RED AWARDS 2013: Merit Award Cultural

On Feb. 27, AZRE hosted the 8th Annual RED Awards reception at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix to recognize the most notable commercial real estate projects of 2012 and the construction teams involved. AZRE held an open call for nominations and more than 100 projects were submitted by architects, contractors, developers and brokerage firms in Arizona. To view all 2013 RED Awards Winners and Honorable Mentions, go here >

Merit Award Cultural

McCelland Irish Library

Developer: Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation Library

Contractor: Double AA Builders

Architect: John Paul Ahern Architect

Size: 16,000 SF

Location: 1106 N. Central Ave., Phoenix

Completed: June 2012

The McClelland Irish Library is a one-of-a-kind building designed to replicate a 12th Century Norman tower castle. The front entrance was inspired by the St. Brigid’s Church on Inis Cealtra in County Clare. The archway is made of Irish Blue Limestone and weighs a whopping 8.9 tons. The greatest architectural challenge was was integrating the design requirements into a cohesive structure and making it function on a very small site. The greatest construction challenge was dealing with the death of general contractor Bernardo Velez, who passed away 6 months after the start of construction. The building includes a library, archive, exhibition gallery, meeting and music practice rooms and reading rooms. The “Castle on Central” adds to the downtown arts and culture community.

Video by Cory Bergquist