Grafton Street, Dublin
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There’s been something of a planning soap opera recently, played out between Marks and Spencer and DCC regarding alterations to their store – specifically in relation to a (shock!) proposed pavilion storey and roof-top terrace.
After submitting decidely inadequate plans and photomontages of the proposed development, M&S’s clients were then asked for Further Information, which was duly supplied and in turn found to be equally inadequate and indeed inaccurate. So a relatively unusual Clarification of Additional Information request was then made, and was replied to shortly afterwards. Even this was deemed by the case planner to be inaccurate in part, but was considered sufficient to assess the proposal and make a decision. It was passed, subject to a number of conditions.
Personally I found it a thoroughly objectionable development as originally proposed, given it impacts on the single most important (and lets face it, the only half decent) view of Grafton Street, and what is largely the only vista in the city with a ‘continental’ feel to it, generated by none other than the Marks and Spencers premises.
It looks and feels like it’s been plucked from the centre of Prague or a side street in St. Petersburg, and adds texture and visual interest to the thoroughfare with its distinctive rounded corner. For this monstrous pile of clutter to be dumped on top of its urn-peppered parapet would be devastating blow to the vernacular character of the street.
The planner pretty much acknowledges this, claiming there are “a number of concerns with regard to the potential impact of the proposed additional accommodation on the streetscape of what is an ACA and protected structure. The supplied photomontages do indicate that there are a number of elements of the proposed development that would clearly be visible from street level. In particular, it is my opinion that the proposed north west corner of the building in the vicinity of the proposed terrace area has the potential to have a significantly negative impact on the streetscape due to excessive proximity to the parapet of the building thereby resulting in the potentially prominent views of the proposed extension above the existing parapet line… In summary, while glimpsed views are acceptable and unavoidable. it is considered that the overall visual impact of the development as currently proposed would be excessive and have a significant negative impact on the character and setting of the building and the general streetscape.”
The conclusion went on to recommend a set back of four metres from the parapet which was later granted. What sort of impact this would have is unclear, nor is that of the proposed glazed balustrade and its location.
The roof terrace, with sweeping views over the um, enchanting roofscape of Brown Thomas…
Nice idea, but excessively intrusive as originally proposed at least.
I agree. I think the DCC should instruct them to set it back another 3 metres from the parapet. They can always put some parasols up there to account for the lost cover, at least they are not permanant.
The Christmas lights were switched on on Grafton street last night. The traders have forked out for new lights, they’re simply gorgeous, chandeliers stretching down the length of the street with sparkling white lights. Irish and non-Irish alike were snapping away with their cameras.
The Henry street lights now look so tacky by comparison 🙂
Any of you photoshop pros want to photoshop in the new bins 😉
I too agree, the new Christmas lighting scheme for Grafton Street is superb, and the use of Christmas greetings ‘as Gaeilge’ is a nice touch as well. However, it appears the Council could have paid a bit more attention to straightening some of the small candles which encircle each chandelier on the street. A few of them are quite crooked, and some are almost pointing in the wrong direction. A bit annoying, but only a small glitch I guess. A bit ironic, however, that the year the Council decides to go all glam with the Christmas decorations for arguably the country’s most stylish and fashionable street, is the same year the most tacky and awful-looking litter bins are dumped on the street as well.
As I said last year, or maybe the year before, I’m actually quite a fan of the Christmas lighting on Henry Street. It’s a HUGE improvement on the lighting scheme that was being used up until recently, and is simple, understated and yet a bit funky. Henry Street, I think, will never have quite the same class as Grafton Street, so trying to copy Grafton Street’s very elegant and grandiose lighting scheme would be silly. Each lighting scheme complements its respective street I think.snapping steel…
not grafton st but close
this was snapped then they took its brother too!
now you would never know all in todays work…someone must of really hit this to snap it???
Nooooooo! Not a heritage lamppost!!!
Why is it always the good ones, why?!*shakes fist*
That’s crazy – it’s been sheared right off with what could only be an angle grinder or similar surely…
it’s a pity that whoever did that, didn’t take out that bin too
I was thinking exactly the same 😀
This street looks pretty awful for what its meant to be… any plans to repave it, like O Connell? Could it be done when metro works are taking place? Seems once they create this “plaza” at the top, it would look very odd unless they used the same nasty red (wtf?) crap.
Cant find any pics to illustrate, but jeez… sure people know how bad it is in places.
Read in the Irish Times today that the keys were handed back to the owners of the ‘Habitat’ building on Suffolk St. Attempts to lure in a new trader have failed so far. The article suggested that some high end fashion names were put off because of the poor mix of retail in Grafton st. and the overall quality of the urban environment. The street has been going downhill for years and is in desperate need of upgrading – new paving is pretty much a basic requirement. As for the old ‘heritage’ lamps, black bollards & street furniture in general… please lets see something more contemporary next time around?
I disagree. Done properly, with well manufactured and well informed contextually ‘Dublin’ furniture and paving design, a so-called heritage look could work extremely well on Grafton Street. Far from it downgrading the street, being the only thoroughfare in the city centre with such a treatment would inject it with a new status.
Barcelonaisation across the board is both as tiresome as it is as unimaginative as people tend to claim the historicist approach is.
I agree with Graham, chinese granite & stainless steel bollards should be out of the question for Grafton St.
And in fairness some of what’s there at present is of a good standard. Okay the globe heads a tad civic 80s improvement scheme-like, but still of good design and well proportioned. Merely giving these attractive pedestrian-scale standards, some of which may be original but most reproduction, a coat of dark green paint and elegant new lamps with glittering white halogen bulbs would transform the street. In this new era of cutbacks across the board, there is simply no need to go lavishing funds on an entire suite of modernist furniture for Grafton Street, complete with happy-clappy banner poles and other such notions. Obviously litter bins and signage will be required, and an appropriate paving scheme, but keep things simple and elegant.
The problem is we’re used to appalling standards of reproduction in Dublin, ranging from the silver lampposts of the quays to the factory monsters capping the very icon of the city: the Ha’penny Bridge. Bizarrely, two perfectly lovely lanterns on the side elevation of City Hall have just been replaced with two more of these hideously manufactured tin cans, complete with CFL globe bulbs, making the side door of City Hall now bear more resemblance to a vulgar one-off in the countryside than the entrance to one of the most important attractions in the city. Really quite extraordinary how resources can be so misdirected, and to such ignorant effect.
and to be honest, the red paving isn’t the worst thing i’ve ever seen in my life. Ok so its a little garish but did inject some colour into a grey 1980’s Dublin and whether we like it or not, it has served to define Grafton St. and its environs as a distinct quarter in itself.
Having said that, it is time for it to go – difficult to know what should replace it, perhaps a sandy coloured paver or some such. Any suggestions ?
Belfast City Council are undertaking a revamp of all the main shopping streets. They are using some lovely coloured flagstones set off with granite. Looks very smart.
Well, I’m still not convinced about the ‘heritage’ approach. For a street that is constantly touted as Dublin’s premier shopping quarter, the reality is that the public domain in Grafton Street is badly maintained with patchy paving and a mishmash of public furniture. The debate over the very poor choice of litter bins has been well aired in this forum. To me, the globe lighting and the flower baskets look is just a little too Victorian park for my liking. The red paving did look new and exciting in the dull 1980s but definitely time to stop patching it up and go for a more comprehensive overhaul.
I’m not saying we need more chinese granite and steel furnishing – these are not the only choices available – and Grafton Street certainly deserves to have an image of its own. I’ve always thought that it would be great to get away from the central carriageway with a ‘pavement’ on either side which was adoped with the original paving scheme. I presume this was adopted because of the practicalities around deliveries but it would be great to see a scheme developed which was not so obviously based around the needs of motorised vehicles.
I agree….some creative use of the street would be great….maybe a pattern. I like the old lamps though….they suit the street very well I think. Absolutely no need for bollards through. Traffic guys are obsessed with them these days it seems
I admire the red bricks but I don’t know if they are suitable long term…
pattern would be nice mabye for graftonplatz
we can go further than 1700 into history it is possible…
I would be against ordinary lampsYes the bollards are an obstruction on such a busy street and unduly cluttering. A particular nightmare at Christmas (though then a street to be avoided at all costs in any event).
The perfect example of what we should have on Grafton Street is pictured below, currently hidden away on Kildare Place. A curiously grand installtion on the part of DCC.
These beautiful lamps are sited atop typical Grafton Street posts of c. 1900. Also minus the ridiculous extension poles of Grafton Street, they are perfectly proportioned, and would look extremely gracious as proud upstanding specimens standing isolated on crisp new paving with no flower bakets hanging out of them. Iconic is not the word.
The lamps are also ‘native’ to Dublin, being reproductions of the O’Connell Bridge and Grattan Bridge lamps of the 1870s and 1880s. Accurate, well-informed, contextual and thoroughly appropriate.
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