New Children’s Hospital Dublin

Oval roof for the children’s hospital

The New Children’s Hospital in Dublin is one of the largest healthcare projects in Europe. Located on the campus of St. James’ Hospital, the new building brings together the three existing children’s hospitals in Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght into a single, state-of-the-art facility, setting new standards for paediatric care in Ireland and beyond.

Architecturally, the hospital impresses with its context-sensitive design. The lead architectural firm, BDP architects, with a studio in Dublin, has created a building whose shape adapts to the sloping terrain while exuding generosity and transparency with its curved forms and glass fronts. The oval building ring forms the central focal point: from the top floors of the ring, the inner courtyard and roof terraces of the other parts of the building, with seating and play areas, can be easily reached. The oval-shaped building is topped with a silver roof covering from Kalzip.

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Eine Nahaufnahme vom Dach des Kinderkrankenhauses

Curved and double-curved

The complex roof landscape of the iconic building called for a technically sophisticated and visually refined solution. A Kalzip system was able to meet all requirements: “To do justice to the dramatic shape of the roof, Kalzip developed a tailor-made solution combining parallel-curved and conically curved panels, which were manufactured on site using a mobile roll forming machine. These precisely shaped aluminium sheets were fixed to a substructure made of a curved, hot-dip galvanised steel system, which was designed and installed by KH Engineering,” reports Trevor Smyth, National Sales Manager at Kalzip.

Das Kinderkrankenhaus bei Nacht in der Vogelperspektive

Sustainable concept

Around 4,200 square metres of Kalzip 65/400 aluminium standing seam profiles were installed. Made from stucco-patterned aluminium, the textured surface offers an elegant appearance, reduces glare and ensures weather resistance over a long period of time. The Kalzip system thus not only meets aesthetic requirements, but also the hospital’s high technical specifications. The standing seam construction ensures long-term watertightness, resistance to extreme weather conditions and low maintenance throughout the entire service life of the building.

In addition, the corrosion resistance and recyclability of the material support the project’s sustainability efforts: the raw material already consists of 98 percent recycled aluminium and can be completely returned to the recycling cycle at the end of its useful life. The hospital was designed to the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard and features a wide range of passive and active energy strategies, including natural ventilation, modern glazing and a large-scale green roof system that supports both biodiversity and rainwater management.