Cork School of Music Project – Chilling / Dehumidifying and Rejected Heat Recovery

Founded in 1878, Cork School of Music is the oldest municipal school of music in the British isles. In 1956, the ‘Cork Municipal School of Music’ occupied the first school in Ireland specifically conceived and built for music education. The 1950s building on Union Quay was completely rebuilt in 2005.

The 12,000 sq.m. ‘state of the art’ school accommodates 52 music studios; a 385 seat rehearsal hall; a 120 seat theatre space; music library; recording and dance studios; offices; classrooms and lecture theatres. The building is fully wheelchair-accessible with a café and nearby parking facilities. The building houses delicate musical instruments and maintaining consistent temperature levels is a crucial part of the project.

This project involved installing a heat pump system to provide cooling and heating simultaneously. Chilled water is used for air conditioning and dehumidification, keeping the internal humidity of the building at 55% rH throughout the year.