Cork Architecture: Interesting Lesser Knowns
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Walking off the main thoroughfares – many of Cork city’s side-streets offer interesting architectural designs and developments. Some hit the mark, others fall flat on their face – but it strikes me that many of these developments are rarely heard of and I think it would be interesting to bring them to the public light.
It is my hope that every-so-often, I will provide a new image or two of such designs, but I’m hoping that other contributors will lend images of what they believe to be interesting designs too often turned a blind eye at.
One of the first images I’d like to share is of a small apartment development on Henry Street (near the Mercy University Hospital) – part of Cork’s older historic island area. This area for too long as been left untapped and uncared for – almost depressingly so. It housed a few council residential units, tyre yards, light industry etc etc. Once in a blue moon, attempts were made to develop the area – at the Mercy Hospital, Paul Kenny’s development at Grattan Street, social housing designed by Magee Creedon etc. However now, thankfully, major redevelopment plans are being brought to the area with numerous large-scale developments in planning for Bachelor’s Quay, Millerd Street, Sheare’s Street and so on.
The aforementioned apartment development was designed by award-winning Magee Creedon Architects (see Coppinger Court) and developed by Tony Macken. It reflects Magee Creedon’s unique style with echoes of the area’s historic links with Continental Trade activity. It may not be eye-catchingly beautiful, but it stands out unique, in an area that badly needs new life. Corbett Tyres is found to the west of the building (owned by developers Michael and Kevin Corbett) which itself was in-line for redevelopment but refused. New plans are in tow.
Apologises for the poor quality photography but they were taken ad-hoc, under pressure and with poor equipment.
Best of luck with your search for architectural gems amongst the detritus of Cork. Besides some buildings by Magee Creedon and some Corporation schemes, I’m afraid you’ll sadly not have much success…
I tend to disagree with you on that Bob. I’m the first to criticise the mundane-ness of much of Cork’s structures – there are too many, too prominent. Thankfully, things are slowly starting to change – but if you do look close, there are a few interesting endeavours – usually, unfortunately, too small to notice.
This thread isn’t neccessarily out to reveal the ‘prettiest’ – just interesting designs.
The Mercy University Hospital’s Lee View Block extension (nearby Tony Macken’s apartment building in prev. post) was designed by O’Riordan Staehli Architects and constructed by PJ Hegarty & Sons back in 1998 – it received an RIAI Award and represents the 1st Phase of 3 in the Mercy’s redevelopment.Plans are in tow (budget pending) for the construction of a 5-storey private hospital and extended radiology department w/ permanent MRI Unit between Sheare’s Street and Thomas Street. A new 6-storey multi-storey car park, offices, urology department and Cork Cancer Research Clinic is planned for the newly purchased Irish Distillers site across the River Lee (bought for 20m euros jointly with UCC). A 4m euro new A&E was scheduled for construction under the Lee View Block last October 2004, but fiscal conditions have restricted this ploughing ahead.
The Lee View Block houses a geriatric ward at Ground Floor, Psychiatric Ward on the 1st Floor, Male & Female Medical Wards on 2nd, Male & Female Surgical Wards at 3 and both Clincal Pharmacology and Lab units on the 4th floor. Originally, the building was envisioned as a perfect square – with four sides – but this vision was diminish due to financial and planning restrictions. A 2-storey ‘sky-bridge’ links the new block with the older Catherine McCauley block of the hospital across Henry Street. This bridge affords genuinely spectacular views down along the Lee, with the Distillery Fields to the North – overlooked by a magnificient palace like cathedral literally built on a steep 80 degree slope – Fitzgerald Municpal Park on the river banks to the South, and Cork County Hall visible at 16-storeys in the distance.
Attempts had been made a few years ago by the Mercy’s Board of Management to purchase Henry Street from CCC and construct an extension over the street (building down to street level from the link bridge and then back) facilitating increased services, bedspaces and an underground car-park – however this plan as of yet, never got off the ground.
*if you look at the last image closely, though it is small, you may notice Tony Macken’s apartment building in the background along Henry Street – to give a sense of proximity. Also, notice the river area in the foreground, it was this area in which Sean Meehan had intended to construct a 3 level multi-storey car-park and commercial units with quay-link vehicular bridge – all over the water on STILTS!!! The application was subsequently withdrawn.
Pretty? Ugly? Weird? Maybe all those things – but nonetheless, it can’t be ignored. I intend to update this post with a number of examples of Magee Creedon’s work throughout Cork, in the coming days.
Haha this must be of architectural importance, such is the protection it enjoys from CIE. Hmmm, 110 years and if it was colour i couldn’t tell the difference…Haha this must be of architectural importance, such is the protection it enjoys from CIE. Hmmm, 110 years and if it was colour i couldn’t tell the difference…
Uncanny!!! Will 2005 be the year CIE finally decide to get up off their backsides and get going on the long-awaited, long-overdue and HIGHLY anticipated Horgan’s Quay redevelopment??? Will they actually shock us all and proceed with the extensive yet innovative masterplans already conceived or just give us a half-assed attempt for the sake of peace??? I hope the former, but only time will tell!!!
(As a side note, if they do proceed with the plans already conceived, it is estimated that the development – which will be constructed in 3 phases – will cost from anywhere between 375m euros for the so-called “basic plan” to the 550m euro “cool plan”.)
Well known among us Corkonians, but I think pretty much overlooked on a wider scale, the Butter Market possesses an elegance unmatched by any other building on the north bank. Maybe the new Shandon Bridge will remedy this…
Agreed – its a nice building shoehorned into a dense area of narrow streets and houses
http://www.irish-architecture.com/buildings_ireland/cork/cork/butter_market_lge.html
Coppinger Court is a new residential development constructed with the Shandon Renewal Area of Cork city, along the northern quays (Popes Quay).
The developers Michael Finn and David McSweeney hired Cork-based architects Magee Creedon to design the award winning development (2004 RIAI Best Sustainable Building) which was jointly constructed by Jim Davis & Co. Building Contractors and Murnane & O’Shea Ltd.
The development consists of 43-apartments, a licensed premises, restaurant, retail showroom and parking facilities, and is ‘hidden’ behind a ‘wall’ of existing, refurbished quayside buildings on a .74 acre site.
@lexington wrote:
Coppinger Court is a new residential development constructed with the Shandon Renewal Area of Cork city, along the northern quays (Popes Quay).
The developers Michael Finn and David McSweeney hired Cork-based architects Magee Creedon to design the award winning development (2004 RIAI Best Sustainable Building) which was jointly constructed by Jim Davis & Co. Building Contractors and Murnane & O’Shea Ltd.
The development consists of 43-apartments, a licensed premises, restaurant, retail showroom and parking facilities, and is ‘hidden’ behind a ‘wall’ of existing, refurbished quayside buildings on a .74 acre site.
That looks pretty good alright,
I came across reference to an architectural inventory funded by the Irish Heritage Trust (An Taisce spin off run by Nick Robinson) in 1981 of Shandon, I must try and track it down from the pictures in the initial scoping document I’d say there would be some real hidden gems down there.
Re: Coppinger Court – looks funky. Like the sense of playfulness in terms of different levels, materials etc; any more photos?
Very funky indeed. The scale & layout – eg steps etc seem to be mimicking/ referencing the old-style vernacular architecture of Cork city. Was this deliberate?
Over the last number of years, I have noticed that a lot of Cork’s pedestrian alley-ways have been getting shut off, which I think is a real shame. Perhaps that’s why this appeals to me – the design seems in some respects to be a visual paraphrase of what was good about Cork, and what set it apart from our other cities. A po-mo celebration of the local vernacular perhaps?
One final idea, might be worthwhile to forward the photos to Bord Scannan/ Film Board – to my eye it looks like a good location for filming. 🙂
The O’Rahilly Building (ORB) in UCC saw its 1st Phase open its doors to students in 1997 – the building, designed by A&D Wejchert, houses the departments of Applied Language and Business. A 4-storey, 26,000sq ft extension was added in 2001, a near mirror of the original, also designed by the same design team.
The building evokes a gothic air about it and makes notable use of limestone cladding, blended with the contemporary element of tinted and clear glass facades.
this building is repulsive. its a bad example from a terrible era. what is your problem Lexington.
I was in this a few years back and I must say I didn’t think much of it. It reminds me a bit too much of those really badly cladded buildings in Galway. I am suprised it was by Wejchert.
Apparently it was a ‘difficult’ project for Wejchert to complete. If you wanna see a good example of theirs in UCC – phase 1 of the student centre next door.
@what? wrote:
this building is repulsive. its a bad example from a terrible era. what is your problem Lexington.
Hey as I’ve said a million and one times – and read above – I never said I liked any of the buildings on this thread, I’m just pointing them out. And even if I did like it, no need to insult someone’s opinion. No two minds are alike. As it stands, I don’t particularly like the O’Rahilly Building. Still it’s worth noting.
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