Shopfront race to the bottom

[igy]

Lose the giant badge, and I don't think it's too bad. The 'Costa' Sign over the front door is far more muted than it otherwise could have been.

[StephenC]

Whats the name of the shop? I cant quite make it out...

[Devin]

Nice to see a new cafe opeming. H eck it's nice to see a new anything opening at the moment.

[archipig]

In my opinion, I'd prefer this Costa place opens in that unit than the inevitable discount store / pound shop type of places that are starting to appear in some newly vacant retail units during this property crash. And I do agree with a previous poster that this particular example actually improves the building.

[GrahamH]

But of course it does1 A vacant unit versus a teaming coffee shop offers little in the way of dispute as to which is better. A discount shop also would not be allowed open on Dawson Street (one hopes). This matter simply relates to signage et al. Of course the lettering above the entrance is fine - that is all there should be. All the other tack, including the cheapo fascia inserts in the windows, the circular sign, and the rubbish around the entrance require removal.

Naturally it is good to see new life on the street in these times, but certainly not at the expense of good design or good planning standards.

And Costa coffee is revolting.

Meh, mild and anodyne yes, but hardly revolting.

Much more encouraging is The Trinity Barber's recent makeover over on Trinity Street. An excellent exercise in polished restraint, the works involved the replacement of an expansive facia and an all-singing coat of canary yellow paint on their Art Nouveau shopfront with an altogether more stylish affair.




The diminutive smart steel lettering without any form of lighting paraphernalia is effortlessly cool.



I'm not entirely sure what's going on there between the fascia and the cornice - a former alteration of some kind.








Beautiful job.

The Trinity Barber is one of three unified shopfronts on a late 19th century building which could benefit from similar treatment.



(incidentally, the barber upstairs has stunning views down St. Andrew Street and South William Street towards Powerscourt Townhouse).

More of this please.



(if anyone's in there soon, tell them to take the plastic wrapping off the new light shades!)

[Devin]

Just on the the Dawson Street Starbucks building, there was a recent planning application to replace the upper facade with a bowed glazed facade by Frank Crowley architects. That would be a pity. It's a decent '60s type mullion facade and & good piece of streetscape. DCC refused it for breaching the established building line of the upper floors - 2508/08 (some images of the proposal in 'View Documents') But they haven't dissaproved the idea of replacing the mullion facade, which is unfortunate.

[GrahamH]

Absolutely. I've always liked this building - streamlined and elegant (apron panels aside).

Which is why it's disappointing to say, having passed yesterday, all of the polished cladding has already been ripped off. The above is the last ever photograph taken of that design

[reddy]

Absolutely. I've always liked this building - streamlined and elegant (apron panels aside).

Which is why it's disappointing to say, having passed yesterday, all of the polished cladding has already been ripped off. The above is the last ever photograph taken of that design

Was there a fire in this building last Tuesday? I was walking down Nassau St and saw the street blocked off with two engines and a ladder extended to this building or its neighbour. Maybe that damaged it?

[Peter Fitz]

Curious that the application for this only went in on March 16th with a decision still pending ...

Last date for observations April 20th.

2553/09

[Smithfield Resi]

Invalidates the application I would have thought. Bit of a dumb move, as the planner will see the unauthorised work on the site visit.

[GrahamH]

Fitzpatricks on Grafton Street is an example of a beautifully designed shopfront. International chic it may be, and with a soulless personality to boot, but it nonetheless oozes quality and sophistication. The sharp glazing and high contrast shop displays look particularly outstanding in the evening.



Essentially it is a postmodern surround refined to more contemporary tastes. The pilasters are a tad stunted atop those tall plinths, but generally the composition and detailing are spot on.

Exquiste crisp black lettering. This only recently replaced almost brand new steel lettering, presumably as it stands out more.



(now that I think of it, it was probably just painted!)

Alas, as is typical with glossy developments in Ireland of the boom era, it's all skirt and no knickers. Nasty PVC abounds on the upper storeys.



Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

Indeed both premises are almost entirely fitted out with the same muck. These all went in just as the ACA was adopted about 18 months-two years ago. Nothing has happened.




We're great at the aul vista closures in Dublin . No commitment to quality.

[Devin]

Narrow pavements

Not a bad group of buildings here on Dame Street at the junction of George's Street. You don't notice them much cos you're usually concentrating on not getting skulled by a bus if you step off the narrow pavements.

Improvements

Strange but true: some shopfront improvements are planned here. The Centra is being enlarged into the building next door. The planners usually discourage knocking buildings into each other like this cos you lose the fine grain of the street, but it's being allowed in this case cos it's being done minimally and because of the design improvements to the frontage.

Sex shop

The existing shopfront is being given an arcaded treatment, picking up on the upper floors, while the former Condom Power shopfront next door will be largely glazed, so as to be more see-through, giving less protection from the street.

The applicant claims it will "rid the street frontage of the sex shop and its opaque shuttered window", with sordid goings on behind, no doubt.

Planning Ref. is 2339/09

[GrahamH]

Yep was reading this a few weeks ago. Good to see DCC requesting additional info on precisely what historic material would be lost when knocking the two units together. A very good conservation report and design proposals by Cathal O'Neill, intending to arcade the interior in a European food hall style if recall (with some degree of embellishment on the part of Centra no doubt).

Work has already started, with the owner of the properties agreeing to 'clean up' the upper elevations. Musgraves have also stated they'd be willing to use this shop as a model as to what can be achieved with convenience stores in terms of design, layout and signage. Their commitment to that ideal five years down the road remains to be proven.

[rumpelstiltskin]

What's interesting is that the Condompower signage is significantly more tasteful than Centra's.

[StephenC]

Its not really...its a banner.

I think the proposed changes are well worth doing. The exsiting shopfronts are too heavy and give this section of the street a boarded up appearance. The repair of the facades is also welcome. It would be good to see the units either side being imporved to enhance the overall vista looking down South Great Georges Street.

One big problem here, as Devin says, is the width of the pavement, particularly given the high footfall at this key junction. Not an awful lot that can be done about it though.

[rumpelstiltskin]

Its not really...its a banner.

I think the proposed changes are well worth doing. The exsiting shopfronts are too heavy and give this section of the street a boarded up appearance. The repair of the facades is also welcome. It would be good to see the units either side being imporved to enhance the overall vista looking down South Great Georges Street.

One big problem here, as Devin says, is the width of the pavement, particularly given the high footfall at this key junction. Not an awful lot that can be done about it though.

Well they could pedestrianize Dame Street and College Green, and reroute all the traffic down Patrick St. and across the river, but that's not gonna happen.

[Devin]

Looks like we're entering a new term with the disruptive child of Londis, Lower O'Connell Street. They had the neck to leave this massive "temporary sign" in situ long after the repaving and public realm scheme was complete and the street looking pristine.






As a resolution, this proposal was granted permission in Sept. '08 under 3004/08; enlargement into the next door premises and improved, simplified shopfronts. A similar decision to Centra on Dame Street - the planners ensured one half of the frontage was for cafe use only.






So now we're up and running with the permitted scheme and straight away there are problems with breaching of approved signage design, additional signage and general garishness.

Just do the f***ing right thing and your sales will improve and the city will look better !!

[Morlan]

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055800468

What a bunch of whinging idiots.

[Global Citizen]

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055800468

What a bunch of whinging idiots.

Well spotted Morlan.
Some interesting points raised over there, especially in the first 3 pages.

After that it descends into a bit of a silly Dublin V Cork squabble.

[Devin]

This Griffins Londis on Grafton Street must be the most outrageous shopfront in the city at the moment because it's set amongst the largely minimal and professionally-designed fronts of the 'higher end' (or not so higher end) shops of the street but has all the worst and most brash attributes of a convenience store in Dublin: bad colour scheme, illuminated signs in the windows, posters on the glazing, multitude of cluttering projecting signs attached to shopfront, projecting sign above ground floor level, associated fast-food use, over-illumination at night, naff 'traditional' design of shopfront (with bad detailing and poor relationship between pilasters and console brackets), disharmony with the historic building above etc. etc.

It is contrary to probably 20 different objectives of the Architectural Conservation Area and Scheme of Special Planning Control for Grafton Street, and it's in a very sensitive 'tone setting' location at the top of the street as you enter from the south ..... as if Grafton Street isn't having enough problems trying to maintain what's left of its upmarket character.

On online planning search on 49 Grafton Street returns no results, so they are not even pretending to have permission for it.

[jdivision]

John Corcoran seemed to be having a direct go at that shop in the weekend, can't blame him

[hutton]

This Griffins Londis on Grafton Street must be the most outrageous shopfront in the city at the moment because it's set amongst the largely minimal and professionally-designed fronts of the 'higher end' (or not so higher end) shops of the street but has all the worst and most brash attributes of a convenience store in Dublin: bad colour scheme, illuminated signs in the windows, posters on the glazing, multitude of cluttering projecting signs attached to shopfront, projecting sign above ground floor level, associated fast-food use, over-illumination at night, naff 'traditional' design of shopfront (with bad detailing and poor relationship between pilasters and console brackets), disharmony with the historic building above etc. etc.

It is contrary to probably 20 different objectives of the Architectural Conservation Area and Scheme of Special Planning Control for Grafton Street, and it's in a very sensitive 'tone setting' location at the top of the street as you enter from the south ..... as if Grafton Street isn't having enough problems trying to maintain what's left of its upmarket character.

On online planning search on 49 Grafton Street returns no results, so they are not even pretending to have permission for it.

That is Efffing awful.... Subway seem to have gone on a real aggressive sub standard agenda of signage since entering Dublin market - Ive noticed a rake of UD subway fascias... Are DCC blind, and why do they allow such systematic breaches?

[tommyt]

Would be interesting to see what's in their franchise agreements with operators alright. They probably have a 'signup now- get a shedload of extra signage free' deal on the go.

[Devin]

Yeah the Subways are becoming a big problem. They are fast food with the associated nasty signage.

Previously posted, but this one (pic below) opened a year or two ago within Coleman's newsagent on the back of the toileting of Westmoreland Street ..... in a protected structure within the O’Connell Street ACA.

The ACA's Scheme of Special Planning Control states, under ‘(1) Land Use – General Controls on Changes of Use’, that there are ‘no locations in the area of Area of Special Planning Control that are considered suitable for additional fast food outlets’.

The shopfront the building currently has was installed about 10 years ago under planning application 2375/99. The second of the un-numbered conditions avaliable in that link states:

‘… The glazing shall not be used for the purpose of sticking posters advertising material related to the sale of goods in the shop and in this regard all such signage shall be removed … All goods or signs displayed inside the shop shall be kept back at a distance of no less than 300mm from the glazing … Signage shall be restricted to the fascia and shall consist of individually mounted or hand painted lettering and product advertising shall be restricted to an absolute minimum. (e,g, gifts, newsagents).’

The fifth condition states:

‘… no further signs including any signs, neon or otherwise, exhibited as part of a window display affixed to the inside of the glazing, illuminations, advertising structures, banners, canopies, flags, lighting fixtures or other projecting elements shall be erected or fixed to the building without prior grant of planning permission. Reason: to protect the architectural integrity of a Listed building and in the interest of the streetscape in an important Conservation Area.'

So the Subway doesn't comply with the provisions of the O’Connell Street ACA or the conditions of the shopfront planning permission. But so what? Westmoreland Street has gone down the toilet ...

[alonso]

I'm so bloody hungry readin this thread