Archer’s Garage
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Planning permission has been granted by Dublin Corporation for the facsimile reconstruction of Archers, subject to several ‘minor’ changes to bring the reconstruction into line with the building regulations. The main differences have to do with the rises and goings on the main staircase and the insertion of new fire escape stairs.
Piling work seems to be underway on site. Some soil beneath the garage was contaminated by oil leakages over the years and apparently must be remediated before reconstruction proper gets underway.
Word around town is that one of the ‘big six’ national contractors is to start the rebuilding within a matter of weeks.
A brief look from a passing car did indeed suggest that piling was going on at the back of the site.
BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The developer who demolished Archer’s Garage, a listed
1940s building in the centre of Dublin, has been refused
planning permission to erect a five-storey office building on the
remainder of the site.Through Dellyberg Ltd, Mr Noel O’Callaghan, owner of the
Mont Clare, Davenport, Alexander and Stephen’s Green
hotels, had obtained a favourable decision from Dublin
Corporation for the L-shaped office block. But this has been
overturned by An Bord Pleanála.We are absolutely delighted with the decision from An Bord Pleanála to refuse permission for the proposed office development as are all the many local residents who made submissions in support of our Appeal. An Bord Pleanála in making their decision have protected our residential amenities and have ultimately restored our faith in the planning process.
In an article by Mr. Frank Mc Donald in the Irish Times Friday 18th August the last paragraph states that we “were both surprised by the blanket nature of the board’s refusal” and that we “had anticipated that the appeal might result in the omission of a single floor from the proposed office block.” This was not the case and may send out the wrong message to the developer and his architect who in any redesign stage may interpret the above paragraph incorrectly as meaning that we might be happy with a 4 storey building on the site. This is simply not the case. At the very least we were hoping for more than one storey to be omitted from the proposed 5 Storey office development because we were appealing against Dublin Corporations decision to grant permission which had reduced the development to 4 storeys anyway. In our appeal we had asked for either a refusal or a serious reduction in the scale of the proposed office development down to a two storey building with a third storey substantially setback(approximately the height and profile of Archers Garage). We were never so presumptuous as to expect an outright refusal from An Bord Pleanála and so any surprise expressed with the decision to refuse permission for this development was a very pleasant and welcoming surprise.
There appears to be preliminary site work in progress at the Archers site. I drove past there today, 15/09/00, and although I didn’t get a good look, I saw a crane in situ. Does anyone else have further details?
Seems plans may have suffered a little setback, due to An Bord Pleanala’s recent decision; Archer’s cannot be rebuilt by one of ‘the majors’ as part of an overall site development.
Is O’Callaghan actively looking for a smaller contractor (with the necessary skills) to carry out the reconstruction? Or will he wait until the next redevelopment application is decided?
Where’s the urgency, Corpo?
There have been piledrivers working all around the site (inc. the position of the old forecourt) for the last couple of weeks.
This would suggest some serious footings, for more than the old 2 storey building.“but at the latest by 1st September, 1999.”
Any signs of this date arriving?
Anyone in Dublin Corporation care?The freesheet “Southside People” carries a report on Archers in the current issue. This thread has been dormant for a time.
The report, long on the history of the case, says definitively that work has commenced. Apparently planning permission was given on 7 Feb, for a four story office block, 15 apartments and a change of use for “Archers” to a restaurant. A glazed atrium between the garage and apartment building is part of the “restoration”. I have not seen this elsewhere.
It also quotes a Cllr as saying this was the first Ford garage built outside the USA, -which given that Ford has traded outside the USA since before WWI can hardly be correct.
This is not a bad proposal. There is a picture of what was proposed for the site in Frank McDonald’s book ‘The Construction of Dublin, which I think was refused planning permission. It was’nt that bad either. As I said before to faithfully reconstruct the garage would be somewhat of an anachronism, particularly when the original garage looked somewhat awkward in this Georgian red brick area. Those responsible for the demolishment of the building should have been heavily fined or sent to jail.
Fenian Street is not a Georgian area, its amixed use light industrial units, tacky corporation flats and horrible office developments
I agree……that is very true….but is close in proxmity.
[This message has been edited by GregF (edited 06 March 2001).]
Re Archers Garage
As promised
“but at the latest by 1st September, 1999.”Any signs of this date arriving?
The building has been very faithfully restored. All it needs now is a coat of paint, some windows and the interiors finished off. As far as the structure goes, it’s complete.
God only knows what they’re going to do with it.I suppose they’ll let it lie idle for years and then they’ll have to knock it down when it goes to rack and ruin.
It’s supposed to be integrated with the new office block that is being built behind it and something about a restaurant was mentioned – should make for an interesting office entrance anyway
Quote:Originally posted by J Lobb
They are the magnificent physical remains of an autoctratic, agressive, oppressive colonial regime – so they are culturally invaluable.I HATE that attitude. Georgian Dublin was built by Irish people for Irish people. I though we had moved oin from that stale arguement. Its that mentality that destroyed so much of our Georgian landscape in the first place.
Look at the coverage of the recent fire in Edinburgh Old Town. Almost everyone was appalled at the loss of such a high amount of architectural heritage and the effect it would have on the Georgian and Victorian streetscape.
In every architectural period there has been a need to move on to newer things and sacrifice the past for the future. But to use that old Fenian rubbish as a justification is unacceptable.
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