Stephenson – poacher turned gamekeeper?

Oops, sorry.
You meant Fitzwilliam Street. He messed up that too?

J

That’s it – blame the architect. Sam Stephenson was merely the instrument of Irish society’s confusion and self-loathing at the time. The design merits of his buildings may be open to quesstion, but he can hardly be blamed for the demolition spree of the sixties/seventies.

In fact, I think that the ESB building on Fitzwilliam Street is a rather fine example of new-build architecture in an established historical context. The materials are contemporary yet sensitive. The scale and rhythm of the facade are excellently judged and it looks like a large amount of accommodation has been fitted in while maintaing the scale of the area. It IS rather unfortunate that an enoprmous chunk of intact Georgian architecture was flattened in order to provide a site. But this is something that everyone was was doing and the wider society is guilty of. It is unlikely that it made any financial difference to Sam Stephenson where the building was built. The ESB, on the other hand, obviously had a great financial interest in the demolition.

Rant over.

J. Lobb, That’s right I DO blame the architect. Yes the powers that were had a lot to do with it, but the majority of Mr. Stephenson’s architecture that I’m aware of is awful – with the exception of the Central Bank. And those resposible in the ESB for the desicration of Fitzwilliam St should be shot. Maybe the building there would be acceptable if it was stuck in some industrial estate. Shot too should most of the Corpo be for the Wood Quay disaster which has only recently been masked by the half decent STW building.

Paul, I agree that this thread has gone off the point. For my part of the ranting, I appologise!

The thing about the ESB building is that it actually replicates the rhythm of the previous Georgian buildings through dividing the facade into a similar number of divisions as there were houses.
From that point of view it is reasonably sensitive and doesnt break the streetscape up unduely but overall its a pretty poor building with little or no interest at streetlevel.

I remember reading an article in the Irish Times by Frank McDonald last year about the possibility of replacing the ESB facade with a Georgian reproduction. As far as I remember it was only going to be a possibility if the ESB moved out of the building. I would think that it would be a mistake to do this now as the ESB building is an interesting example of urban infill of its time. I am not trying to defend the destruction of the original buildings but I think that the damage is done and to replace the present facade would be almost like putting a giant photograph of the originals in its place. Who knows if this had not happened maybe gradually Georgian Dublin would have disappeared completely over a longer period of time. As it is it was the destruction of some of these areas that might have saved the rest of it.

I had heard that the ESB were thinking of moving to Sandyford. Anyone know anything else about it?

the only crime is that they didn’t knock the whole f**king lot of them.. what a disaster if they rebuild them. talk about not learning from mistakes of the past. [/B][/QUOTE]

You are from Galway, therefore you ignorantly say that!

Originally posted by GregF
You are from Galway, therefore you ignorantly say that!

what has me being from galway got to do with anything? the fact the georgian houses are a mistake to keep execpt for 1/2 so people can get on a tour bus and see them or the fact that i believe that it’s a huge mistake to rebuild some on some terrace? these are poxy houses. if a bungalow was destroyed would you want them to recreate it? same difference. they were a style for a forgotten era and so should be left there and more modern houses built to accomodate people from this era because the way we live our lives, spend our leisure time have changed immensly.

It is interesting to read what Frank McDonald said in that article from February 15th of 2002 with regards to the Georgian Mile, when on February 16th he had the following to say about Collins Barracks;

Irish Times: February 16 2002: A facade too far

“Fundamental questions about architectural integrity are raised by the OPW’s decision to take a ‘facadist’ approach to the next phase of the National Museum at Collins Barracks. If one of the fine Georgian houses on Merrion Square were to be destroyed by fire next week, nobody could argue that it should be replaced by a contemporary building. The only acceptable solution from a conservation viewpoint would be a faithful reconstruction, both inside and out.But in the case of Collins Barracks, the issue is not quite so clear-cut. Built in the first decade of the 18th century as the Royal Barracks, it was laid out around three squares, only one of which – Clarke Square – survives intact. The buildings that formed its central square were demolished in the 1890s.”