This two storey addition by young Irish design practice Ailtireacht has both modernised, and provided multifunctional space for a Victorian townhouse in south Dublin.

The existing two-storey return had been constructed on a scale not befitting such a large house with cramped internal dimensions which made the spaces unusable. Ailtireacht's new solution creates a rear return more suitable in scale and playful in nature, with an orthogonal emphasis reflecting that of the original terrace.

Light grey zinc foil wraps a series of voids, and colourfully glazed projections drape the spaces enclosed therein. The reflectivity and solidity of the zinc contrasts the flat darkness of the voids and window openings, in the creation of a sculptural form, which sits in deference against the main wall of the house.

A new canopy over the existing side passage encloses the dining area in a transition space between the interior and exterior, which along with a new staircase from the main floor, creates a new dialogue between the lower ground floor garden and the piano nobile.