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PLANS HAVE BEEN submitted to demolish two large office buildings in the centre of Dublin and replace them with an “environmentally sustainable new office quarter”.
Hawkins House and Apollo House on the corner of Tara Street and Poolbeg Street will be knocked down and replaced with newer office buildings that the OPW says will allow for a public plaza at the centre of the block.
The plans propose opening up a pedestrian route from Tara Street to College Green. At present, no such route exists and pedestrians are forced to walk around the buildings.
The Hawkins House building currently houses the head office of Department of Health and is often described as ‘Dublin’s ugliest building‘. It dates from 1962 and is located on the site of the former Theatre Royal.
The building is currently 11 storeys tall with the redevelopment seeing it reduced to a maximum of 10 storeys.
It’s planned that there’ll space for a café/restaurant on the ground floor and a public space with some greenery at the boundary near the former Screen Cinema.
Apollo House was previously used by the Department of Social Protection who vacated it last year. Its redevelopment will see it turned into a office building ranging in height from between five and 12 storeys with ground floor space for both retail and food outlets.
Both buildings will have some underground parking and will provide cycle access with showering and toilet facilities for workers in the building.
Speaking today as the plans were launched, Minister of State for the OPW Seán Canney said that this major plan is a big chance for the city.
“This development represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a new vibrant commercial and government office quarter in the city of Dublin,” he said
It is clear that Hawkins House is now obsolete and no longer meets the demand for modern flexible workspace. The development of this site will provide up to 60% more office space, will offer significant savings in running costs and will facilitate my office to reach sustainability targets and free up older leased buildings throughout the city.
The plan is approved by Nama who and the receivers appointed to the property. Nama chief executive Brendan McDonagh described it as “an exciting project” that is,
consistent with the receivers’ aim to maximise the return and to deliver much-needed high-quality commercial space.
Lead architects in the design team are Dublin-based architecture firm Henry J. Lyons with Mola Architecture designing the public space.
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Dublin’s ugliest building is Liberty Hall. And the tenants aren’t great either.
Add to that O’Connell Bridge house
I think Hawkins House is uglier, but it at least has the virtue of being largely hidden from view. Liberty Hall’s ugliness is unavoidable.
It was so disappointing and typical of the stupid eejit club that is an Bord Pleanála when they rejected planning permission to have Liberty Hall knocked and replaced.
Still I wonder could something be done to improve the building as it is. County Hall in Cork was a very ugly building. It was redeveloped, it’s still not the most beautiful building but it was greatly improved by the redevelopment.
Was going to say exactly the same thing. What an eyesore Liberty Hall is!
Doesn’t look as bad when they wrap it in a giant cartoon strip love the one they have on it now for the centenary of the rising. Until they knock it a byelaw should be brought in that any building that ugly and that prominent should be covered by cartoon strips.
That plan should have seen the resurrection of the theatre royal in the area too
Well when the same area can’t even sustain the Screen Cinema, a theatre seems over-optimistic.
Not necessarily neal….
fiachra29, Semtex !
This is the best Liberty Hall ever looked :
We have a few eyesores from that era. Fitzwilton House on the Grand Canal and bunkers at DCC. Currently Liberty Hall looks like it’s under construction the way they have it wrapped. It needs to be completely reclad. If it was done right it could actually look well.
Liberty hall woudl be a fine looking building if it’s occupants and owners were inclined to spend some money on it – they’re not.
The want it to fall to pieces so they can redevelop it into something more valuable to the, (which will be, as previous plans demonstrate, will be of no architectural merit whatsoever).
Actually Phil. …I believe they had plans to tart it up that were rejected by the planning quangos as being out of line with the area’s something or other lol
They did? What sort of tarting up? Some repair of the facade and replacement of the windows outside, some architectural lighting and some refurb and modern HVAC is all that would be needed.
In 2012 SIPTU were given permission for it to be demolished and replaced. That plan was rightly overturned by ABP. It’s one of the city’s to best examples of post modern architecture which if looked after would be wonderful additions to the city, but they (the other being Bus Aras) are neglected.
I think the redevelopment would’ve been a big improvement. In particular, the top 4 floors
Phibsboro shopping centre…
Employee toilet facilities included no less. What other wonders will they construct?
Toilet facilities!!!
IBEC will have kittens!
I certainly like the idea of showers for people who want to cycle to work.
We don’t have that in our work place
Hope they include some parking for the Pearse Street Garda and get their cars off the street!
Get on with it ! Planning permission will take a year or two, it’s now we need jobs and rid of Hawkins house.
Act in haste, repent at leisure. Especially when building in a city
We don’t need jobs in Dublin, Dublin is overcrowded as it is. We need jobs in the Provinces.
The new buildings are extremely bland looking but are still much better than what’s there now.
Not good enough Deborah, our city needs to have buildings of function AND character.
No! What we need is a monorail!
What about the dopey ski lift yoke they had planned along the Quays that was announced just a few weeks before the bubble burst?
The provinces?
It’s okay, they’re definitely not the best looking building designs I’ve seen, but still anything is a vast improvement on the crime against architecture that is Hawkins House.
Quality of materials used will be key to how good this will look
Not sure about the vast part but it is am improvement alright ….possibly because the area may look a little bit less like cherynoble after
If the quality of materials was key to the re-paving of Grafton Street you can forget about the new building looking anything like the architectural render shown.
Still ugly, typically unimaginative Box like structures that do nothing to improve the area around them. Here’s an idea. ..abolish an tasche..and bord plonker and replace then with experienced people who don’t think they are regulating a giant museum And allow some of our architects to think imaginatively
The members of these committees get paid no matter the outcome, the definition of impartial and its not like they are desk jockey wanna be politicians. The majority hold a least a masters in the field of construction, and many have private experience in the industry.
http://www.pleanala.ie/about/members.htm
Additionally the design is defined, by the architects (in this case the OPW) and in this case adjudicated by Dublin City council prior to even getting to An Bord Pleanala.
Do some research before you spout tripe.
Platypus….holding a degree in something does not guarantee anything. Indeed it would seem that you hold a masters in tripe spouting as you put it by coming out with such nonsense. Dublin had no skyline despite what is citizens want and if you think defending a bunch of unimaginative buffoons justifys that lack of imagination you’re mistaken. Our city deserves better than an endless procession of hutch like structures that do nothing to enhance our city. Show me some evidence Iof the ability of the people you’re defending and perhaps I may start to take you seriously. In the absence of evidence. …architectural or otherwise may I politely suggest that you continue your explorations on the subject of tripe which I might add that you are coming along very well
I’m guessing this must have gone out to tender, and this was selected by the HSE, and then seconded by the council, followed by Bord Planeala, and the Taisce and neither of them thought that now might the be time to engage in architects that would put forward something more modern-city like, rather than these vanilla boxes that just look like a brighter improvement on Anglo’s old building on Stephen’s green. Look at some of the ideas from NBBJ, or that company in Paris who were making shadowless curved building that divert light to the blocked areas. At 10 stories, nearly any modern architect with such a big space to play with would be able to have zero impact o lighting around the area, but even in the mock ups, they are shrouded in shadow. Give them 10 years before the mould grows and they will be another Hawkin House.
mark anthony / mark power. What do you want built? “Iconic” buildings are over. Sooooo noughties.
Vincent. …of course I it is. …that’s why the test of the world are still commissioning and building iconic buildings. ..because they’re soo….well iconic. …unlike the match box rubbish we. Have
Only 10 stories…should be twice that.
I agree; I really can’t see why these buildings could not be 20 to 30 stories tall.
Tall buildings should be exclusive to the Docklands area and away from city centre. Tall buildings in the city centre would ruin its character and leave swathes of ground level areas in dark shade.
Prionsias buildings that height in a city with a low sun cause major problems with blocking the sun and making the streets dark. And thus increase crime, depression and many other things . It’s a huge area of study you should look into it, some if the findings are crazy but do explain why high rises don’t work.
Really???? This is supposed to be better???? It just looks like another ugly “architect” designed heap of glass and metal and token stone frame. This building is being built characterless and will in no way enhance the city.
Yeah cement city!
Well put dave
I guess we have a load of “Architect” types on forum today.
Dave. …probably not architect types. …maybe more like people with an eye for good design or a desire to see our lovely city with some well deserved imaginative buildings rather than squat ugly boxes
Exactly Mark, but look at the proposed design! “good design” “imaginative” I really do not think these designs will improve the city. Looks like more junk like the Bank building or the Dublin city building on Wood Quay.
Agree dave…no imagination whatsoever
Another piece of worthless mediocrity. They need to get a real architect to give us something sexy looking with curves.
Curves don’t maximise the floor plates hence don’t maximise rent hence we have all these squat square boxes in the Docklands
curves can go out over the street as well – that courtyard could have hundreds of square metres of office space and apartments above it if done right. Although knowing DCC, they would probably have all the residential space far, far undergound. BTW – I take it all governement office space is single use, i.e. no intent to make it part residential to finance the upkeep and make it a living space?
Perhaps just look at the GPO, Dublin Castle, Leinster House etc etc. Class buildings that stood the test of time
biggest eyesore in Dublin is city council offices on wood quay built on brown envelopes and corruption and obscuring one of the citys most iconic buildings Christchurch,
It’s not a roundabout
Demolish 11 storey building and replace it with 10 storey building during a housing and office shortage. #IrishLogic
But but but our skyline something something
My first ever job was in a shipping company on the tenth floor of Hawkins House. Spectacular views and you don’t have to see the outside of the building while you’re in it.
Not particularly ugly but those new buildings don’t look that more different then the current offices for The Department of Agriculture. Pretty much the same old stuff. Is there someone pulling strings in the background that gets a wet dream thinking about all offices looking pretty much just like that? Would seem way too utilitarian.
Not much of a replacement! Why is it that all tall buildings proposed and permitted in Dublin in the past few years look the same!? No imaginative or different design at all, just square glazed blocks with steel skeleton. Has the one architect got a monopoly on development or are they all just unimaginative?
It’s always been like that, Victorian houses look the same , Georgian houses look the same , 3 bed semis firm the 80s look the same, duplex houses in the 00s like the same , thatched cottages from the 1900s look the same, art decor look the same .norman castles look the same,
Not a great design, will these be the Hawkins House, the ugliest building in Dublin again in 50 years time ?
The new buildings – ho hum, almost like for like. Some imagination, please
Nothing will ever come near the theatre royal since they pulled it down on the same site where hawkings house is years ago. The theatre royal was the jewel in the crown for theatre goers everywhere
I’d say joint ugliest along with Liberty Hall. Also, although a vast improvement on what’s there, the new buildings aren’t exactly an architectural masterpiece. They’re a bit ugly too if you ask me.
12 storeys? Sure that’s a skyscraper by Irish standards.
When you combine this with the 9 storey building at City Quay, the 22 building and 12 storey building at Tara street station redevelopment, as well as the existing 12 storey (?) building at Georges Quay, we might actually start to have a decent skyline in that area.
We’ll be running out of sky and oxygen at this rate….
The Tara St tower might be up to 22 storeys
When it was built it got an Award, I suppose the new building will get an Award from the same organisation. The Library i DunLaghoire is the ugliest building in Europe but the different Architectural institutes and organisations keep giving themselves awards as long as it generates work even though a lot of their buildings are a blight on the environment. Any architect worth his weight hates straight lines — they adore art and good archaic tire like Georgian Dublin. Nobody taking pictures of the IFCS, it is and industrial estate for bankers and not designed to be full of beautiful buildings.
I thought Georgian architecture was all about straight lines?
Faux straight ;)
Some thoughts:
1. I don’t think people are so much repulsed by these buildings as they are by the bare-faced concrete scowl that bends over the city. A lick of paint would work wonders. Failing that, even just fixing up the blinds and the windows would have a great affect on the buildings. These have been inexplicably ratty-looking for years and years.
2.The proposed replacement buildings are just this generation’s rewording of the same wrong answer to the question of how to use this area of the city. Their features are poorly proportioned (length and width of windows etc.), obtuse and imposing and try to pass off their lack of character as minimalism. It’s like dominating a conversation by being silent. Future generations will dislike them in roughly equal measure to how we view Hawkins House.
3. Dublin manages to misapply height sensitivity too much. Look at the very first image of it as it appears looking south from the river- is the view really improved by having all of the buildings shorten so cumbersomely as they reach the river?
Not much of in improvement, just more Euroclone building for our increasingly bland city.
Who is going to pay for this> I thought Ireland was in bad financial shape.
John they are going to take it from your wages every month.
Then, Welshhibby, expenditure on this unnecessary project needs to taxed; I hope Revenue will be taking a good look at it.
Unnecessary project? They have scaffolding up to prevent the bits that are falling off Hawkins House hitting passers by.
A Guy, The quoted reason Sean Cannery gave was:- “It is clear that Hawkins House is now obsolete and no longer meets the demand for modern flexible workspace. ”
Doesn’t sound like a good reasn to me for demolishing and rebuilding, unless the new development has accordian / balloon-like qualities.
Is there nothing more important that the money can be spent on
Is that what’s happening? I suspected something like that.
That’s absolutely vile.
Toilet facilities for the workers?
Whatever will they think of next?
James Connolly would be very proud.
And if the OPD is involved in any part of design or development say hello to more crap building and out of date designing.
They should be taller, that area is a great location to build a couple of high rise buildings and give Dublin a skyline, instead of sprawling the city down along the docklands with small box shaped buildings!
More waste of tax payers money there is nothing wrong with these buildings !
Nothing wrong with them other than that they make your city look hideous.
John Judd, thanks, I was wondering who will pay for this.
You can call the OPW out for wasting money for many things e.g. they have been relaying the paving and building a wall at Georges Quay for the last 3 years but to say there is nothing wrong with these buildings is rubbish.
They fail to meet the requirements on every level for Category A or even Category B office classification. How much do you reckon is spent on heating every year for a single glazed building of that size?
As previously pointed out the netting to stop parts of the building falling off and hitting people is indicative of a building that has serious issues.
The only people that will object to this are the Dept. of Health worker who is pissed at the thoughts of losing his free city centre public sector parking space when they move down to Baggot Street lol
Oh, so it would need some renovation, then. If it’s a Category C building, it’s rent would be lower. Who rents the place out, currently?
Civil Servants have worked in that building for decades.
@ John
- so how much do you reckon a renovation would cost that is if its even possible given the structural issues.
- Would that represent value for money compared to a new build?
- Does the positive externalities of the creation of a new street, shopping and the associated rejuvenation in a run down part of town feature in your calculations?
- How would a renovation address the lack of space (the new building proposed more than doubles the floor space? Are you in favour of keeping the surface car parking or would you need to develop new builds on that too at additional cost?
- On the logic of minimising the rent, I am assuming you where in favour of decentralisation then? That worked out well didn’t it?
- And given the state of the Health Service I would question your use of the word “work”
Yes, that Decentralisation of the Civil Service turned out badly, alright.
But as regards the office space issue, Government Departments have always had branches in buildings all over the place.
My main concern is that it would be a costly operation to demolish and rebuild a building for reasons other than engineering reasons. I presume the pre-stressed concrete, whater, is still in fine order.
I have in mind the tearing down and rebuilding of the Gaiety Centre for shopping. I suppose if they hadn’t torn it down, the mannequins would have been discommoded, or something.
Should have gone to spec savers
Not energy efficient , I imagine they have poor air conditioning and are very uncomfortable , probably don’t meet modem regulations, more than likely have a max of cat 3 cable.
If it was cheaper to keep them they would, it’s clearly not
I can’t believe what’s going on in this Country the building is ugly and needs to be upgraded and the Dail is being remodelled while we have hospitals full of patients on trolleys and 6,000 homeless no jobs and politicians all set for a long summer holiday makes me want to PUKE .
I think it is very unlikely to obtain planning permission at that height. Design is nothing special.
I think they should rebuild the Theatre Royal.
Had to Google it never saw it before looks great very art decor and massive inside http://archiseek.com/2011/1935-theatre-royal-hawkins-st-dublin/
Didnt read the article. But judging by the title of it, im going to miss the spire
A few blocks of apartments might have been a better idea….
Why? Where would they work ! We nee office space , there 50m from a dart line which means workers can live in the suburbs, the day will go from bsllbriggan to greystones that’s s huge scope for housing
Some thoughts:
1. I don’t think people are so much repulsed by these buildings as they are by the bare-faced concrete scowl that bends over the city. A lick of paint would work wonders. Failing that, even just fixing up the blinds and the windows would have a great affect on the buildings. These have been inexplicably ratty-looking for years and years.
2.The proposed replacement buildings are just this generation’s rewording of the same wrong answer to the question of how to use this area of the city. Their features are poorly proportioned (length and width of windows etc.), obtuse and imposing and try to pass off their lack of character as minimalism. It’s like dominating a conversation by being silent. Future generations will dislike them in roughly equal measure to how we view Hawkins House.
3. Dublin manages to misapply height sensitivity too much. Look at the very first image of it as it appears looking south from the river- is the view really improved by having all of the buildings shorten so cumbersomely as they reach the river?
Not much of in improvement, just more Euroclone buildings for our increasingly bland city.
The buildings are hardly inspiring but better than what’s there. Plazas are grand in a southern European setting but in grey Ireland they often look depressing.
Toners beer plaza looks great
Wow this looks like it could be like a mega new mega cool place to score a few lines of coke or grams of Huddersfield Can’t wait. Nice one board planala
The amount of times I was in and out of there trying to clear customs documents before they close at 4pm. Only those of us who did it would get all nostalgic…
Henry J Lyons is a company….not a person. and I dont think they work for Mola.
have your say