Catherine Street

MOLA Architecture was appointed to secure planning permission for a mixed-use office and residential development on Catherine Street in the heart of Limerick’s Georgian Quarter. The site sits within a vibrant and historically layered urban context and the design is anchored around the renovation and adaptive reuse of three Georgian terrace houses that form the architectural frontage to Catherine Street.

A contemporary volume is introduced to the rear of the terraces, arranged around a new courtyard and centred on an internal atrium that functions as a shared social and event space for office tenants and visitors. Access to the atrium is provided through a retained stone archway, establishing an independent entrance sequence and strengthening the dialogue between historic fabric and new construction.

The natural gradient of the side street enables a semi-basement level for plant and parking, allowing the principal levels to remain active and publicly legible. A landscaped rooftop terrace provides long views across the city and towards the River Shannon, supporting wellbeing and informal interaction. Sustainability measures, including solar generation, district shared electricity, recessed façades for solar control and electric vehicle charging, are integrated throughout. The project balances conservation and contemporary intervention and contributes to the wider renewal of the Georgian Quarter.