1976 – Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

One of the oldest such centres in the greater Dublin area, Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre opened on Upper George’s Street in 1976, and it’s development meant the removal of many smaller commercial units and a residential terrace. Supposedly it was based on a 1969 car-dependent, motorway mall outside Paris called “Parly 2”. This had a similar interior layout. The Irish architects Costello, Murray & Beaumont and developer visited Parly 2. The building originally had three floors of shopping over a basement, with parking to the rear overlooking the sea. On top and setback from the street are several floors of offices with a central courtyard.

Murray & Beaumont was formed in 1964, and merged with John Costello in 1971 to form Costello, Murray & Beaumont (CMB). By 1990, both John Costello and Piaras Beaumont had retired, with Pádraig Murray continuing in practice as managing Director of CMB. In 2009 Pádraig closed CMB and reverted to being a sole practitioner.