Archer’s Garage
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The question is asked, has anyone previously rebuilt an illegally demolished listed building? I know of an example in London. The Chinese Embassy, facing the Royal Institute of British Architects in Portland Place, was being rebuilt internally behind retained Adam facades in the 1980s when – by some extraordinary accident – the facades fell down. The Chinese were obliged to rebuild it in replica. Of course they did not quite do that. The facades are a rough approximation of what was there before, but now surmounted by a huge and out-of-scale mansard roof.
Another bizarre related example concerns Grand Buildings on Trafalgar Square. There was a competition in the mid 1980s to replace this large but dilapidated Victorian corner block. Out of entries including some radical stuff by the likes of Future Systems, the chosen winner was a design that rebuilt the block in replica – but with modern office floors and an atrium inside. That’s how low confidence in new architecture was in the UK at the time. The architects were Siddel Gibson, who have since got a bit better.
Just read this thread for the first time today – this is in reply to John White on the 9th of June, re. Marian Finnucane.
As a matter of fact, Marian *did* study architecture in DIT in the sixties, so this is definitely something she could be interested in. However, she’s on a summer break at the moment.
By the way, no one’s mentioned the architects serving in the Dáil at the moment – RuairàQuinn and Liz McManus, both of whom were very involved in issues such as this while at UCD. Have they had anything to say on the matter?
Hi again Siobhan
That’s a good idea. Why not email them?
I reckon neither of them are in Fianna Fail are they?John
Overseas readers of this discussion will not know that representative bodies of Irish architecture have raised their voices on this issue.
It was reported in last week’s issue of the Architects Journal (London) that the MRIAI and the AAI had protested recently about the destruction of the Garage, and that such protests had resulted in the promise to rebuild.
This is a very healthy development, as it means that the profession has distanced itself from such unforgiveable behaviour! A generation age the Institute would have never commented on such things, so we must be grateful that they have acted as they did.
Why doesn’t the Irish Government through Bord Failte Eireann do likewise? The whole world is reading about your ‘friend’, a Vandal whom you have placed in a public position!
Surely these facts re the RIAI and the AAI deserved attention in terms of the administration of the discussion, when they occurred, Paul?
James McQ.
Actually I don’t believe the RIAI or the AAI had any effect on the decision.
I believe that the decision to rebuild was taken because of the outcry of the general public and not architects who generally manage to force whatever shite they like down the throats of the people.
I believe that the fuss created by this website and other who supported the online campaign resulting in the Coproration and O’Callaghan hotels receiving hundreds and hundreds of emails from ordinary people caused the decisions.
The campaign was promoted by the Internet magazines and columns, by several major ISPs as well as independent websites such as Ireland-Today, Niceone, Blather……
The online campaign also received good press from Frank McDonald – http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/1999/0621/hom6.htm
I reckon what we have just seen is the beginning of the fightback against the developers by the people……
While anyone can be sceptical, it remains that Frank McD. in the Irish Times last June mentioned the Institute, the AAI and Shane O’Toole of the Ir. Br. of DOCOMOMO, as having spoken against the demolition, O’Toole calling for a jail-sentence.
Thanks for alerting me to the IT piece.
As for the ‘people’, most don’t care; it will be the impassioned who will talk up. However, we must strenghten our political and democratic institutions to harness the people’s voice – i. e., those who care to speak, on all such issues.O’Callaghan seems to be blaming Tony Reddy (his architect) for not alerting him to the status of the building. Surely the architect is accountable, at least to his peers: i.e. are the RIAI going to do anything about calling him to book?
I think maybe just characterising O’Callaghan as a typical ‘greedy developer’is letting the architect off the hook …
In the breach of the law, ignorance is no excuse.
I am sure that the architects could have had nothing to do with its demolition; the demolition gang would have been instructed by contractors acting for the owner, or instructed directly by the owner. The architects need never have known about it at all, which is most certainly the case.
I find it surprising that you can say with certainty that the architects had nothing to do with it….
WARNING
This weekend is a bank holiday weekend, look out for gangs of labourers roaming the streets of Dublin looking for listed buildings to pull down (Of course the developer and his architect would be shocked and appalled at this “unexpected” site clearance).
If you have a listed building near to where you live, keep an eye on it this weekend.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!
To reply to a previous comment by a Mr?. Smith (excuse my rudness but I am too lazy to go back and look up your name). You have a good point when you point out the ugliness of the garage though this is a matter of taste, what you are missing is the the legalities. Is the rape of a prostitute any less a crime? The point is if somone can demolish an ugly listed building then the precedent is set to rip down more pleasing structures and just count the fine as an added expence
Grammer David??
To reply to a previous comment by a Mr?. Smith (excuse my rudness but I am too lazy to go back and look up your name). You have a
good point when you point out the ugliness of the garage, though this is a matter of taste, what you are missing are the the legalities. Is the
rape of a prostitute any less a crime? The point is if somone can demolish an ugly listed building then the precedent is set to rip down
more pleasing structures and just count the fine as an added expenceHey, I went past the site of Archers Garage today and there was no activity whatsoever, in fact nothing has changed since the demolition.
Wasn’t work to start yesterday?
Hmmm, the usual bull has started again. When is the utterly useless corpo going to get its finger out? Or has the campaign ground to a halt.
A question for all working architects out there. Would you deem 10 months sufficient for the rebuilding of Archers?
Today is Nov 1st there are only 10 months left to September 1st 2000.Anybody aware of what’s happening? The site seems deserted and the remainder of the building is been used as a carprak by O’Callaghan Hotels.
The application for the office block is due for a decision before Dec 15th. I am sure they are not waiting for the office block decision before proceeding with the rebuilding of the Archers Garage as we all know that the agreement between Sherborough Securities and Dublin Corporation has nothing to do with the building of the office block. Under the agreement they have to rebuild the garage by Septemeber 2000.
what are they?
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