"Modern" Protected Structures in Dublin

@d_d_dallas wrote:

What’s interesting is that there’s still a debate over the Georgians that BOI replaced which raises my initial point again – wouldn’t an holistic view of built environment be better for the RPS? If we can move past the removal of worthy structures or an era, indeed many Georgians were ripped down to be replaced by garbage, but in this case at least their sacrifice was for something that is worthy of preservation.

A genuine holistic view would be good – but whose view? – would you take, say, the view of the Minister for the Environment? Of An Taisce? Jackie Healy Rae/the Knight of Glin/the local Residents’ Assciation/IRDA?

Personally I would not allow the politicians any say in anything to do with the built environment – they are too compromised to take anything but a very short term view – and there is generally an election in the offing or else some other grubby advantage to be gained.

The RPS is inflexible and generally only considers obvious buildings – but it has some element of democracy. Views on modern buildings diverge – didn’t one recent poll show the unwashed public having diametrically opposing views on favourite buildings to the choices of architects?

The highly respected architect (an English Lord I think?) who spoke for the ESB re. the demolition of the Georgians to facilitate the ESB thing in Lower Fitzwilliam Street described them as “just one damned house after another” Maybe that was the holistic view of the day?

Sir John Summerson was as fair as I know paid for his opinion by the ESB and was ever-so-slightly biased

dallas,

The demolition of the Georgians was only raised in the context of the factual error in the Irish Times piece. The loss of the houses was worth the gain of the bank in this case.

Lower Mount Street is a different story though!

I think it is quite interesting as to how few modern buildings are on the list of protected structures. Would others agree that this is having the effect of dictating that only buildings which are recognised as being ‘old’ are deemed suitable for inclusion?

The Heritage Council indicates the following as defining a Protected Structure:
“A protected structure is a structure that a planning authority considers to be of special interest from an architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social, or technical point of view.” It does not automatically imply that structures must be older, but in practice this is what happens.

Therefore, should the balance be redressed, or, would this be too restrictive? Maybe there is no need to protect the likes of Bank of Ireland on Baggot Street or The Central Bank as they are still in active use and protection might simply limit the ability to transform their usage over time. Or, should they be protected to stop them from being altered over time? I often feel some of our Georgian buildings lose something when they are restored to their ‘original’ condition, and believe buildings should show their age in whatever alterations are made to them. However, I also believe that if no form of protection is given to buildings from our recent past we could lose a valuable part of our heritage.

I have often admired that building. Was it completed around 1966 by any chance? Anyone know who the architects were?

http://www.dublincity.ie/press_news/news/notice_of_proposed_addition_to_the_record_of_protected_structures_in_the_dublin_city_development_plan_2005-2011.asp

Is there a charge to submit an observation?

@ctesiphon wrote:

Thanks Paul.

I notice that the press release is now on the front page of the Business section, but it’s still nowhere to be found on the Conservation page and notably has not yet been added to the Proposed Additions and Deletions to the RPS page.

I sent the details to the Irish mailinglist to make sure that people saw it.

Friday 25th May, 6pm sharp
Studio 6 (access via side door, Lower Fownes St)
Temple Bar Gallery,
5 – 9 Temple Bar, Dublin 2

MAvis* is pleased to announce a special evening of discussion with Geraldine Walsh of Dublin Civic Trust and Prof. Kevin B.Nowlan of the Irish Georgian Society, who will speak on Modern Dublin – a look at the first generation of office blocks built in Dublin between 1950 and the 1970’s, and a case for the preservation of these.
Also Prof.Nowlan will speak on the history of preservation and conservation in Ireland.

All very welcome to attend!
Refreshments available.

*MAvis is a masters programme (Visual Arts Practices) run by DLIADT and located in the Temple Bar Gallery.
This talk is part of a series of exhibitions and events open to the public, which are hosted by participants on the course every Friday evening at 6pm until the end of the summer.

How did this go Nina? Interesting topic of discussion I think. Seems to be an assumption amongst many that much of our modernist stock is not worth preserving. For example, in today’s Commercial Property section of the Irish Times there is an article about the possible demolition of the New Ireland Assurance Buildings on Dawson Street by Jack Fagan.

In the article, which discusses the potential of the area as a retail destination, Fagan highlights how “the formula – similar in many ways to the development being carried out in South King Street by businessman Joe O’Reilly – would have appealed to Dublin city planners because not only would it have led to the demolition of two unattractive 1960s and 1970s office blocks, but it would have greatly strengthened the appeal of Dawson Street as a retail venue (Irish Times Commercial Property Section, May 30th 2007).”

Apologies for the long quote, but I find it interesting that the aesthetic merits of such buildings as being unattractive and not worth keeping are presented by many in the media as being a fact. I am actually quite a fan of these buildings. Particularly the one further up the street with the coats of arms of the four provinces on the door. I think it might be time we started to reappraise such buildings and their future within Dublin.