Re: Re: Preserving Modern Dublin?

How did this go Nina? Interesting topic of discussion I think. Seems to be an assumption amongst many that much of our modernist stock is not worth preserving. For example, in today’s Commercial Property section of the Irish Times there is an article about the possible demolition of the New Ireland Assurance Buildings on Dawson Street by Jack Fagan.

In the article, which discusses the potential of the area as a retail destination, Fagan highlights how “the formula – similar in many ways to the development being carried out in South King Street by businessman Joe O’Reilly – would have appealed to Dublin city planners because not only would it have led to the demolition of two unattractive 1960s and 1970s office blocks, but it would have greatly strengthened the appeal of Dawson Street as a retail venue (Irish Times Commercial Property Section, May 30th 2007).”

Apologies for the long quote, but I find it interesting that the aesthetic merits of such buildings as being unattractive and not worth keeping are presented by many in the media as being a fact. I am actually quite a fan of these buildings. Particularly the one further up the street with the coats of arms of the four provinces on the door. I think it might be time we started to reappraise such buildings and their future within Dublin.