Belvedere College Finlay Building

belvedere college, finlay building

refurbishment, belvedere college, dublin

complete 2023

award - architectural association of ireland 2025

the finlay building, belvedere college’s oldest existing school structure, is located on a dense campus in dublin’s north onner-city. it is a historic building within the curtilage of the protected structure, belvedere house.

the finlay building, though it appears as one structure, was constructed in two phases: the original classroom block built in the 1890s, and the addition of the chapel with classrooms above in the 1930s.

the 1890s wing features a timber flitch structure with trussed timber partitionwalls. the 1930s wing contains an early steel structure, concealed by plaster and timber linings. over the past century, the building has undergone numerous ad hoc refurbishments and modifications, resulting in a disjointed learning environment that had altered the clarity and quality of the original structures.

TAKA were tasked with refurbishing the entire building, except for the chapel and attic floor, to modernise the 1st and 2nd floor classrooms, and create a new pastoral centre on the ground floor.

we aimed to uncover and restore the building’s original character, while adding a new layer of functionality, to serve as a modern educational space. upgrading and adapting our existing building stock is an inherently sustainable approach, and one which is necessarily becoming more central to the profession. the school remained fully operational during construction, requiring meticulous planning of the compound, deliveries, and access. the construction was carried out with full occupation of the finlay’s attic floor and chapel.