1966 – Hawkins House, Poolbeg Street, Dublin

In a poll in 1998, this was voted the worst building in Dublin by the readers of this website. Long overdue for a badly needed facelift, this much derided building and its nearby blocks on Tara Street and Townsend Street were some of the worst excesses of the 1960s in the city centre. In June 2016 plans were unveiled for demolition and redevelopment of the site, along with neighbouring Apollo House. Finally removed in 2020.

It wasn’t always so negative, the proposal to construct it in 1962, although it meant the loss of a beloved theatre, was met with some enthusiasm. At the launch of the building, attended by Sir Thomas Bennett from London, there was attendance from the Lord Mayor of Dublin and prominent businessmen.

“In the office block on the Royal [theatre] site, the architects have employed a basic planning unit of sub-division of four feet with walls 16 feet apart. This would give the user something like eight feet for a typist, 12 feet for an office manager, 15 for a director, and 20 for a managing director. The building would be served by two pairs of fully automatic, high-speed lifts, substantial toilet accommodation for staff, together with a separate toilet for senior executives and directors. The projecting block would be strong enough to take such equipment as mechanical computers.

The main face of the building would be 45 feet behind the present pathway on Hawkins street, and the street itself would be widened. There would be parking space for 128 cars. This might not be sufficient some years from now, but they had allowed twice the space allowed for cars in London, which he [Sir Thomas Bennett] thought was a good yardstick by which to work.

The frame of the building will be constructed in reinforced concrete with complete absence of cross beams and the areas fronting onto Hawkins street and Poolbeg street would be treated with decorative paving and planting. The sense of openness to both Poolbeg street and Hawkins street, and the daylighting to the buildings surrounding, would be substantially improved.
The Irish Times, June 22 1962