THE EXO BUILDING POINT VILLAGE NORTH WALL DUBLIN 1 CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "THE EXO BUILDING POINT VILLAGE NORTH WALL DUBLIN 1 CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT"

Hector Aubrey Parsons
5 years ago
Views:

1 THE EXO BUILDING POINT VILLAGE NORTH WALL DUBLIN 1 CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT 9 th September 2015 Historic Building Consultants Old Bawn Old Connaught Bray 748/01

2 Contents Contents Contents... 2 Summary... 3 Background... 4 Historical context... 5 Conservation context... 7 Protected structures... 7 Conservation areas... 7 National Inventory of Architectural Heritage... 7 Survey... 8 North Wall Quay... 8 East Wall Road... 9 Point Square Pigeon House Road Sir John Rogerson s Quay Assessment Conclusion Historic Building Consultants Page 2

3 Summary Summary This report has been produced as an examination of the effects of a proposed development at Point Square, adjacent to East Wall Road, Dublin 1, on the built heritage of its surrounding area. The report finds that there are no architectural conservation areas in the vicinity of the site though there is a conservation area, which is not an architectural conservation area, running along North Wall Quay at the southern end of the site; the proposed building would not be within this conservation area. There is only one protected structure in the vicinity of the site and this is the 3Arena, formerly the O2 and previously the Point Depot. This occupies the site to the west of the site of the proposed development, though projecting somewhat further to the south. The proposal is to erect a building that would run north-south parallel to East Wall Road and alongside the 3Arena with a Glass Box bar/restaurant to the north of this building. The principal portion of the proposed building would be eight storeys high in its southern section, rising to seventeen storeys in the northern part. It would be clad in glass with its trusses mounted externally, enlivening the elevations. Examination of the 3Arena building establishes that its principal façade is to the south, facing North Wall Quay and across the river, while the eastern and northern facades are plainer and were not designed to be so prominent. The proposed building would have no appreciable effect on the southern or northern elevations. The eastern elevation would be partially screened from view from East Wall Road by the new building, though the side of the 3Arena would remain visible in a corridor about fourteen metres wide that would separate the two buildings. The ground plain open areas between the elliptical cores would ensure that the 3Arena is visible through this part of the proposed building. It was envisaged in the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Strategic Development Zone Planning Scheme 2014 that there would be a high building on the present site, to the east of the 3Arena and the present building would meet the requirements set down in that scheme. The report finds that there would be no significant effect on protected structures or the conservation areas in the vicinity. Historic Building Consultants Page 3

4 Background Background This report has been prepared for Grant Thornton, acting for the Specified Assets of Henry A Crosbie (In Receivership) as part of a submission for planning permission for the development of a site on the western side of East Wall Road, Dublin 1, adjacent to Point Square. The site and its vicinity were inspected for the purposes of preparing this report on various dates in June and July 2015 on which occasions the photographs incorporated in the report were taken and the district around the site examined to prepare the descriptions contained therein. This report has been prepared by Rob Goodbody BA(mod), DipEnvPlanning, DipABRC, MA, MUBC, MIPI. Rob Goodbody 2015 Historic Building Consultants Page 4

Historical context Historical context Until the early eighteenth century the coastline on the northern side of the Liffey to the east of Dublin ran alongside Amiens Street and the aptly-named North

In 1710 the Ballast Office committee began works to contain the north bank of the Liffey, reaching the eastern extremity by 1717, when they turned northwards.

5 Historical context Historical context Until the early eighteenth century the coastline on the northern side of the Liffey to the east of Dublin ran alongside Amiens Street and the aptly-named North Strand Road. In 1682 the city assembly had decided to reclaim the land and to let it in lots to tenants, though no action was taken at this stage and the scheme was abandoned. In 1710 the Ballast Office committee began works to contain the north bank of the Liffey, reaching the eastern extremity by 1717, when they turned northwards. This project resulted in what are now North Wall Quay and East Wall Road. In 1717 the city assembly agreed to let the reclaimed land in lots, which included small terrace-like plots along the frontage to North Wall Quay. These were shown in a map prepared at that time and reproduced in Figure 1. Figure 1: Detail of map of 1717 showing plots at North Wall While the enclosure of the land was complete by 1728, the reclamation of land progressed more slowly and the construction of buildings on the plots was slower still. A century later, in the early nineteenth century, the eastern end of North Wall Quay had still not been built up, as shown on the map extract below. Figure 2: Detail of Giles s map of 1819 Historic Building Consultants Page 5

Historical context As late as the mid-nineteenth century there was little development in the eastern part of the North Wall area, though the land was not entirely unused and was planted for various

Facing East Wall Road there was a pair of houses near the junction with North Wall Quay and at the junction with Sheriff Street there were old baths buildings, known as Shalloway s Baths.

6 Historical context As late as the mid-nineteenth century there was little development in the eastern part of the North Wall area, though the land was not entirely unused and was planted for various crops. The Ordnance Survey s large-scale map of the city shows the block of land bounded by North Wall Quay, East Wall, Mayor Street and Castleforbes Road with no development through most of the area. Facing East Wall Road there was a pair of houses near the junction with North Wall Quay and at the junction with Sheriff Street there were old baths buildings, known as Shalloway s Baths. Figure 3: Ordnance Survey large-scale map of 1847 From the 1830s, and more particularly the 1840s, the railway network in the Dublin area was developed and the first introduction of this new form of transport to the north city came with the Dublin and Drogheda Railway s route through Fairview to Amiens Street, which opened in From the 1850s a number of railway connections were provided around the city to link the five lines that originally had no connection. One of these ran from Islandbridge to North Wall and was opened in 1877, providing a link from the Great Southern and Western Railway at Heuston Station through to the port. A branch from this line was laid out in 1886, leading to a substantial new goods terminal adjacent to East Wall and North Wall Quay and this became known as the Point Depot. Plate 1: Point Depot, 1990s The Point Depot became surplus to requirements for the railway and in 1989 was converted for use as a concert venue. The building has subsequently been enlarged and refitted and is now the 3Arena concert venue. Historic Building Consultants Page 6

Conservation context Conservation context Protected structures The 3Arena is a protected structure, included in the Record of Protected Structures as set down in the Dublin City Development Plan

To the south of the application site, on the southern side of North Wall Quay, a number of port-related items are included in the Record of Protected Structures under reference 5835.

7 Conservation context Conservation context Protected structures The 3Arena is a protected structure, included in the Record of Protected Structures as set down in the Dublin City Development Plan , under reference To the south of the application site, on the southern side of North Wall Quay, a number of port-related items are included in the Record of Protected Structures under reference These include granite ashlar quay walls, stone setts, mooring rings, steps, bollards, lamp standards and machinery. There are no other protected structures in the immediate vicinity of the site, the nearest being at a distance down North Wall Quay, beyond Castleforbes Road. Conservation areas Figure 4: Extract from Dublin City Development Plan A number of different conservation areas are defined in the Dublin City Development Plan These include architectural conservation areas, residential conservation areas (zoning Z2) and the Georgian Core (zoning Z8). Another conservation area is defined on the development plan maps by red hatching and this appears in a number of places around the city, typically along river and canal corridors. One such conservation area is shown on development plan map E and runs down North Wall Quay, while including the frontages of the properties on the north side of the quay. This is seen in the map extract above, which shows the conservation area stopping short of the present application site, which begins a few metres north of the conservation area boundary. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage includes the 3Arena amongst those buildings surveyed. Historic Building Consultants Page 7

Survey Survey Each of the streets in the vicinity of the site is examined below, noting any protected structures, and an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed development on the

North Wall Quay Plate 2: North Wall Quay, looking east, with 3Arena at left The application site is to the north of North Wall Quay at its easternmost extremity, though to the north of the building

8 Survey Survey Each of the streets in the vicinity of the site is examined below, noting any protected structures, and an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed development on the character of protected structures or conservation areas is noted. North Wall Quay Plate 2: North Wall Quay, looking east, with 3Arena at left The application site is to the north of North Wall Quay at its easternmost extremity, though to the north of the building line at North Wall Quay. Seen from North Wall Quay, the 3Arena is set back from the street frontage behind a railing. The original façade of the Point Depot remains on this street frontage, presenting two storeys to the street, stone-faced at ground floor level with multiple opes, while the upper level is largely brick faced, with a line of windows facing the river. The façade is parapetted, with a cornice concealing a single-pile roof to the rear. This part of the building is almost domestic in scale, resembling a terrace of houses. To the rear of this original façade the later additions to the building rise as a curtain wall of glass and cladding. Plate 3: Application site, seen from North Wall Quay Historic Building Consultants Page 8

Protected structures East Wall Road Plate 4: 3Arena, seen from East Wall Road The application site has a long frontage to East Wall Road, running adjacent to the eastern elevation of the 3Arena.

9 Protected structures East Wall Road Plate 4: 3Arena, seen from East Wall Road The application site has a long frontage to East Wall Road, running adjacent to the eastern elevation of the 3Arena. The lower section of this frontage that was originally the goods depot building presents as a two-storey structure with a facing of limestone, interrupted at frequent intervals by window and door opes. The first floor window opes line up with the ground floor doors, repeated along the façade, these doors being double-height with windows in the upper section. Both door and window opes are framed with red brick lining in a block and start pattern. Above this two-storey stone façade the later addition of glass and steel rises from the eaves with a simple rectangular configuration, above which a smaller, steel-clad rectangular box rises to a higher level. Plate 5: Application site and 3Arena, seen from the north Historic Building Consultants Page 9

Protected structures Point Square Plate 6: Point Square and 3Arena Point Square is bounded on its eastern side by the application site and by East Wall Road.

10 Protected structures Point Square Plate 6: Point Square and 3Arena Point Square is bounded on its eastern side by the application site and by East Wall Road. To the north is the Gibson Hotel, Point Village District Centre and commercial office building, which is seven storeys high at the corner of East Wall Road, reducing to five storeys plus penthouse in its western section. At the western end of Point Square the space remains open, with the terminus to the Red-Line Luas, beyond which is Mayor Street, while to the north and south of the Luas stop there is vacant building land. On the southern side, Point Square is bounded by the 3Arena, which presents three gables of a two-storey original façade, arcaded at ground floor level and with five window opes on the upper floor. This façade is faced with limestone and has brick dressings to the window opes. Set back from this gabled façade is the higher element of the more recent construction that resulted from the enlargement the original Point Depot concert venue. Plate 7: Point Square, looking east towards application site Historic Building Consultants Page 10

Protected structures Pigeon House Road Plate 8: Application site, seen from Pigeon House Road The 3Arena and the application site are visible from Pigeon House Road on the southern side of the River

The eastern façade of the 3Arena is seen with the superstructure of the of the concert venue rising above the original masonry, this being more prominently visible than the earlier part of the

11 Protected structures Pigeon House Road Plate 8: Application site, seen from Pigeon House Road The 3Arena and the application site are visible from Pigeon House Road on the southern side of the River Liffey. The eastern façade of the 3Arena is seen with the superstructure of the of the concert venue rising above the original masonry, this being more prominently visible than the earlier part of the building. Little may be seen of the detail of the stone section eastern façade of the 3Arena, its windows and doors blending with the background. In essence, the character of the earlier building is not evident from this side, though the front façade stands out to a greater degree. The application site may be seen in the view directly across the river from Ringsend, on the upstream side of the East Link Bridge. From this angle the Point Village District Centre forms the backdrop to the application site, while the 3Arena stands entirely to one side. Plate 9: Application site, seen from Pigeon House Road, adjacent to the East Link Bridge Historic Building Consultants Page 11

Protected structures Sir John Rogerson s Quay Plate 10: Application site viewed from the end of Sir John Rogerson s Quay Sir John Rogerson s Quay is the south-bank counterpart of North Wall Quay,

12 Protected structures Sir John Rogerson s Quay Plate 10: Application site viewed from the end of Sir John Rogerson s Quay Sir John Rogerson s Quay is the south-bank counterpart of North Wall Quay, though it does not extend as far to the east, stopping short at the mouth of the Dodder and the entrance to Grand Canal Dock. At its easternmost extremity Sir John Rogerson s Quay is approximately two hundred metres from the 3Arena and about 270 metres from the application site, viewed diagonally across the river. From this angle the original façade of the 3Arena is dwarfed by the later superstructure, which dominates the site. Plate 11: Application site, viewed from Sir John Rogerson s Quay Historic Building Consultants Page 12

13 Assessment Assessment The proposed development would consist of a new building placed parallel to the 3Arena on its eastern side. The building would be eight storeys high in its southern section, rising to seventeen floors in its northern section and partly enclosing the eastern end of Point Square. There would be a single-level parking area below ground in the existing basement, as constructed for the unbuilt Watchtower development. At street level there would be three service cores, with the balance of this level being open and permeable. A second structure would be located to the north, divided at street level by a swathe through which the future line of the Luas would run and which would serve as an entrance to Point Square from East Wall Road. As noted above, no part of the building lies within a conservation area. To the south of the proposed building there is a conservation area that runs along North Wall Quay. The proposed building would have no appreciable effect on this conservation area as the established character of North Wall Quay includes a number of buildings of similar height, including the IFSC at the western end of North Wall Quay, the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) and the new Central Bank building that is currently under construction. The closest protected structure to the proposed building is the 3Arena. As has been seen above, the principal elevation of this former goods depot is on the southern side, facing North Wall Quay and the river. There would be no appreciable effect on the character of this frontage arising out of the construction of the proposed building. The frontage would remain highly visible and unobstructed when seen from the quay, from the opposite side of the river or from any view along the river from east or west. The northern side of the 3Arena would also remain unobstructed, where it faces Point Square. This façade has the arcade through which trains formerly entered the building, mirroring in a more restrained language the principal façade on North Wall Quay, and this adds a rhythm to the southern edge of Point Square; this would not be affected in any way by the proposal. The eastern side of the 3Arena has the plainest façade of the building, both as originally built and in its present form. It nonetheless has its own distinctive character, with the more finely-grained array of window and door opes and with the central glazed section marking the stair lobby. The proposed building would screen much of this façade in the view from East Wall Road, though a generous corridor would remain between the two, approximately fourteen metres in width, allowing for circulation of pedestrians at concert times and otherwise and ensuring that the eastern face of the 3Arena remains visible. The undercroft of the building would be permeable, ensuring that it would be possible to see through from East Wall Road to the Square and the 3Arena. When viewed from a distance, such as from Pigeon House Road, the detailing of this façade is not evident and this is not a significant angle from which the protected structure would be viewed. Conclusion In the light of the above assessment it will be seen that the proposed development at Point Square would have no adverse effect on the architectural heritage of either protected structures or conservation areas. Historic Building Consultants Page 13

St. Patrick s Street Development Brief

St. Patrick s Street Development Brief Bardas Chorcai Cork Corporation August 2001 Contents Introduction and background The Development Brief Area Protected and valuable buildings Urban context Objectives