Object+Product: Institute of Marine Science in Galway
The Institute of Marine Science is a government agency of the Republic of Ireland. Its mission is to conduct, coordinate, and advance marine research. For a country like Ireland, with an underwater area of over 890,000 m²—roughly ten times its land area—such research has enormous economic significance. It is therefore no surprise that particular care was taken in the construction and design of the new £40 million building for the institute in Oranmore, County Galway. Even the choice of site demonstrates a high degree of sensitivity. The building plot is located on an undeveloped peninsula outside the town on Ireland's west coast. The most important criteria for site selection were the salinity, cleanliness, and temperature stability of the seawater. Furthermore, great emphasis was placed on creating a positive working environment for the scientists and administrative staff. The result is an attractive building that, although designed according to the latest technological standards, has little in common with the often clinical atmosphere of many laboratory buildings.
