Irish Life announces major redevelopment of Dublin city centre HQ

Irish Life is to redevelop the main office block at its Dublin city centre headquarter campus on Lower Abbey Street.

The redevelopment, which has full planning permission, will add a total of 59,600sq ft – or room for more than 500 additional workers – to the existing building, bringing it to a total area of 209,200sq ft. The development will see the construction of a new 10th floor, and the full refurbishment of the property’s interior to encourage increased collaboration among the company’s employees, and improved staff amenities, including a new garden pavilion above the three-storey atrium restaurant area.

As part of Irish Life’s ambition to meet its ESG (environmental, social and governance) goals, the new Block 3 will be an nZEB (nearly zero energy building) property, meaning that the low amount of energy required will be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources. Irish Life is seeking to achieve an A-rated BER for the block.

With construction scheduled to get under way in May, Irish Life has begun consulting with its neighbours in the surrounding area with a view to minimising any disruption caused by the redevelopment. The building is expected to be ready for occupation in 2026.

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Irish Life has been based at the Abbey Street campus since the 1970s, when the first phase of the development (including Block 3) was built. Since then the campus has been the subject of several major upgrades, including the construction of a number of additional blocks to the west of the original campus in the 1980s.

Commenting on his company’s latest plan, Irish Life chief executive Declan Bolger said: “This project is a renewal of our commitment to our home in Dublin 1, from where we’ve grown to become one of Ireland’s leading financial services providers. Our business has relationships with one in three people across the country, and with 19 of the top 20 multinational companies in Ireland. This redevelopment will complement our plans to continue the strong growth we have experienced in recent years,” he said.

“The redevelopment will also help us to deliver on a number of aspects of our business strategy: improving our sustainability performance, enhancing our office space so it is fit for the new era of hybrid working, and providing a better overall working environment for our employees. Investing in high quality city centre property, with excellent sustainability characteristics, provides an asset with long-term value for Irish Life and for Dublin,” Mr Bolger added.