A significant construction milestone was celebrated at Glass Bottle, a new development set to transform Dublin into an iconic destination for residents and workers.

The development team, comprising Lioncor, RGRE and the development contractors, John Sisk & Son, are excited to deliver the “topping out” of two of the three residential blocks in the initial phase of development.

The development of Glass Bottle will see the transformation of approximately 37.2 acres of industrial land into an integrated and vibrant new place for all Dubliners. The ambition and vision for the site is to create a new balanced community made up of private, social, affordable and rented homes. Glass Bottle offers a full range of amenities, services and leisure uses, making it the quintessential “15-Minute City”. The development includes residential amenities, community spaces, flexible office spaces, an innovation hub, a hotel, a school and creche, artists’ studios, leisure facilities, retail and parks, all with direct access to the coastal path and Dublin Bay. The area benefits from excellent transportation links with numerous bus, train and tram routes nearby and is within close proximity to Dublin airport.

The initial phase of development, Phase 1A, consists of 570 homes spread over three blocks: Lime House, Glass House and Battledore, referencing the heritage of glass making on the site. Each block contains nearly 200 homes, comprising a mix of studios, 1-to-3-bedroom apartments and townhouses, with initial completions due at the end of 2025. Phase 1B contains an additional 324 homes, all of which are under construction. Phase 2, currently in planning, includes an additional 502 homes. This creates a pipeline of just under 1,400 homes, of which 894 are currently under construction, making a significant contribution to housing supply in the city.

All phases of Glass Bottle have been designed to align with EU Taxonomy requirements, such that the designed energy performance of the homes will be at least 10% better than legislative standards (NZEB or nearly zero energy buildings) and will meet or exceed all relevant technical screening criteria. This means that Glass Bottle meets the EU’s definition of sustainable investment and can be held in an Article 9 “dark green” fund.

Glass Bottle will also part of the Dublin District Heating System (DDHS), where waste heat will be captured from the Dublin Waste to Energy facility and piped into homes and businesses in Poolbeg, Ringsend, and the Docklands, and will therefore source its heating requirements from renewable energy once the DDHS becomes operational.

The residential homes at Glass Bottle are also undergoing a sustainability certification through BREEAM from initial design through to construction, mitigating the life cycle impacts of our buildings on the environment.

Lioncor’s CEO, Mr. John Maxwell comments: “The progress at Glass Bottle is the result of the exceptional work from our dedicated and experienced team, as well as the collaborative support from Dublin City Council. We’re witnessing the transformation of a brownfield site into something new and innovative but in keeping with the city of Dublin.”

“We are delighted to be “topping out” phase one of the largest residential housing project in the city, providing much needed new homes in our capital and contributing to solving the housing crisis. We look forward to providing an update on the next phase in due course.

“Our masterplan for Glass Bottle has been to create usable and meaningful public spaces. A key principle of our design of Glass Bottle is to foster connections and relationships by integrating existing communities with the new development.

“Our passion for delivering high quality, well-constructed buildings, irrespective of their use, is fundamental to creating long term, vibrant neighbourhoods and civic areas.”

Glass Bottle also provides exceptional access to the Dublin Docklands’ business district, with corporate occupiers including JP Morgan, PwC, State Street, Accenture, Salesforce and Google, alongside a number of iconic cultural and leisure venues, such as the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Ireland’s largest theatre, EPIC Museum, The Irish Emigration Museum and the Aviva rugby Stadium. Glass Bottle will form part of Dublin’s newest commercial innovation hub with over 90,000 sq.m. of commercial, office and enterprise space, with a focus on both healthcare and life sciences. Life science space is becoming one of the most highly demanded sectors in real estate globally, with strong government backing for companies to enter the industry. There is potential for Glass Bottle to create approximately 10,000 jobs and 9,500 homes providing a new hub for the city.

Steven McGee, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Sisk said: “On behalf of Sisk, I would like to congratulate the Glass Bottle Consortium for their collaboration and vision on the site at one of Ireland’s largest residential construction projects. I would like to extend my gratitude to our dedicated staff and supply chain partners for their outstanding work and perseverance to date. We are delighted to achieve the first major milestone at Phase 1A of the Glass Bottle development. Since breaking ground in June 2023, we have made outstanding progress, topping out two of three residential blocks. We eagerly anticipate completing Phase 1A of Glass Bottle by the end of next year and creating a lasting legacy in the community.”

Rory Williams, RGRE CEO said: “RGRE is proud to be part of the team behind this much-needed residential development for Dublin City which creates a sustainable new community in a high-quality living space. The Glass Bottle site looks out onto Dublin Bay from an incredible location transforming a barren industrial plot into a vibrant new neighbourhood community where families will find jobs, homes and a new, more enjoyable and sustainable, way of living. As further elements of the overall Glass Bottle scheme progress, intelligent, innovative design and land-use present us with the opportunity to deliver thousands of homes, next generation workspaces and leisure facilities at a time of huge demand for housing.”

The Glass Bottle Consortium

The Glass Bottle Consortium comprises funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., Lioncor and Ronan Group Real Estate.

Pictured above: John Maxwell, CEO, Lioncor, Laura Young (H&S Officer, Sisk) and Steven McGee, (COO, Sisk) 

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