5Cube

Dublin City Council and Codema launched the 5Cube on Friday, 19th June in Hanover Quay, Grand Canal Dock as part of our involvement in the EU Ace project, which is funded by the INTERREG IVB NWE programme.

The 5Cube is Ireland’s first renewable energy design feature and is a physical representation of how much oil Ireland is consuming every five minutes. The aim of the 5Cube is to get citizens thinking about our dependency on fossil fuels and to consider renewable sources of energy that are cleaner, and ultimately cheaper, alternatives.

The 5 Cube was selected as the winning design following the Imagine Energy design competition in 2013 for a smart energy feature in the city centre as part of its involvement in the EU-funded Ace project. 

Hanover Quay was selected as it is right in the heart of Dublin City’s Sustainable Energy Community , an area that is home not only to world leaders in finance and technical innovation but also schools, residential housing and small indigenous businesses.  Many resident companies have strong expertise in implementing energy-efficiency schemes in the workplace and can act as leaders for promoting sustainable energy practice.

The 5Cube has been constructed with durable, shiny black glass to convey the concept of oil.  It is self-sufficient through solar photovoltaic panels powering the screen and an LED illumination. One side of the cube features a 'sky mirror' and on the opposite side a kaleidoscope gives multiple reflections of the sky, forming a globe shape when you look into it.  Inscribed on the 5Cube is text saying 'We consume this cube of oil in Ireland every five minutes'.

The 5Cube was designed by Declan Scullion of de Siún Scullion Architects.