1957 – ESB, James Street East, Dublin

Large back office building constructed in the gardens to the rear of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) buildings on Fitzwilliam Street. The entire electricity network for the country was run from this building, as it contained the Load Distribution Centre – as Frank McDonald notes in “The destruction of Dublin” there was no need for it to even be in the city at all and could have been attached to a power station. Demolished with the later Sam Stephenson building.

“The head office of the Electricity Supply Board is situated in a block of buildings bounded by Lower Fitzwilliam-street on the west side, Upper Mount-street on the south and East James’-street on the east. East James’-street is a relatively unimportant thoroughfare linking Upper Mount-street and Lower Baggot-street.

Nos. 55 to 62, Upper Mount-street and Nos. 13 to 30, Lower Fitzwilliam-street, which were originally built as residences during the Georgian period, were progressively acquired and converted as offices as the Board’s activities rapidly progressed.

Owing to the more rapid expansion during recent years, actuated by the development of Rural Electrification, the necessity of providing additional and more up-to-date office accommodation became an urgent need. A survey of the existing converted Georgian houses revealed a wastage of usable floor area, i.e. a multiplicity of staircases, passages, etc amounting to from 40 to 50 per cent.

In order to preserve the existing façades on the Lower Fitzwilliam-street and Upper Mount-street frontages. it was decided to erect a new multi-storeyed office block on the East James’-street frontage

The contract, amounting to £238,608 for the new building, has been placed with Messrs. J. and D. Mcllvenna of Dublin. The excavation of the site to a depth of 16 ft. below the street to rock level, has commenced.

The new building, consisting of six floors over basement, is designed in reinforced concrete throughout. Each of the floors will provide an office space amounting to 7,788 sq. ft exclusive of the staircase, lift, and sanitary blocks. The ground, first and second floors have been allocated to the accounts department. Hollerith machines on the ground floor will deal with the electricity accounts for the entire country. The third, fourth and fifth floors, which have not yet been allocated, will be sub-divided into offices as required for the staff of the chief engineer.”
The Builder, 12 December 1953