1969 – Apollo House, Tara Street, Dublin

Another one of the horrific buildings in this area, Apollo House with its pseudo-greek lettering, aggregate facade and overbearing massing…. well, the picture speaks for itself. Built for Norwich Union, it was a 9-storey office block with street level retail, a car park over two levels, and a petrol station. Architecturally it had two service cores, at either end, the southern similar in external appearance to the later tower at Phibsborough Shopping Centre, by the same architect David Keane. This left a wide-open internal space on every floor.

The name? Well according to journalist Sean O’Sullivan at the time of the building’s completion:

“Tara House was a natural – but it was chosen by Heiton McFerran for their new, much smaller block and showrooms opposite on tar a Street. Butt Bridge is a small city block away and besides, Butt Building would be open to puns, with all respect to Isaac Butt, commemoration of whose memory did win consideration. Last July, when the christening took place, the most startling occurrence in the history of mankind settled the question of a name for the building – the Apollo Moonshot. Apollo was on men’s minds and in their imagination. And so, the great bonny child, product of architects, builders, developers, became the Apollo Building.”

In June 2016 plans were unveiled for demolition and redevelopment of the site, along with neighbouring Hawkins House. Finally demolished June 2018.