Re: Re: what now for Irish Times D’olier Street buildings?

Firstly the Irish Times (IT?) have nothing to do with this building. They sold up and moved on. The major tenant for the building at the moment is the Irish Aviation Authority.

You’re right in that Architects are in competition for jobs and competition was fierce is the boom times. However from my experience, the architects of this scheme could quite easily have put forward an well designed and less intrusive new building and the client would quite easily have gone along with it. Most developers care nothing for the intricacies of the design, they are more interested in the overall look of the building and obviously the degree to which it maximises the floor space they will gain, or meets the profile requirements of clients etc.

Developers also always seek surety in the planning process. If it will get them a grant then they’ll do it. Certainly, if DCC staff had been more considered in their appraisal of the scheme (particular the aforementioned “dead as a dodo” Conservation Officer), then perhaps they could have gained a much improved design from HKR and P Elliotts.

I would also vouch that the Compliance system has failed miserably in this instance particularly in relation to the details which Graham critiques above, the poor stone masonry, fenestration etc. I would suggest that they maybe promised one thing but delivered something else.