects – bringing the experience nearly four decades. In 2015 the redevelopment of working on the Aviva. Michael Barrett strength and capability of the stadium began and this year on 19 Partnership were the Quantity Surveyors and of the Gaelic Athletic July it reopened with a reported near 11,000 Cunnane Stratton Reynolds the planning in attendance, as it hosted an Intermediate consultants. Association. 45 SISK Irish Building 330h x 230w advert APRIL 2017 v3.indd 1 11/04/2017 20:41 John Sisk & Son Hickey Formwork Ltd. South Stand Tour of the Redeveloped Stadium maintained from the old stadium and were are meeting rooms, and the match day control given a new steel support structure and camera room which has been fitted out with the most Irish building were given a tour of the entire platforms in the redevelopment. up-to-date security equipment. stadium and viewed the pitch from a variety of angles from both the stands and the Inside the South Stand, we are shown the There are often complaints, by teams and terraces. We were also given a comprehensive press conference area, the media rooms for management, about grounds’ designs not insight into the incredible range of facilities, journalists which are all fitted out with work having maximised the use of space but that stations and breakout facilities and the most cannot be said here, as all areas provide open Páirc Uí Chaoimh particularly those in the South Stand. The stadium has a match day capacity of 45,000. up-to-date IT facilities of any modern stadium usable space with no unnecessary wall recesses The design maintains its original oval bowl throughout Europe. The sizes of these areas or obstructive projections. It is clear from shape, allowing for unrestricted views of the are indicative of the increased media now the facilities that the design is well reasoned Hickeys’ reputation has been built on providing high- pitch. covering Gaelic games compared to that and the finishes are robust and durable where of the mid-1970s. The concrete frame and necessary and comfortable and hospitable quality, market-leading, cost-efficient workmanship on The entrance gate and corridor for team buses support columns are exposed within the stands where needs be. time, safely and with a minimum of fuss – attributes which and delivery vehicles behind the South Stand and they have a high-quality smooth finish. is spacious and brightly lit. This stand houses The stadium is host to 13 bars and there are have seen the Waterford-based family business thrive Stephen says this is due to the high standard most of the facilities. Inside the grounds, many hot food kiosks and confectionery through a recession and establish itself firmly at the of work by Hickey Formwork Ltd on the insitu there are four dressing rooms with connected shops dispersed throughout, with adequate forefront of the concrete industry. concrete works and Banagher Precast Concrete showers and physio areas that provide great space for queuing and returning to seating on the pre-cast rakers and terrace units. at half-time. The South Stand is host to the Hickey Formwork Ltd bring together half a century of space for the movement of players on match days. The players’ tunnel shows the great The television studio provides great views of main commercial and hospitality areas. The combined experience to a critical sector of the workmanship of the block layers and concrete the field from the west side of the South Stand Premium Level dining area is very spacious construction industry. Our solid reputation is based on crews with high-quality fair faced block work and these will be visible during televised games and there is also a meeting area for VIPs and excellent workmanship first and foremost, with an and concrete. The team management areas and over the coming years. Adjacent to the studio a Private Dining Area. Within this level, there emphasis on traditional methods, which are proven to officials’ changing rooms are impressively fitted stand the test of time whilst also incorporating modern out with storage lockers and showers. There Media Room formwork systems including RMD, Actavo (Peri) and ULMA. are first-aid rooms throughout the stadium for both players and members of the viewing public alike. The floor near these facilities has SPECIALIST IN: an artificial grass covering to prevent players, wearing boots, from slipping. The warm-up • Formwork areas’ floor covering is the same with durable, damage-proof plaster board on the walls. • Steel Reinforcement In time one expects, that this will be greatly tested. There is also a large gym area, soon to • Concrete Placement house state of the art gym equipment. • Industrial, Commercial and Pharmaceutical Works Walking out on to the field both stands tower over the field, primarily the 3-tier South Stand, giving an indication of the match day atmosphere. The main pitch, which was laid Hickey Formwork Ltd by Turftech, is in immaculate condition. There Liss, Araglen, Fermoy, Co. Cork. T: 058 50897 are floodlights over each stand and these will soon be put to use with the evenings closing Fergal Hickey: 087 8550944 [email protected] Eoin Hickey: 087 2187155 [email protected] in. Stephen says that the scoreboards were 47 John Sisk & Son is an area for conferences and meetings of municipal park. This titled ‘Marina Park’ will approximately 1500m2. The meeting rooms, be a fantastic setting for the stadium when offices and the like can be operated on a daily completed and will be a great amenity for basis. The Premium Level pitch view allows the people of Cork and tourists alike.” Sisk you to walk up and down parallel to the participated in a detailed Value Engineering field outside, giving a great view on match exercise at the early stages of the project. “We day. The glazing here was done by Hodgins engaged in a very comprehensive VE exercise Architectural Facades Ltd. with the Client and their Design Team. This proved very successful and allowed the Outside the stadium, there is a full-size all- Client to maintain their budget and protect weather training pitch which can be viewed the parameters of the project that were most from inside the South Stand. There is sufficient important to them.” seating for training matches and club games. Surrounding the stadium there are large granite paved and tarmacked areas. The paving “The 3-tier South Stand was carried out by Premier Paving Ltd. and is the main stand, this shape dimensions of the old stadium because of finishes in these are very high and to an the tarmacadam was placed by Roadstone Ltd. of the atmosphere that this generated.” He international standard. The conference area has Leading out of the ground, Stephen comments doubles as a conference says, “Originally, the new stands were to be high-spec finishes and this was due to the great that the new stadium is more spacious built in the footprint of the old stands with no work of Scott Tallon Walker.” From our tour, it allowing for an easier flow of pedestrian traffic. centre and this will be in construction access permitted to the pitch area.