Independent Building
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Independent News & Media (the Indo) are selling their landmark premises on Middle Abbey Street.
I don’t know if this is old news or not – I was more than surprised to hear about it.It comes with a price-tag of 25 million, and they are looking for a quick sale to pay off their massive debts.
It is expected to be converted for retail, and could prove a major boost to the flagging street.320 employees in the building are to be moved to a new location in the city centre which is still being scouted around for.
Arnotts extention maybe…
The one building in the city centre above all that is deserving of the ‘department store treatment’ is Hammam Buildings on O’ Connell St, up by the Gresham.
It has 3 beautiful cut stone shopfronts flanked with carved pilasters on the ground floor, all of which are EACH subdivided into 2 or 3 individual stores, including a gross intrusion of a Burger King extention.
If only these 3 units (x3 again) could be aquired and amalgamated into a large department store, it would do this landmark building so much justice, and equally importantly – act as the much needed major attraction at the top end of the street.
on that note did anyone see the new future systems bullring development in birMINGham?
i mean, i would be the first one to advocate progressive and forward thinking architecture, but when it becomes this ginormousley imposing, closed and self referential i begin to question whether the architects are fogetting some first principals.
saying that ive never actually been to it.you can have a look on FS websitehttp://www.future-systems.com project 279 selfridges.
True
On the subject of Abbey St and the Indo Bldg, I noticed today for the first time the fantastic architectural unity of Middle Abbey St on the Arnotts side of the st as I rarely use the street.
All of the buildings in the terrace are very fine – with the exception of the horrible intrusion of Penneys.
All buildings have a strong vertical emphasis, including the new Arnotts – the best example of infill in the city.
And there is the extraordinary cut stone Wool Mills bldg which adds further interest.The terrace is far more gracious than parts of O’ Cll St around the corner.
Its a nice street…as is the Lower Abbey St. Spacious, with some good architecture and some important key buildings. It deserves much better than what it has had up to now. I think Abbey is going to really benefit from LUas. As it decreases traffic on the street and allows people to consider other uses fr the buildings it will really rejuvenate the whole thoroughfare. Poor China Showrooms in the meantime…. its closed its doors due to the disruption caused by the track laying…. which I have to honest is taking a ridiculous amount of time.
Originally posted by StephenC
its closed its doors due to the disruption caused by the track laying…. which I have to honest is taking a ridiculous amount of time.Is this the continental way of doing things? I was in Germany last week and returning to the airport, they had closed off one side of a 10 mile section of motorway to relay the road instead of using emergency crossing points and contraflows to reduce the effect of closure. The tailback caused by this was horrendous.
Comparing this to the LUAS, it would appear that they do everything at once in one big section, rather than taking it piece by piece and moving on.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about this section not being finished by the Christmas rush – it will easily be finished on Middle Abbey St and most of Upper Abbey St.
There are little crowds of people forming now at various holes in the fencing to watch the works which, appear at least, to be going ahead with some pace.Watching the final cobbling finish being carried out is facinating.
The tarmac is poured out between the tracks and levelled out like a sheet of glass.
Then a handful of what appears to be a purple dust/powdered dye is thrown over the sticky surface.
Straight away about 5 or 6 men make use of big rubber stamps – like front door mats – laying them down over the ‘purpled’ surface in a way that they fit together like a jigsaw.
Then they jump and stamp on them, and press them down using a big stamping tool.
They lift them up and – hey presto – 21st century cobbles.
Applause from the crowd and quips such as “genius” “pure genius” are uttered.
And everyone parts, incredulous at the idea that they have just witnessed the unthinkable – Luas materalising.Arnotts and top developer to get comfy at Indo’s Abbey Street HQ
The Sunday TimesArnotts has teamed up with a prominent property developer to establish one of Ireland’s largest furniture stores at the offices of Independent News & Media (INM) in Dublin’s Middle Abbey Street. Although no deal has yet been signed, the retailer — which was taken private earlier this year — is in advanced negotiations to buy the site. INM wrote to potential buyers last month inviting them to bid for the landmark site.
29 million is the figure being thrown around now – one of the conditions of sale is that the old printing presses be removed from the building.
I was really surprised to see what a nasty ‘suspended-ceilingey’ interior that lies behind the distinguished facade.How much bigger can Arnotts get now?
They’ll be eyeing up the GPO next, as a flagship entrance from O’ Cll St.Arnotts to buy Independent building
Arnotts will get two acres of extra space after buying four businesses on Henry Street for €40m, as well as Independent Newspapers’ offices on Middle Abbey Street. Jack Fagan, Property Editor, reports
Arnotts is about to embark on a major expansion of its department store in Dublin city centre. The newly privatised company is paying over €40 million for four adjoining business premises on Henry Street and has also agreed purchase terms for the offices and former printing works of Independent Newspapers on Middle Abbey Street.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/commercialproperty/2003/1022/3142787398ARNOTTS_B.html
and four units on Henry Street
Might as well sweep away all of Liffey St while they’re at it…
This is great – Arnotts is now officially the saviour of the city centre.
Any building or tatty shop you don’t like, who do you call – Arnotts!
Within a week they’ll sweep it away and build a glittering palace to consumerism in its place.Any historic building in need of restoration and new life – call in Arnotts! – the slum clearers of the 21st century.
They’ll soon throw tatty tenants out on their ear!Although, acres of sterile white walls and designer produce certainly isn’t to everyones taste.
If only, as Stephen C suggested, they’d snap up Penneys, what a fanatastic opportunity it would offer.
And with them now making their Jervis/Mary St premises their flagship store you never know…Exactly – they never touched the Henry St facade in all of their refurbishments in the late 90s.
And the flat projecting roof over the ground floor and entrance conceals a fine cut stone shopfront and large picture windows, which you can barely make out if you stand back from it outside the old entrance to Roches.hi this is javnika . i have a B.arch degree from india and now applied to the OSU for a masters. wanted to say hi to all of u .
now settled in US , i always think about the evolution of american architecture. also compare indian architecture with america.
can i compare or not? are these two comparable?? or are these the two sea shores??
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