Look at de state of Cork, like!

The architects for this project are J.E. Keating & Associates – the firm seems to be a big fan of brick-work such as Camden Wharf. It’s other projects such as East Douglas Village also uses this form of brick-work to an exceptionally high aesthetic standard, also, the other big J.E. Keating project under development (and only a stone’s throw away from Camden Wharf) is Sean Mhuileann (see image below), A 169-unit apartment development backed by auctioneer/developers Frank Sheahan and Joe Carey. The development is a highly imposing set of structures near Hewitt Mills along the Blackpool By-pass. Phase 1 (that large stepped 8-storey semi-circular building) was completed by PJ Hegarty & Sons Ltd earlier this year, with Phase 2 (the 3 stand-alone blocks) are currently under construction by Ascon Ltd.

Note: This image is a mirror-reversal -> the main semi-circular structure is actually to the north (left-hand-side)

Haven’t a clue about that research centre. The Photonics lab is located in the recently rebuilt portion of the Lee Maltings (protected building). I’ve no information on the lighting – they are nice though.

@Doug C wrote:

Also can anyone suggest very good examples of single houses (old or new) in Cork City or environs.

Probably not the best example but this is No.1 Annaville along the Western Road, Cork – built in a private, gated cul-de-sac with 5 other similar but non-identical residencies accompanying it. The houses (valued at 950,000euros + each) are built in an American Colonial-type fashion with delicate copper finishings to boot! This image doesn’t do the house or houses any justice, but to see them hand-up in real life, they’re oddly drawing. 6 bedrooms and what a location! Built in the 1930s.

*UPDATES*

😡 CCC, who at their meeting last night (Monday 14th March 2005), were set to vote on allowing Howard WebWorks Ltd (a company owned by Howard Holdings) possess the Albert Quay site on a 700 year lease from the City Council to develop a 4-storey WebWorks development designed by STW, have voted against such a permission being granted. They claim that a number of councillors are worried about passing over a public building such as Albert House over to a private developer. By a margin of just 2 votes, the motion failed to pass. Joe Gavin is said to be majorly ticked off – and who could blame him. The centre would have been the first of its kind – and was designed in conjunction with CCC. Enterprise Ireland have already begun marketing the project, which they will lease from, to provide start-up businesses with an incubation style setting. Issues concerning the project will be deferred to the next meeting were it is hoped another meeting will take place.

The current use of Albert House is nothing – it was once a pleasant former train station building, most recently it has been used a CCC Parking Fines Centre and centre for the Traffic Division, but since early this year has been vacant awaiting its refurbishment and development of the WebWorks to the rear. The new development will allocate the top floor of Albert House for Traffic Division usage once again when complete.

The WebWorks will be a 40,000sq ft office-type building which will house units to be let by Enterprise Ireland. These units will be allocated to start-up IT and Finance businesses in an effort to help them develop into successful enterprises. As part of the development, a variety of services will be available throughout the building to assist the businesses in various ways. R&D will be heavily supported at the centre. It will be used as a showcase for up-and-coming technologies developed by local businesses. The centre will create up to 300 jobs when complete.

@lexington wrote:

2. The deadline for final proposal submissions has been extended for March 24th 2005 until April 29th 2005 – as predicted. This is to allow some developers who approached the OPW get their projects into planning. This could mean a few new large-scale proposals headed for Navigation House in the coming weeks – but I can’t say. McCarthy Developments, O’Callaghan Properties and O’Flynn Construction have all approached the OPW and been approached in return. I am also told a very prime city centre site – the subject of many former planning applications – is also set to see a new application placed on it by its developer/owner. It possesses a very attractive location from the Revenue Commissioners perspective. The Sullivans Quay building will be set for either redevelopment or refurbishment – although the latter seems improbable given the substantial subsidence issues related to the current structure.

Thanks a lot for the information, I’ve lived near that ugly monstrosity for a long while now, would be great to see it replaced by something better. Only stumbled across this site around a week ago, took a long time to get through this thread!

@Thomond Park wrote:

How can you say that a 40,000 sq foot building that has just been voted down by CCC will be built?

Because of the narrow margin of votes on the ‘dispensing’ of the site to Howard Holdings was so close, CCC have opted to defer a vote on the actual project itself until their next meeting so that in between they may address issues concerning the site – which will be subject to a obligatory repeat vote if favour of the project itself is passed.

I think it would benefit the city as a whole (in more ways than one) if Government Offices on Sullivan’s Quay subsided into the River and floated out the harbour. Its a fabulous site and would act as a great bookend to ‘Sraid an Capaill Bui’ if it was developed into retail/entertainment/residential use.
Lex, can you give us a hint as to where OPW plan to move? 😉

On the subject of Grand Parade, I know City Library are running a design competition for a new city Library. Are there any real concrete plans to use any of those designs? Surely they’d never get away with knocking any of the current building.

With the movement of City Archives to Blackpool, Christ Church on South Main Street will be available to add to this ‘cultural quarter’ – including City Library, Bisop Lucey Park. What are CCC’s plans (if any) for Christ Church?

This isn’t really an update as such – just more of the same. Below find 2 images of the redeveloped Jurys Hotel site along the Western Road. The scheme is a 130m euro redevelopment project being undertaken by O’Callaghan Properties (OCP) under the SPV Riga Ltd. The planning application is currently the subject of appeal, but has been prioritised with a due date set for May 17th. The development will be conducted over 3 Phases, with Phase 1 scheduled for Summer 2005 – it will consist of 100 apartments + the 182-bedroom redeveloped Jurys Hotel and 450 space basement car-park. The second phase will see the addition of a further 110 apartments, and Phase 3, the remaining 93 (this will depend on the outcome of the appeal – with consideration for conditions imposed by CCC in its grant). The project is designed by Henry J. Lyons and Partners and will be constructed by Bowen Construction.

One image has been seen before, the other is a more specific image of the actual Jurys Hotel element. Further images can be found back throughout this thread.

I sincerely hope the full original application sees a grant from ABP.

I hope to be able to reveal the international architectural team behind the design in the coming weeks/months (depending) – will have to see. In the meantime, the image below outlines the current area allocated to this new development (with some minor inaccuracies not adjusted for due to inadequate current information regarding the final design).