FORMER MINISTER for the environment Dick Roche rejected a strong recommendation from his department's heritage officers that it should object to plans for the redevelopment of Dublin's Clarence Hotel.
Documents released to The Irish Times show that Mr Roche decided that the department should not recommend a refusal by Dublin City Council, on the basis that the scheme by Foster + Partners would "represent a significant addition" to the city's architecture.
In a handwritten note, he said: "As a layman, the architectural proposals seem to me to have great merit" - even though they would involve demolishing all but the Wellington Quay facades of the hotel and adjoining buildings, all of which are protected structures.
A new eight-storey hotel containing 140 bedrooms - topped by an elliptical flying saucer-style roof - would rise up behind the retained façades. Only some elements of the interior would be salvaged, principally the Clarence's oak-panelled Octagon Bar.
Mr Roche dismissed the recommendation that an objection should be made on the basis that the proposed development would adversely affect historic buildings and views along the Liffey Quays, writing: "Surely what the dept is suggesting is a formula for stasis."
In an e-mail dated February 28th, 2007, Marc Ritchie of the department's architectural advisory unit wrote that "every aspect of the application is wrong" and he did not believe there was "any way in which the impact of the proposed design can be mitigated".
Documentation submitted by the Clarence Hotel Partnership (Bono and the Edge of U2 along with developer Paddy McKillen and financier Derek Quinlan) contained a "substantial amount of padding and waffle" about a "great new design" that would in time be seen as "iconic".
However Mr Ritchie warned Anne Marie Caulfield of the department's planning division that if a commercial development of the type proposed was granted on this basis, "it would provide a carte blanche for developers to demolish any protected structure" in the city.
His draft letter of objection described the proposal as "completely unacceptable in that it shows scant regard for the special interest of the individual protected structures on the site and utterly fails to recognise the historic and visual importance" of their setting.
"The application is for a development which is totally at odds with good conservation practice and will result in a new building that will completely overwhelm the surviving fragments of the protected structures and have a domineering presence" on the Liffey quays.
However, Mr Richie was forced to tone down this strong language in subsequent drafts - all of which still recommended refusal - after discussions with Ms Caulfield and Mary Moylan, then assistant secretary in charge of the department's planning division.
As the deadline for lodging an objection came and went, and the draft was further amended to the point where it became almost anodyne, Mr Ritchie sent an e-mail saying: "I am not able to stand over the report on the proposed Clarence Hotel redevelopment as redrafted" . He added: "I am disappointed that my report and recommendations as issued to DAU [development applications unit] and the minister's office on March 1st will not be issued and that so many of its recommendations and comments have been removed."
Three days after the deadline had passed, Mr Ritchie expressed concern about "the continuing delay by the department in submitting its recommendations to Dublin City Council". Colleague Freddie O'Dwyer agreed that this "should be done as a matter of urgency".
By then, the case had gone to the minister's office and according to a March 8th memo from his policy co-ordinator, Feargal Ó Coigligh, Mr Roche "carefully considered" the proposed development and decided that the department should not recommend a refusal.
"He accepts that the minimal intervention philosophy [in the department's architectural heritage guidelines] should be adhered to except in exceptional circumstances but that this high-quality, landmark proposal meets the criteria for departing from that view."
Just over a year later, when the department was requested by An Bord Pleanála to give its view, the architectural heritage unit was finally permitted to express its objections in a seven-page letter.
By then, John Gormley had taken over from Dick Roche. He approved the letter and also permitted Mr Ritchie to attend the oral hearing.
Last July, however, An Bord Pleanála granted permission.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label clarence hotel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clarence hotel. Show all posts
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Sunday, 27 July 2008
The Clarence Hotel revamp will cost city dear
Saint Bono and The Edge have been granted permission to knock the Clarence hotel and the adjacent 18th-century buildings on the quays in Dublin into the middle of the 21st century -- for no better reason, it seems to the outside observer, than the fact that the Clarence hotel, which they own, is losing money. And the pair may be canonised philanthropists saving the world and giving away trillions at the drop of a hat ... (What? They're not? They even moved their tax operations abroad so they could cock a snook at the rest of us idiot Irish taxpayers? Oops.)
The Edge told the planning appeal that the only way the Clarence could make money was for them to be allowed to raze it to the ground, along with the nearly 300 years of history the adjacent buildings represent. And they won. Nobody even suggested that they should employ people to run the hotel in a way that it could make money rather than lose it. Or even accept that they'd made a bad investment, and put up with the loss. After all, even they shouldn't be able to trample over lesser people in order to make money. Or should they?
As it happens, I don't think the Clarence facade or interior would be much of a loss to Dublin. Art Deco architecture and decor are quite stunning when they're good: lofty, simple, elegant and welcoming; cool and sophisticated but never austere. And the Clarence was never any of those: before its U2 facelift it was bleak and dreary. Post facelift, it was cold and characterless, its public rooms disproportionately high with no sense of comfort or intimacy. In other words, it was, and is, bad design of its type.
The other buildings they have been given permission to demolish, however, are quite another pile of bricks. Like most of the Georgian architecture of Dublin that has survived the vandalism of money-grabbing development, they are fit for purpose, elegant, and a testament to their environment. They may well need some money spent on them, but it would be very well spent: properly and sensitively restored, they'd survive triumphantly for another 300 years, part of the fabric of Dublin in its heyday as the "second city of the Empire", as used to be proudly said.
And while knocking the Clarence might be no great loss, replacing it with something even more alien to the 18th-century quayside street- scape would be appalling. Indeed, it will be appalling, because Bono and The Edge have permission for a development that is totally alien, however good it may be objectively. The uniformity of the quays will be gone, which is one of the hallmarks of 18th-Century thinking.
Right opposite the proposed Clarence, on Ormond Quay on the north side of the river, there is a gem of Georgian restoration which proves it can be done if there is will and sensitivity. It is a private house, known simply as Number 10, but can be hired for parties. In other words, it is run as a business. The owner has restored it meticulously and lovingly, and you walk into "a gentleman's residence of the 1780s". The furnishings and art are unsurpassed in Dublin, and although there is electricity, nothing breaks the atmosphere.
When the current owner bought it, the house was in serious disrepair, far worse repair than the buildings Bono and The Edge are to be allowed to demolish. Now Number 10 is one of the gems of Dublin.
Why am I writing this? Just to show that it can be done: you don't have to tear down buildings to make progress, or indeed to make money, as The Edge's comments to the Planning Appeals hearing would seem to suggest.
On a much smaller scale, my neighbours and I were involved in a planning objection recently. We live in a nest of small-scale Victorian terraces, and there was a planning application for "a six- storey mixed use development" on a corner that would literally cast us into shadow. We won. (Sometimes the little people do win.)
Maybe there's a glimmer of hope.
- EMER O'KELLY
The Edge told the planning appeal that the only way the Clarence could make money was for them to be allowed to raze it to the ground, along with the nearly 300 years of history the adjacent buildings represent. And they won. Nobody even suggested that they should employ people to run the hotel in a way that it could make money rather than lose it. Or even accept that they'd made a bad investment, and put up with the loss. After all, even they shouldn't be able to trample over lesser people in order to make money. Or should they?
As it happens, I don't think the Clarence facade or interior would be much of a loss to Dublin. Art Deco architecture and decor are quite stunning when they're good: lofty, simple, elegant and welcoming; cool and sophisticated but never austere. And the Clarence was never any of those: before its U2 facelift it was bleak and dreary. Post facelift, it was cold and characterless, its public rooms disproportionately high with no sense of comfort or intimacy. In other words, it was, and is, bad design of its type.
The other buildings they have been given permission to demolish, however, are quite another pile of bricks. Like most of the Georgian architecture of Dublin that has survived the vandalism of money-grabbing development, they are fit for purpose, elegant, and a testament to their environment. They may well need some money spent on them, but it would be very well spent: properly and sensitively restored, they'd survive triumphantly for another 300 years, part of the fabric of Dublin in its heyday as the "second city of the Empire", as used to be proudly said.
And while knocking the Clarence might be no great loss, replacing it with something even more alien to the 18th-century quayside street- scape would be appalling. Indeed, it will be appalling, because Bono and The Edge have permission for a development that is totally alien, however good it may be objectively. The uniformity of the quays will be gone, which is one of the hallmarks of 18th-Century thinking.
Right opposite the proposed Clarence, on Ormond Quay on the north side of the river, there is a gem of Georgian restoration which proves it can be done if there is will and sensitivity. It is a private house, known simply as Number 10, but can be hired for parties. In other words, it is run as a business. The owner has restored it meticulously and lovingly, and you walk into "a gentleman's residence of the 1780s". The furnishings and art are unsurpassed in Dublin, and although there is electricity, nothing breaks the atmosphere.
When the current owner bought it, the house was in serious disrepair, far worse repair than the buildings Bono and The Edge are to be allowed to demolish. Now Number 10 is one of the gems of Dublin.
Why am I writing this? Just to show that it can be done: you don't have to tear down buildings to make progress, or indeed to make money, as The Edge's comments to the Planning Appeals hearing would seem to suggest.
On a much smaller scale, my neighbours and I were involved in a planning objection recently. We live in a nest of small-scale Victorian terraces, and there was a planning application for "a six- storey mixed use development" on a corner that would literally cast us into shadow. We won. (Sometimes the little people do win.)
Maybe there's a glimmer of hope.
- EMER O'KELLY
Saturday, 19 July 2008
U2's sky bar must be open to all
IT COULD have been an exclusive venue where celebs and the glitterati could hob-nob far from the rabble.
But any plans rock band U2 might have to party in private in their rooftop bar overlooking the city have been dashed.
An Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission for a controversial redevelopment of the Clarence Hotel on the Dublin quays, but included an unusual condition that the public must have access to the fabled 'sky bar' which is an intrinsic part of the plans.
Although the band had not sought to refuse permission to the public, it is the second time in recent months authorities have felt obliged to compel hostelries to open their doors to the public. In May, the High Court ruled that a members-only club on St Stephen's Green could operate a VIP system, but would not be allowed to refuse entry to the general public.
Yesterday's decision means that U2 members Bono and The Edge, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, can begin work on the €150m project to quadruple the size of the building and transform it into a nine-storey, 140-bedroom, five-star hotel, designed by architect Norman Foster.
"We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence," the owners said in a statement yesterday. "It's great news for the team that has worked so hard on this project."
Atrium
The project includes a huge glass atrium, accessible to the public, at the heart of the hotel, with a 'skycatcher' -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light to enter the building. The basement will be home to a swimming pool called 'Dubh Linn', with the 'sky bar' at the top of the building providing views across the city. No date has been set for construction to begin.
However, the project has caused outrage among conservationists and the Department of the Environment because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937; four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century; and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
There were seven objectors, and legal action aimed at overturning the permission is likely.
Yesterday, An Taisce said the board had set a precedent which could see other listed buildings demolished to make way for new developments. This is only supposed to happen in 'exceptional circumstances' -- where a building was dangerous, for example -- and none had been demonstrated, it said.
"The proposal does open up a precedent on the quays," An Taisce heritage officer Ian Lumley said. "This undermines the architectural conservation area, and it could be the subject of legal proceedings. The board are venturing into very dangerous territory."
In overturning its inspector's recommendation to refuse permission, the board said the high quality of the revamped hotel and benefits to the area meant the project would be in accordance with proper planning and granted permission subject to 19 conditions.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
But any plans rock band U2 might have to party in private in their rooftop bar overlooking the city have been dashed.
An Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission for a controversial redevelopment of the Clarence Hotel on the Dublin quays, but included an unusual condition that the public must have access to the fabled 'sky bar' which is an intrinsic part of the plans.
Although the band had not sought to refuse permission to the public, it is the second time in recent months authorities have felt obliged to compel hostelries to open their doors to the public. In May, the High Court ruled that a members-only club on St Stephen's Green could operate a VIP system, but would not be allowed to refuse entry to the general public.
Yesterday's decision means that U2 members Bono and The Edge, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, can begin work on the €150m project to quadruple the size of the building and transform it into a nine-storey, 140-bedroom, five-star hotel, designed by architect Norman Foster.
"We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence," the owners said in a statement yesterday. "It's great news for the team that has worked so hard on this project."
Atrium
The project includes a huge glass atrium, accessible to the public, at the heart of the hotel, with a 'skycatcher' -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light to enter the building. The basement will be home to a swimming pool called 'Dubh Linn', with the 'sky bar' at the top of the building providing views across the city. No date has been set for construction to begin.
However, the project has caused outrage among conservationists and the Department of the Environment because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937; four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century; and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
There were seven objectors, and legal action aimed at overturning the permission is likely.
Yesterday, An Taisce said the board had set a precedent which could see other listed buildings demolished to make way for new developments. This is only supposed to happen in 'exceptional circumstances' -- where a building was dangerous, for example -- and none had been demonstrated, it said.
"The proposal does open up a precedent on the quays," An Taisce heritage officer Ian Lumley said. "This undermines the architectural conservation area, and it could be the subject of legal proceedings. The board are venturing into very dangerous territory."
In overturning its inspector's recommendation to refuse permission, the board said the high quality of the revamped hotel and benefits to the area meant the project would be in accordance with proper planning and granted permission subject to 19 conditions.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
U2's sky bar must be open to al
IT COULD have been an exclusive venue where celebs and the glitterati could hob-nob far from the rabble.
But any plans rock band U2 might have to party in private in their rooftop bar overlooking the city have been dashed.
An Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission for a controversial redevelopment of the Clarence Hotel on the Dublin quays, but included an unusual condition that the public must have access to the fabled 'sky bar' which is an intrinsic part of the plans.
Although the band had not sought to refuse permission to the public, it is the second time in recent months authorities have felt obliged to compel hostelries to open their doors to the public. In May, the High Court ruled that a members-only club on St Stephen's Green could operate a VIP system, but would not be allowed to refuse entry to the general public.
Yesterday's decision means that U2 members Bono and The Edge, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, can begin work on the €150m project to quadruple the size of the building and transform it into a nine-storey, 140-bedroom, five-star hotel, designed by architect Norman Foster.
"We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence," the owners said in a statement yesterday. "It's great news for the team that has worked so hard on this project."
Atrium
The project includes a huge glass atrium, accessible to the public, at the heart of the hotel, with a 'skycatcher' -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light to enter the building. The basement will be home to a swimming pool called 'Dubh Linn', with the 'sky bar' at the top of the building providing views across the city. No date has been set for construction to begin.
However, the project has caused outrage among conservationists and the Department of the Environment because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937; four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century; and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
There were seven objectors, and legal action aimed at overturning the permission is likely.
Yesterday, An Taisce said the board had set a precedent which could see other listed buildings demolished to make way for new developments. This is only supposed to happen in 'exceptional circumstances' -- where a building was dangerous, for example -- and none had been demonstrated, it said.
"The proposal does open up a precedent on the quays," An Taisce heritage officer Ian Lumley said. "This undermines the architectural conservation area, and it could be the subject of legal proceedings. The board are venturing into very dangerous territory."
In overturning its inspector's recommendation to refuse permission, the board said the high quality of the revamped hotel and benefits to the area meant the project would be in accordance with proper planning and granted permission subject to 19 conditions.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
But any plans rock band U2 might have to party in private in their rooftop bar overlooking the city have been dashed.
An Bord Pleanala has granted planning permission for a controversial redevelopment of the Clarence Hotel on the Dublin quays, but included an unusual condition that the public must have access to the fabled 'sky bar' which is an intrinsic part of the plans.
Although the band had not sought to refuse permission to the public, it is the second time in recent months authorities have felt obliged to compel hostelries to open their doors to the public. In May, the High Court ruled that a members-only club on St Stephen's Green could operate a VIP system, but would not be allowed to refuse entry to the general public.
Yesterday's decision means that U2 members Bono and The Edge, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, can begin work on the €150m project to quadruple the size of the building and transform it into a nine-storey, 140-bedroom, five-star hotel, designed by architect Norman Foster.
"We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence," the owners said in a statement yesterday. "It's great news for the team that has worked so hard on this project."
Atrium
The project includes a huge glass atrium, accessible to the public, at the heart of the hotel, with a 'skycatcher' -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light to enter the building. The basement will be home to a swimming pool called 'Dubh Linn', with the 'sky bar' at the top of the building providing views across the city. No date has been set for construction to begin.
However, the project has caused outrage among conservationists and the Department of the Environment because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937; four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century; and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
There were seven objectors, and legal action aimed at overturning the permission is likely.
Yesterday, An Taisce said the board had set a precedent which could see other listed buildings demolished to make way for new developments. This is only supposed to happen in 'exceptional circumstances' -- where a building was dangerous, for example -- and none had been demonstrated, it said.
"The proposal does open up a precedent on the quays," An Taisce heritage officer Ian Lumley said. "This undermines the architectural conservation area, and it could be the subject of legal proceedings. The board are venturing into very dangerous territory."
In overturning its inspector's recommendation to refuse permission, the board said the high quality of the revamped hotel and benefits to the area meant the project would be in accordance with proper planning and granted permission subject to 19 conditions.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Clarence group gets permission to redevelop
AN BORD Pleanála has granted planning permission for a €150 million plan to redevelop the Clarence Hotel on Dublin's Wellington Quay as "a bespoke building of design excellence" by international architects Foster + Partners.
The board made its decision by a seven-one majority against a strong recommendation by senior planning inspector Kevin Moore that permission be refused for the scheme, which he characterised as "conceptually brilliant but contextually illiterate".
The board said it would "provide a building of unique quality and architectural distinction [ and] . . . would in time become a significant feature in vistas along the Liffey".
As proposed by the Clarence Partnership - involving U2's Bono and The Edge, developer Paddy McKillen and financier Derek Quinlan - only the quayfront facades of the hotel adjoining Dollard House and four early 19th century buildings, would be retained.
Though all are designated as protected structures in the Dublin City Development Plan, the entire group would be built up to the current height of the Clarence and oversailed by an elliptical, flying saucer-like roof.
An Bord Pleanála was satisfied that "the continued historic hotel use" was sufficient to constitute "exceptional circumstances" to permit the part-demolition of the protected structures.
"In deciding not to accept the inspector's recommendation to refuse permission, the board considered that the development proposed, which involves the part-demolition of protected structures, is permissible because the exceptional quality of the design," the board's report said.
The board said this design would not undermine the integrity of the Liffey Quays Conservation Area but that it "would contribute positively to the character of the area". It also considered that the "unique circumstances of this case" - particularly, the "exceptional design quality" of the scheme - "would not constitute an undesirable precedent for the partial demolition of any other protected structures."
The Department of the Environment argued that the "exceptional circumstances that might warrant the . . . demolition of protected structures have not been demonstrated".
Dublin City Council's conservation architect Clare Hogan said the demolition of all but the facades would render the protected structures "meaningless".
The owners welcomed the board's decision, saying: "We are delighted that An Bord Pleanála has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design . . . It's great news for the team that has worked so hard on this project and we believe it's great news for Dublin."
The Clarence Partnership had warned that failure to get approval for its ambitious scheme to redevelop and extend the five-star hotel, to provide 114 large bedrooms and 28 suites, could lead to the property being sold, possibly for a "down-market budget hotel".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The board made its decision by a seven-one majority against a strong recommendation by senior planning inspector Kevin Moore that permission be refused for the scheme, which he characterised as "conceptually brilliant but contextually illiterate".
The board said it would "provide a building of unique quality and architectural distinction [ and] . . . would in time become a significant feature in vistas along the Liffey".
As proposed by the Clarence Partnership - involving U2's Bono and The Edge, developer Paddy McKillen and financier Derek Quinlan - only the quayfront facades of the hotel adjoining Dollard House and four early 19th century buildings, would be retained.
Though all are designated as protected structures in the Dublin City Development Plan, the entire group would be built up to the current height of the Clarence and oversailed by an elliptical, flying saucer-like roof.
An Bord Pleanála was satisfied that "the continued historic hotel use" was sufficient to constitute "exceptional circumstances" to permit the part-demolition of the protected structures.
"In deciding not to accept the inspector's recommendation to refuse permission, the board considered that the development proposed, which involves the part-demolition of protected structures, is permissible because the exceptional quality of the design," the board's report said.
The board said this design would not undermine the integrity of the Liffey Quays Conservation Area but that it "would contribute positively to the character of the area". It also considered that the "unique circumstances of this case" - particularly, the "exceptional design quality" of the scheme - "would not constitute an undesirable precedent for the partial demolition of any other protected structures."
The Department of the Environment argued that the "exceptional circumstances that might warrant the . . . demolition of protected structures have not been demonstrated".
Dublin City Council's conservation architect Clare Hogan said the demolition of all but the facades would render the protected structures "meaningless".
The owners welcomed the board's decision, saying: "We are delighted that An Bord Pleanála has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design . . . It's great news for the team that has worked so hard on this project and we believe it's great news for Dublin."
The Clarence Partnership had warned that failure to get approval for its ambitious scheme to redevelop and extend the five-star hotel, to provide 114 large bedrooms and 28 suites, could lead to the property being sold, possibly for a "down-market budget hotel".
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Clarence - Senior inspector's strong disapproval rejected
AN BORD Pleanála approved plans to redevelop the Clarence Hotel in Dublin despite a strong recommendation by one of its senior planning inspectors that permission be refused because of its "uncompromising, ominous and overstated" impact on the Liffey Quays.
In his report on appeals by An Taisce, the Irish Georgian Society and others against Dublin City Council's decision to grant approval, inspector Kevin Moore said the proposed development would "greatly alter the setting of the river, its bridges and streetscape".
His 88-page report described the existing complex of protected buildings on the site as "structurally sound . . . reparable, functional, usable, salvageable structures of significant heritage value, and regionally important - important for the quays and for the city".
Mr Moore said the demolition of such structurally sound, adaptable buildings was unsustainable and "undermines the policy to protect the city's built environment, ie the basis of the city's attractiveness for tourists". Facade retention alone was not defensible.
In general, he wrote, the demolition of a protected structure "should only be considered as a last resort". In his view, "none of the circumstances put forward by the applicant are in themselves exceptional, nor do they, as a group, add up to be exceptional". Although the proposed "skycatcher" roof made a "significant architectural statement", he believed that unifying so many buildings under one roof would create a "lop-sided, imbalanced terrace" on Wellington Quay, with a dominance "unparalleled on the quays".
Referring to the daring architectural treatment by Foster + Partners, Mr Moore said: "The design of the proposed development is conceptually brilliant but contextually illiterate [ because] the proposal has a visually uncompromising impact on Wellington Quay."
Recommending a refusal, he said An Bord Pleanála should cite such reasons as the proposed demolition of the protected structures as constituting "a significant loss of historic streetscape [ which] would undermine the integrity of the Liffey Quays conservation area".
Other reasons suggested by Mr Moore were that it would "seriously injure the amenities of the area" as well as materially contravene the Dublin City Development Plan and set an "undesirable precedent" for the demolition of protected structures generally.
In deciding to go against the inspector's advice, the appeals board made only one minor change to the plans, ordering that a proposed penthouse facing East Essex Street should be reduced at each end by four metres to lessen its impact on adjoining properties.
The board's decision was subject to 19 conditions, including requirements covering a schedule of all fixtures and fitting to be removed and reinstated, a full record of the existing buildings and their architectural features and an archaeological assessment of the entire site.
According to figures obtained last May by Mary Upton TD (Labour), An Bord Pleanála rejected the recommendations of its planning inspectors in 603 of the 4,611 appeals decided last year, amounting to 13 per cent of the total; this was up from 9 per cent in 2006.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
In his report on appeals by An Taisce, the Irish Georgian Society and others against Dublin City Council's decision to grant approval, inspector Kevin Moore said the proposed development would "greatly alter the setting of the river, its bridges and streetscape".
His 88-page report described the existing complex of protected buildings on the site as "structurally sound . . . reparable, functional, usable, salvageable structures of significant heritage value, and regionally important - important for the quays and for the city".
Mr Moore said the demolition of such structurally sound, adaptable buildings was unsustainable and "undermines the policy to protect the city's built environment, ie the basis of the city's attractiveness for tourists". Facade retention alone was not defensible.
In general, he wrote, the demolition of a protected structure "should only be considered as a last resort". In his view, "none of the circumstances put forward by the applicant are in themselves exceptional, nor do they, as a group, add up to be exceptional". Although the proposed "skycatcher" roof made a "significant architectural statement", he believed that unifying so many buildings under one roof would create a "lop-sided, imbalanced terrace" on Wellington Quay, with a dominance "unparalleled on the quays".
Referring to the daring architectural treatment by Foster + Partners, Mr Moore said: "The design of the proposed development is conceptually brilliant but contextually illiterate [ because] the proposal has a visually uncompromising impact on Wellington Quay."
Recommending a refusal, he said An Bord Pleanála should cite such reasons as the proposed demolition of the protected structures as constituting "a significant loss of historic streetscape [ which] would undermine the integrity of the Liffey Quays conservation area".
Other reasons suggested by Mr Moore were that it would "seriously injure the amenities of the area" as well as materially contravene the Dublin City Development Plan and set an "undesirable precedent" for the demolition of protected structures generally.
In deciding to go against the inspector's advice, the appeals board made only one minor change to the plans, ordering that a proposed penthouse facing East Essex Street should be reduced at each end by four metres to lessen its impact on adjoining properties.
The board's decision was subject to 19 conditions, including requirements covering a schedule of all fixtures and fitting to be removed and reinstated, a full record of the existing buildings and their architectural features and an archaeological assessment of the entire site.
According to figures obtained last May by Mary Upton TD (Labour), An Bord Pleanála rejected the recommendations of its planning inspectors in 603 of the 4,611 appeals decided last year, amounting to 13 per cent of the total; this was up from 9 per cent in 2006.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Plan to redevelop Clarence Hotel approved
An ambitious plan to redevelop the Clarence Hotel on Dublin’s Wellington Quay has been approved by An Bord Pleanála, despite a strong recommendation from a planning inspector that it be rejected.
The scheme, devised by architect Norman Foster, involves demolishing the hotel and adjoining buildings on the quay, retaining their façades and constructing a much larger hotel arranged around a dramatic atrium and topped by a flying saucer-style roof.
In his report on appeals against the development from bodies such as An Taisce, inspector Kevin Moore said the proposed development would be "seriously injurious to the visual amenities of the area, would conflict with the policies of the current Dublin City Development Plan, and would, thereby, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area".
Mr Moore also said the plan would result in a "visually uncompromising impact on Wellington Quay" and that it would adversely affect the setting of the River Liffey, its bridges and streetscape and a significant adverse affect on important views and vistas along the quays.
He said the scale of new façade on Essex Street East would imbalance the visual coherence of this street, adversely affecting the character of Temple Bar.
The new rooftop element, when viewed from Fleet Street and along the Temple Bar approach from the east, would constitute a "distinctive and discordant structure, dominating views along the streets and eroding the intimate human scale of the historic streetscape", Mr Moore said.
The inspector also said that due to the "significant cultural heritage value of the site, the provisions of the plan as they relate to heritage must weigh heavily in the assessment of this proposal".
"The proposed development performs very poorly in terms of respect for architectural heritage."
The design of the proposed hotel development, the inspector wrote, is "conceptually brilliant but contextually illiterate".
In its submission on the plan, An Taisce said the proposal was inappropriate for protected structures and the historic city centre and that it did not comply with the Department of the Environment's architectural heritage protection guidelines.
The Department of the Environment had also objected to the scheme, saying it could set a precedent for demolishing protected buildings in other areas of the city.
While existing legislation allows for the demolition of protected structures in exceptional circumstances, the Department argued that the scheme was not of such architectural merit as to meet the exceptional circumstances stipulation laid down by the legislation.
The owners of the hotel, who include U2's Bono and the Edge, welcomed the board's decision in a statement today.
“We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence. …We believe it's great news for Dublin and for Temple Bar in particular, where we've been working for over 20 years and where a hotel has been trading on The Clarence site for 177 years," it said.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
The scheme, devised by architect Norman Foster, involves demolishing the hotel and adjoining buildings on the quay, retaining their façades and constructing a much larger hotel arranged around a dramatic atrium and topped by a flying saucer-style roof.
In his report on appeals against the development from bodies such as An Taisce, inspector Kevin Moore said the proposed development would be "seriously injurious to the visual amenities of the area, would conflict with the policies of the current Dublin City Development Plan, and would, thereby, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area".
Mr Moore also said the plan would result in a "visually uncompromising impact on Wellington Quay" and that it would adversely affect the setting of the River Liffey, its bridges and streetscape and a significant adverse affect on important views and vistas along the quays.
He said the scale of new façade on Essex Street East would imbalance the visual coherence of this street, adversely affecting the character of Temple Bar.
The new rooftop element, when viewed from Fleet Street and along the Temple Bar approach from the east, would constitute a "distinctive and discordant structure, dominating views along the streets and eroding the intimate human scale of the historic streetscape", Mr Moore said.
The inspector also said that due to the "significant cultural heritage value of the site, the provisions of the plan as they relate to heritage must weigh heavily in the assessment of this proposal".
"The proposed development performs very poorly in terms of respect for architectural heritage."
The design of the proposed hotel development, the inspector wrote, is "conceptually brilliant but contextually illiterate".
In its submission on the plan, An Taisce said the proposal was inappropriate for protected structures and the historic city centre and that it did not comply with the Department of the Environment's architectural heritage protection guidelines.
The Department of the Environment had also objected to the scheme, saying it could set a precedent for demolishing protected buildings in other areas of the city.
While existing legislation allows for the demolition of protected structures in exceptional circumstances, the Department argued that the scheme was not of such architectural merit as to meet the exceptional circumstances stipulation laid down by the legislation.
The owners of the hotel, who include U2's Bono and the Edge, welcomed the board's decision in a statement today.
“We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence. …We believe it's great news for Dublin and for Temple Bar in particular, where we've been working for over 20 years and where a hotel has been trading on The Clarence site for 177 years," it said.
Irishtimes.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Clarence and Connaught: a tale of two cities
Two hotels, both being refurbished: but why can't the plans for Dublin's Clarence Hotel be more like those for London's Connaught? asks Frank McDonald Environment Editor.
LUXURY HOTELS will always be with us. Even in the midst of the "credit crunch", people with money were checking in last week at the Connaught Hotel in London's Mayfair, where the cheapest room is £409 (€511) a night and lavish suites can be had for up to £1,260 (€1,573). It oozes opulence, in the way luxury hotels must and even should.
Also last week, An Bord Pleanála held an oral hearing on plans to demolish all but the front façade of the Clarence Hotel and adjoining buildings on Dublin's Wellington Quay and replace it with a much larger hotel arranged around a dramatic 'skycatcher' atrium and with the entire edifice oversailed by an elliptical flying saucer-style roof.
The connection between these two five-star hotels is the Belfast-born property developer Paddy McKillen. Along with deal-maker Derek Quinlan, he holds a major stake in the Maybourne Hotel Group, which owns the Connaught, and the pair are also partnering U2's Bono and The Edge in the proposed redevelopment of the Clarence Hotel.
Both hotels are also listed buildings, but the approach being taken to their renovation is quite different.
The Connaught is being splendidly restored and embellished, with a respectful extension to be built at the rear, whereas the Clarence would be demolished and replaced under the scheme proposed by 'starchitects' Foster + Partners.
David Evans (aka The Edge) has said that getting Norman Foster, architect of the 'Gherkin' in London, to re-do the Clarence was "an incredible coup for Dublin [that] outweighed the sacrifice of parts of ordinary period buildings". The scheme would also "soften the impact" of the Central Bank and Civic Offices, according to the architects.
But that's not how the Department of the Environment sees it. In a potentially influential submission, it concurred with the developers' environmental impact statement that the scheme "will have a significant and irreversible negative impact on the six protected structures ... because most of the existing fabric will be demolished".
The proposed interventions would not mitigate this impact, "given the considerable variation in scale, both vertically and horizontally, between the old and the new, and the location of the development in the quays conservation area". Neither did the department consider that "exceptional circumstances" had been shown to justify them.
Its submission took issue with a report by Howley Hayes Architects, commissioned by the developers: "The assertion in this report that the proposed new building fabric is of outstanding architectural merit does not of itself, in our view, constitute exceptional circumstances for demolition."
The department had been requested by An Bord Pleanála to give its view on the fundamental question of whether the mere retention of façades would be contrary to guidelines for the protection of architectural heritage. Its view was that it would, given that protected structures cover "buildings ... in their entirety", including interiors.
The same stance would be taken by English Heritage, which is why the Grade 2 listed Claridge's and Connaught hotels are being renovated sympathetically, working with rather than against their fabric. Richard Rogers, another 'starchitect', is only being let loose on Maybourne's third London hotel, the Berkeley, which dates from 1972.
Michael Blair, the architect overseeing works on the Connaught and Claridge's, calls what he's doing "urban repair" on the two hotels, both built in the 1890s. "Westminster City Council sees Mayfair as something of a museum piece so if you want to build big shiny buildings, you do it somewhere else - where it's appropriate."
He managed to persuade the council that Claridge's could take an additional two floors of bedrooms and suites on top if all of its ugly air-conditioning units and other excretions were removed and put in the basement instead. The extra floors have also been designed sympathetically, stepping back sequentially from the parapet.
"The beauty of these London hotels is that they have so much character in their own right. Claridge's maintains that Claridge's feel, even though it has gone through a constant process of refurbishment, with art deco-style en suite bathrooms added in the late 1940s, for example. At no stage would everything have been ripped out."
The chief glory of the Connaught's restoration is its chunky late empire-style grand staircase, which rises through the building from its lobby to the top floor, six storeys above. Once enclosed with a fire screen, it has not only been opened up but all of its decorative details have also been re-gilded by gold-leaf craftsmen, so that it really sparkles.
Blair says there was "a lot of debate" with English Heritage, Westminster City Council and the Grosvenor Estate (which owns the freehold) about elements of the refurbishment - such as the apparently radical move of adding a conservatory on the front, where it sweeps around the corner from Carlos Place into Mount Street.
Maybourne was fortunate that the Connaught had a large basement area between the front of the hotel and a balustrade at the back of the footpath. The new conservatory was built on top of this, with pairs of Ionic columns to match those flanking the entrance, and the glazed timber structure makes it look as if it was always there.
"We worked with the materials and architecture of the building to achieve it," says Blair. And though the new five-storey extension on Adam's Row will be contemporary in style, it will enhance rather than detract from the hotel, providing an extra 35 bedrooms (there are 93 in the old building) as well as a basement swimming pool.
Measures are also being taken to minimise the hotel's carbon footprint, including the use of heat-pumps and the provision of a sedum roof on the extension to help counteract London's "heat sink".
The extension, due for completion in July 2009, will have a layered façade and rooms of similar standard to the main hotel.
All of the older rooms are being lavishly refurbished and equipped with the latest technology. The newly decorated suites are superb and probably worth the money - if you have it. The main diningroom has yet to be done, but the staff already have a new canteen in the basement serving up the same food that paying guests get.
Michael Blair understands the desire among developers to hire star architects.
"It gives real value in the way rock stardom does. But it's also appropriate to consider the delicacy of an area, which a lot of star architects would work against. And there's a very strong residents' association in this area with definite ideas about Mayfair."
Shepherding Maybourne's £80m (€100m) refurbishment of the Connaught through the planning process was a delicate task, best suited to an architect with Blair's philosophy. Paddy McKillen deserves great credit for what Maybourne is achieving in London. It's a pity that neither he nor the U2 lads took a similar approach to the Clarence.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
LUXURY HOTELS will always be with us. Even in the midst of the "credit crunch", people with money were checking in last week at the Connaught Hotel in London's Mayfair, where the cheapest room is £409 (€511) a night and lavish suites can be had for up to £1,260 (€1,573). It oozes opulence, in the way luxury hotels must and even should.
Also last week, An Bord Pleanála held an oral hearing on plans to demolish all but the front façade of the Clarence Hotel and adjoining buildings on Dublin's Wellington Quay and replace it with a much larger hotel arranged around a dramatic 'skycatcher' atrium and with the entire edifice oversailed by an elliptical flying saucer-style roof.
The connection between these two five-star hotels is the Belfast-born property developer Paddy McKillen. Along with deal-maker Derek Quinlan, he holds a major stake in the Maybourne Hotel Group, which owns the Connaught, and the pair are also partnering U2's Bono and The Edge in the proposed redevelopment of the Clarence Hotel.
Both hotels are also listed buildings, but the approach being taken to their renovation is quite different.
The Connaught is being splendidly restored and embellished, with a respectful extension to be built at the rear, whereas the Clarence would be demolished and replaced under the scheme proposed by 'starchitects' Foster + Partners.
David Evans (aka The Edge) has said that getting Norman Foster, architect of the 'Gherkin' in London, to re-do the Clarence was "an incredible coup for Dublin [that] outweighed the sacrifice of parts of ordinary period buildings". The scheme would also "soften the impact" of the Central Bank and Civic Offices, according to the architects.
But that's not how the Department of the Environment sees it. In a potentially influential submission, it concurred with the developers' environmental impact statement that the scheme "will have a significant and irreversible negative impact on the six protected structures ... because most of the existing fabric will be demolished".
The proposed interventions would not mitigate this impact, "given the considerable variation in scale, both vertically and horizontally, between the old and the new, and the location of the development in the quays conservation area". Neither did the department consider that "exceptional circumstances" had been shown to justify them.
Its submission took issue with a report by Howley Hayes Architects, commissioned by the developers: "The assertion in this report that the proposed new building fabric is of outstanding architectural merit does not of itself, in our view, constitute exceptional circumstances for demolition."
The department had been requested by An Bord Pleanála to give its view on the fundamental question of whether the mere retention of façades would be contrary to guidelines for the protection of architectural heritage. Its view was that it would, given that protected structures cover "buildings ... in their entirety", including interiors.
The same stance would be taken by English Heritage, which is why the Grade 2 listed Claridge's and Connaught hotels are being renovated sympathetically, working with rather than against their fabric. Richard Rogers, another 'starchitect', is only being let loose on Maybourne's third London hotel, the Berkeley, which dates from 1972.
Michael Blair, the architect overseeing works on the Connaught and Claridge's, calls what he's doing "urban repair" on the two hotels, both built in the 1890s. "Westminster City Council sees Mayfair as something of a museum piece so if you want to build big shiny buildings, you do it somewhere else - where it's appropriate."
He managed to persuade the council that Claridge's could take an additional two floors of bedrooms and suites on top if all of its ugly air-conditioning units and other excretions were removed and put in the basement instead. The extra floors have also been designed sympathetically, stepping back sequentially from the parapet.
"The beauty of these London hotels is that they have so much character in their own right. Claridge's maintains that Claridge's feel, even though it has gone through a constant process of refurbishment, with art deco-style en suite bathrooms added in the late 1940s, for example. At no stage would everything have been ripped out."
The chief glory of the Connaught's restoration is its chunky late empire-style grand staircase, which rises through the building from its lobby to the top floor, six storeys above. Once enclosed with a fire screen, it has not only been opened up but all of its decorative details have also been re-gilded by gold-leaf craftsmen, so that it really sparkles.
Blair says there was "a lot of debate" with English Heritage, Westminster City Council and the Grosvenor Estate (which owns the freehold) about elements of the refurbishment - such as the apparently radical move of adding a conservatory on the front, where it sweeps around the corner from Carlos Place into Mount Street.
Maybourne was fortunate that the Connaught had a large basement area between the front of the hotel and a balustrade at the back of the footpath. The new conservatory was built on top of this, with pairs of Ionic columns to match those flanking the entrance, and the glazed timber structure makes it look as if it was always there.
"We worked with the materials and architecture of the building to achieve it," says Blair. And though the new five-storey extension on Adam's Row will be contemporary in style, it will enhance rather than detract from the hotel, providing an extra 35 bedrooms (there are 93 in the old building) as well as a basement swimming pool.
Measures are also being taken to minimise the hotel's carbon footprint, including the use of heat-pumps and the provision of a sedum roof on the extension to help counteract London's "heat sink".
The extension, due for completion in July 2009, will have a layered façade and rooms of similar standard to the main hotel.
All of the older rooms are being lavishly refurbished and equipped with the latest technology. The newly decorated suites are superb and probably worth the money - if you have it. The main diningroom has yet to be done, but the staff already have a new canteen in the basement serving up the same food that paying guests get.
Michael Blair understands the desire among developers to hire star architects.
"It gives real value in the way rock stardom does. But it's also appropriate to consider the delicacy of an area, which a lot of star architects would work against. And there's a very strong residents' association in this area with definite ideas about Mayfair."
Shepherding Maybourne's £80m (€100m) refurbishment of the Connaught through the planning process was a delicate task, best suited to an architect with Blair's philosophy. Paddy McKillen deserves great credit for what Maybourne is achieving in London. It's a pity that neither he nor the U2 lads took a similar approach to the Clarence.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Temple Bar chief backs U2 plan for Clarence
THE architect at the centre of the 1990s regeneration of Temple Bar yesterday said if ambitious plans like those for U2's Clarence Hotel were on the table back then he would have backed them.
James Howley, who oversaw much of the regeneration of the cultural centre of Dublin, told a hearing of An Bord Pleanala into plans to transform the Clarence site: "It is important to understand the meaning and essence of the term conservation, which is often mistakenly confused with those of preservation."
Mr Howley came out strongly in favour of the project and said: "None of the six buildings on the site is of high architectural merit, neither in external appearance nor interior design."
The conservation of the hotel was the main focus of discussions at the third day of the hearing, when final oral submissions were heard. Meanwhile opponents argued that the plans amount to the demolition of the listed hotel.
Proponents of the plan said four of the six buildings were not listed in the original Temple Bar regeneration plans of 1985 and were only added as protected structures in the plan of 1999-2000.
The proposed development by the Clarence Partnership, whose members include U2's Bono and The Edge and renowned hoteliers David Quinlan and Paddy McKinley, would see the hotel expand from 44 rooms to a 141-room, eight-storey hotel at a cost of €150m.
Rooftop
The ambitious plan includes a rooftop garden and innovative sky-catcher light well, housed in an ellipse, which will see the height of the hotel rise over two metres above its current height.
Mr Andrew Bowe, representing the designer, world renowned architect Norman Foster, said the increase in height would soften the views of the Liffey skyline, where at present only certain buildings are visible, such as the Central Bank and the Four Courts.
Mr Bowe's presentation stated that cities constantly change and there is heritage value in the Clarence Hotel proposal. He said it would be the most sustainable hotel in Europe due to its design, which means it will be naturally ventilated, lit and heated.
He added that because of its owners and its location, it would create its own heritage in the future. Opponents of the plans were adamant that the structure of the building should remain, and argued what they see as the demolition of the buildings should only happen in exceptional circumstances.
Colin Bartley
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
James Howley, who oversaw much of the regeneration of the cultural centre of Dublin, told a hearing of An Bord Pleanala into plans to transform the Clarence site: "It is important to understand the meaning and essence of the term conservation, which is often mistakenly confused with those of preservation."
Mr Howley came out strongly in favour of the project and said: "None of the six buildings on the site is of high architectural merit, neither in external appearance nor interior design."
The conservation of the hotel was the main focus of discussions at the third day of the hearing, when final oral submissions were heard. Meanwhile opponents argued that the plans amount to the demolition of the listed hotel.
Proponents of the plan said four of the six buildings were not listed in the original Temple Bar regeneration plans of 1985 and were only added as protected structures in the plan of 1999-2000.
The proposed development by the Clarence Partnership, whose members include U2's Bono and The Edge and renowned hoteliers David Quinlan and Paddy McKinley, would see the hotel expand from 44 rooms to a 141-room, eight-storey hotel at a cost of €150m.
Rooftop
The ambitious plan includes a rooftop garden and innovative sky-catcher light well, housed in an ellipse, which will see the height of the hotel rise over two metres above its current height.
Mr Andrew Bowe, representing the designer, world renowned architect Norman Foster, said the increase in height would soften the views of the Liffey skyline, where at present only certain buildings are visible, such as the Central Bank and the Four Courts.
Mr Bowe's presentation stated that cities constantly change and there is heritage value in the Clarence Hotel proposal. He said it would be the most sustainable hotel in Europe due to its design, which means it will be naturally ventilated, lit and heated.
He added that because of its owners and its location, it would create its own heritage in the future. Opponents of the plans were adamant that the structure of the building should remain, and argued what they see as the demolition of the buildings should only happen in exceptional circumstances.
Colin Bartley
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Department objects to Clarence plan
THE DEPARTMENT of the Environment has objected to the €150 million plans by U2 and their manager Paul McGuinness for a "world class" hotel featuring an elliptical flying saucer-like structure, based around the Clarence Hotel and a number of adjacent listed buildings.
The objection, which also criticises Dublin City Council for its interpretation of heritage preservation guidance, was lodged last Friday and follows a request from An Bord Pleanála for its views.
It also follows criticism of the hotel plan from Failte Ireland which last month told the planning appeals board that it was important the city's "historic fabric be protected" and that the development "may set an unwelcome precedent for development in the Georgian heart of the city.
Dublin City Council approved permission for the 148-bedroom and 28-suite hotel last November, noting that it would involve retaining only the façades of a number of listed buildings along Wellington Quay, in the council's own Liffey Quays Conservation Area.
Taking issue with Dublin City planners, the department's submission says it disagrees with the council's view that the roofline and chimneys of the existing hotel "do not play an important part in the architectural composition of the typical Georgian terraced house". The department asserts that the chimneys and roofscapes were "important elements in defining a building with three dimensions".
The department's submission also expresses criticism of the council's senior planner whom it said reported in January that architectural heritage protection guidelines are "negative about, but open to, façade retention".
The department said it believed "negative" did not reflect the entirety of its opposition to façade retention in the light of the 1999 and 2000 Planning and Development Acts.
An assertion in the original environmental impact statement that "interference" with the original Austrian oak panelling in the Clarence Hotel could be done with planning permission was also contested by the department.
It said the statement did not appear to reflect the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in regard to the preservation on interiors of listed buildings.
The department concluded that the "exceptional circumstances that might warrant the grant of planning permission for the substantive demolition of protected structures have not been demonstrated in this application".
The strong response is in contrast to the façade retention permitted with the development of the Westin Hotel on Westmoreland Street. The difference on this occasion appears to be the implementation of conservation measures in the Planning and Development Act 2000 which emphasise the retention of whole buildings as opposed to their façades.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The objection, which also criticises Dublin City Council for its interpretation of heritage preservation guidance, was lodged last Friday and follows a request from An Bord Pleanála for its views.
It also follows criticism of the hotel plan from Failte Ireland which last month told the planning appeals board that it was important the city's "historic fabric be protected" and that the development "may set an unwelcome precedent for development in the Georgian heart of the city.
Dublin City Council approved permission for the 148-bedroom and 28-suite hotel last November, noting that it would involve retaining only the façades of a number of listed buildings along Wellington Quay, in the council's own Liffey Quays Conservation Area.
Taking issue with Dublin City planners, the department's submission says it disagrees with the council's view that the roofline and chimneys of the existing hotel "do not play an important part in the architectural composition of the typical Georgian terraced house". The department asserts that the chimneys and roofscapes were "important elements in defining a building with three dimensions".
The department's submission also expresses criticism of the council's senior planner whom it said reported in January that architectural heritage protection guidelines are "negative about, but open to, façade retention".
The department said it believed "negative" did not reflect the entirety of its opposition to façade retention in the light of the 1999 and 2000 Planning and Development Acts.
An assertion in the original environmental impact statement that "interference" with the original Austrian oak panelling in the Clarence Hotel could be done with planning permission was also contested by the department.
It said the statement did not appear to reflect the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in regard to the preservation on interiors of listed buildings.
The department concluded that the "exceptional circumstances that might warrant the grant of planning permission for the substantive demolition of protected structures have not been demonstrated in this application".
The strong response is in contrast to the façade retention permitted with the development of the Westin Hotel on Westmoreland Street. The difference on this occasion appears to be the implementation of conservation measures in the Planning and Development Act 2000 which emphasise the retention of whole buildings as opposed to their façades.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Is U2 facing heartbreak hotel?
THERE is no "plan b" for Dublin's Clarence Hotel, if ambitious plans by owners U2 to extend the building are rejected by planning authorities, guitarist The Edge said yesterday.
And the musician refused to rule out selling the hotel on Wellington Quay if An Bord Pleanala rejects plans to quadruple the size of the hotel, in the process knocking six listed buildings and installing an iconic "skycatcher" on the roof.
Any changes or compromises to the plans would cause the "whole deck of cards to crumple", he said, and, if turned down, both he and co-owner Bono would have to "consider our options".
The pair, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, who also has a stake in the Clarence Partnership, propose investing €150m in quadrupling the size of the building and transforming it into an eight-storey, 140-bedroom five-star hotel.
"We think this intervention and the new hotel design, done by (architect) Norman Foster, is appropriate, given the fact that this part of the city has seen so many changes over the years," The Edge, also known as David Evans, said.
"If it goes ahead, it will be the ninth different version of a hotel on that site, we feel that that in itself is worth preserving. We want to keep the infrastructure in the city, we don't want it to turn into apartments. We don't want it to be lost.
"I think everyone here giving evidence today is similar, in that we all care deeply about Dublin city and its future, we just disagree on what that future should be."
But the plan has caused controversy among conservationists because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937, four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
It is proposed to re-use skirting boards, fireplaces, floorboards and all other internal features in the new building. A huge glass atrium, which will be accessible to the public, will be at the heart of the hotel, with a "skycatcher" -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light enter the hotel.
The basement will be home to a swimming pool called "Dubh Linn", with a "Sky Bar" at the top of the building providing views across the city.
But An Taisce and others have claimed that the plans completely disregard Dublin City Council's conservation policies, and guidelines from the Department of the Environment, which state that listed buildings should only be knocked in "exceptional circumstances". None had been demonstrated in this case, conservationist Michael Smith argued, saying An Bord Pleanala could not grant permission "as a matter of law".
Saucer
"This scheme has a metal roof, and the metal roof looks like a flying saucer," he told the public hearing. "The building in no way complements the character of the quays. It is hubristic, contextually illiterate but certainly entertaining. The effect is to create a silly setpiece."
An Taisce added that the Liffey was a special conservation area, and the design was more suited to the Docklands -- a charge rejected by the design team, which said it was planning to make the Clarence into one of the world's top ten hotels.
If the plans are rejected, the owners would have to consider its options, The Edge added.
"Obviously, as has been well-documented, it's not doing as well as it could. It certainly would make it difficult, if we weren't able to go ahead. We feel this is the only way we can ensure it will remain on that site.
"This scheme has been considered very carefully. We believe it is the best scheme, and anything less would be a compromise and we would be worried about changing anything substantial because the whole deck of cards would just crumple."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
And the musician refused to rule out selling the hotel on Wellington Quay if An Bord Pleanala rejects plans to quadruple the size of the hotel, in the process knocking six listed buildings and installing an iconic "skycatcher" on the roof.
Any changes or compromises to the plans would cause the "whole deck of cards to crumple", he said, and, if turned down, both he and co-owner Bono would have to "consider our options".
The pair, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, who also has a stake in the Clarence Partnership, propose investing €150m in quadrupling the size of the building and transforming it into an eight-storey, 140-bedroom five-star hotel.
"We think this intervention and the new hotel design, done by (architect) Norman Foster, is appropriate, given the fact that this part of the city has seen so many changes over the years," The Edge, also known as David Evans, said.
"If it goes ahead, it will be the ninth different version of a hotel on that site, we feel that that in itself is worth preserving. We want to keep the infrastructure in the city, we don't want it to turn into apartments. We don't want it to be lost.
"I think everyone here giving evidence today is similar, in that we all care deeply about Dublin city and its future, we just disagree on what that future should be."
But the plan has caused controversy among conservationists because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937, four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
It is proposed to re-use skirting boards, fireplaces, floorboards and all other internal features in the new building. A huge glass atrium, which will be accessible to the public, will be at the heart of the hotel, with a "skycatcher" -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light enter the hotel.
The basement will be home to a swimming pool called "Dubh Linn", with a "Sky Bar" at the top of the building providing views across the city.
But An Taisce and others have claimed that the plans completely disregard Dublin City Council's conservation policies, and guidelines from the Department of the Environment, which state that listed buildings should only be knocked in "exceptional circumstances". None had been demonstrated in this case, conservationist Michael Smith argued, saying An Bord Pleanala could not grant permission "as a matter of law".
Saucer
"This scheme has a metal roof, and the metal roof looks like a flying saucer," he told the public hearing. "The building in no way complements the character of the quays. It is hubristic, contextually illiterate but certainly entertaining. The effect is to create a silly setpiece."
An Taisce added that the Liffey was a special conservation area, and the design was more suited to the Docklands -- a charge rejected by the design team, which said it was planning to make the Clarence into one of the world's top ten hotels.
If the plans are rejected, the owners would have to consider its options, The Edge added.
"Obviously, as has been well-documented, it's not doing as well as it could. It certainly would make it difficult, if we weren't able to go ahead. We feel this is the only way we can ensure it will remain on that site.
"This scheme has been considered very carefully. We believe it is the best scheme, and anything less would be a compromise and we would be worried about changing anything substantial because the whole deck of cards would just crumple."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Is U2 facing heartbreak hotel?
THERE is no "plan b" for Dublin's Clarence Hotel, if ambitious plans by owners U2 to extend the building are rejected by planning authorities, guitarist The Edge said yesterday.
And the musician refused to rule out selling the hotel on Wellington Quay if An Bord Pleanala rejects plans to quadruple the size of the hotel, in the process knocking six listed buildings and installing an iconic "skycatcher" on the roof.
Any changes or compromises to the plans would cause the "whole deck of cards to crumple", he said, and, if turned down, both he and co-owner Bono would have to "consider our options".
The pair, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, who also has a stake in the Clarence Partnership, propose investing €150m in quadrupling the size of the building and transforming it into an eight-storey, 140-bedroom five-star hotel.
"We think this intervention and the new hotel design, done by (architect) Norman Foster, is appropriate, given the fact that this part of the city has seen so many changes over the years," The Edge, also known as David Evans, said.
"If it goes ahead, it will be the ninth different version of a hotel on that site, we feel that that in itself is worth preserving. We want to keep the infrastructure in the city, we don't want it to turn into apartments. We don't want it to be lost.
"I think everyone here giving evidence today is similar, in that we all care deeply about Dublin city and its future, we just disagree on what that future should be."
But the plan has caused controversy among conservationists because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937, four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
It is proposed to re-use skirting boards, fireplaces, floorboards and all other internal features in the new building. A huge glass atrium, which will be accessible to the public, will be at the heart of the hotel, with a "skycatcher" -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light enter the hotel.
The basement will be home to a swimming pool called "Dubh Linn", with a "Sky Bar" at the top of the building providing views across the city.
But An Taisce and others have claimed that the plans completely disregard Dublin City Council's conservation policies, and guidelines from the Department of the Environment, which state that listed buildings should only be knocked in "exceptional circumstances". None had been demonstrated in this case, conservationist Michael Smith argued, saying An Bord Pleanala could not grant permission "as a matter of law".
Saucer
"This scheme has a metal roof, and the metal roof looks like a flying saucer," he told the public hearing. "The building in no way complements the character of the quays. It is hubristic, contextually illiterate but certainly entertaining. The effect is to create a silly setpiece."
An Taisce added that the Liffey was a special conservation area, and the design was more suited to the Docklands -- a charge rejected by the design team, which said it was planning to make the Clarence into one of the world's top ten hotels.
If the plans are rejected, the owners would have to consider its options, The Edge added.
"Obviously, as has been well-documented, it's not doing as well as it could. It certainly would make it difficult, if we weren't able to go ahead. We feel this is the only way we can ensure it will remain on that site.
"This scheme has been considered very carefully. We believe it is the best scheme, and anything less would be a compromise and we would be worried about changing anything substantial because the whole deck of cards would just crumple."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
And the musician refused to rule out selling the hotel on Wellington Quay if An Bord Pleanala rejects plans to quadruple the size of the hotel, in the process knocking six listed buildings and installing an iconic "skycatcher" on the roof.
Any changes or compromises to the plans would cause the "whole deck of cards to crumple", he said, and, if turned down, both he and co-owner Bono would have to "consider our options".
The pair, along with property developer Paddy McKillen, who also has a stake in the Clarence Partnership, propose investing €150m in quadrupling the size of the building and transforming it into an eight-storey, 140-bedroom five-star hotel.
"We think this intervention and the new hotel design, done by (architect) Norman Foster, is appropriate, given the fact that this part of the city has seen so many changes over the years," The Edge, also known as David Evans, said.
"If it goes ahead, it will be the ninth different version of a hotel on that site, we feel that that in itself is worth preserving. We want to keep the infrastructure in the city, we don't want it to turn into apartments. We don't want it to be lost.
"I think everyone here giving evidence today is similar, in that we all care deeply about Dublin city and its future, we just disagree on what that future should be."
But the plan has caused controversy among conservationists because it involves the virtual destruction of the Clarence Hotel, an art deco building dating from 1937, four Georgian buildings from the early 19th century and Dollard House, which was built in 1886.
All are listed buildings, and only the facades along Wellington Quay will be preserved.
It is proposed to re-use skirting boards, fireplaces, floorboards and all other internal features in the new building. A huge glass atrium, which will be accessible to the public, will be at the heart of the hotel, with a "skycatcher" -- or oval glass roof -- allowing light enter the hotel.
The basement will be home to a swimming pool called "Dubh Linn", with a "Sky Bar" at the top of the building providing views across the city.
But An Taisce and others have claimed that the plans completely disregard Dublin City Council's conservation policies, and guidelines from the Department of the Environment, which state that listed buildings should only be knocked in "exceptional circumstances". None had been demonstrated in this case, conservationist Michael Smith argued, saying An Bord Pleanala could not grant permission "as a matter of law".
Saucer
"This scheme has a metal roof, and the metal roof looks like a flying saucer," he told the public hearing. "The building in no way complements the character of the quays. It is hubristic, contextually illiterate but certainly entertaining. The effect is to create a silly setpiece."
An Taisce added that the Liffey was a special conservation area, and the design was more suited to the Docklands -- a charge rejected by the design team, which said it was planning to make the Clarence into one of the world's top ten hotels.
If the plans are rejected, the owners would have to consider its options, The Edge added.
"Obviously, as has been well-documented, it's not doing as well as it could. It certainly would make it difficult, if we weren't able to go ahead. We feel this is the only way we can ensure it will remain on that site.
"This scheme has been considered very carefully. We believe it is the best scheme, and anything less would be a compromise and we would be worried about changing anything substantial because the whole deck of cards would just crumple."
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Hotel design a major coup, says Edge
THE DEMOLITION of the Clarence Hotel, Dublin, a protected structure, and its rebuilding to a design by British architect Norman Foster was "an incredible coup for Dublin city", U2 guitarist and one of the owners of the hotel, the Edge, has said.
He was speaking outside a Bord Pleanála appeal hearing against plans to demolish all but the facades of the hotel, its expansion from 49 to 140 rooms, and the addition of a metallic elliptical roof called the "sky catcher".
One of the appellants to the project, conservationist Michael Smith, yesterday described the proposed building as a "cannibalistic behemoth" and said the sky catcher would look like a spaceship had landed in Temple Bar.
The hotel had done an "immense amount of good for the city", the Edge said, but it had run into financial difficulties in recent years and, if it was to be sustained, it needed to be redeveloped.
Although the hotel and surrounding buildings, which have been purchased for the €150 million extension and redevelopment, are listed on the record of protected structures, it is proposed that they will be demolished and only their front facades retained.
The fact that the building was designed by Foster, who created the Swiss Re Tower in London, known as the "Gherkin", was an incredible coup and "outweighed the sacrifice of parts of ordinary period buildings", the Edge said.
The 34-metre high five-star hotel with its "sky room floating above the city" would be "completely commensurate with the scale of that grand street - the river Liffey", Andy Bow of Foster and Partners told the planning hearing.
It would "soften the impact" of nearby buildings such as the Central Bank and Civic Offices and would bring "new vitality to the west end of Temple Bar". The demolition of the buildings and the back facade would rid Essex Street of its "prison-like" look, he added.
An Taisce's Kevin Duff said the applicants had not demonstrated the exceptional circumstances which are legally required to permit the demolition of protected structures.
The design was an "unsatisfactory combination of facade retention and new build", he said, and was the largest proposed demolition of protected structures since legislation was introduced in 1999.
Architect James Kelly said the design came "perilously close to pastiche".
Mr Smith said the architects had shown no awareness of the surroundings. "This building is in the wrong place - like a little black dress on your great aunt," he said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
He was speaking outside a Bord Pleanála appeal hearing against plans to demolish all but the facades of the hotel, its expansion from 49 to 140 rooms, and the addition of a metallic elliptical roof called the "sky catcher".
One of the appellants to the project, conservationist Michael Smith, yesterday described the proposed building as a "cannibalistic behemoth" and said the sky catcher would look like a spaceship had landed in Temple Bar.
The hotel had done an "immense amount of good for the city", the Edge said, but it had run into financial difficulties in recent years and, if it was to be sustained, it needed to be redeveloped.
Although the hotel and surrounding buildings, which have been purchased for the €150 million extension and redevelopment, are listed on the record of protected structures, it is proposed that they will be demolished and only their front facades retained.
The fact that the building was designed by Foster, who created the Swiss Re Tower in London, known as the "Gherkin", was an incredible coup and "outweighed the sacrifice of parts of ordinary period buildings", the Edge said.
The 34-metre high five-star hotel with its "sky room floating above the city" would be "completely commensurate with the scale of that grand street - the river Liffey", Andy Bow of Foster and Partners told the planning hearing.
It would "soften the impact" of nearby buildings such as the Central Bank and Civic Offices and would bring "new vitality to the west end of Temple Bar". The demolition of the buildings and the back facade would rid Essex Street of its "prison-like" look, he added.
An Taisce's Kevin Duff said the applicants had not demonstrated the exceptional circumstances which are legally required to permit the demolition of protected structures.
The design was an "unsatisfactory combination of facade retention and new build", he said, and was the largest proposed demolition of protected structures since legislation was introduced in 1999.
Architect James Kelly said the design came "perilously close to pastiche".
Mr Smith said the architects had shown no awareness of the surroundings. "This building is in the wrong place - like a little black dress on your great aunt," he said.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Clarence scheme 'breaks guidelines'
The proposed Clarence Hotel project on Dublin's quays could go against both local planning guidelines and Government legislation, a Bord Pleanála hearing has heard.
Under a radical redevelopment plan, the landmark hotel owned by rock band U2, would be substantially demolished and rebuilt as a 34-metre high structure with views across the capital city from Wellington Quay.
Existing legislation allows for the demolition of protected structures in exceptional circumstances.
"The exceptional and particular circumstances in this case relate to the need to retain or enhance the special interest value of the structures (i.e. the hotel use), the excellence of the proposed development in terms of architecture and uses, the contribution to the city on a strategic level, including the quays, and at a local level in terms of Temple Bar," Kieran Rose, senior planner with Dublin City Council told the hearing.
However, in its own oral submission to the hearing, the Department of the Environment, Local Government and Heritage said it did not believe that the scheme was of such architectural merit as to meet the exceptional circumstances stipulation laid down by the legislation.
Dublin City Council had already granted planning permission for the project, which will see the existing structures Dollard House at 2-5 Wellington Quay; the Clarence Hotel at 6-8 Wellington Quay and 9-12 Wellington Quay demolished, the facades retained, and a new hotel constructed behind it.
The hotel's owners, including U2's Bono and the Edge, said the Clarence has suffered financial difficulty in recent years, and redevelopment was necessary to sustain it.
The proposed five-star hotel will include a sky room and a viewing terrace at the top level of the hotel, a 'sky catcher' central atrium and three basement floors.
The development is expected to rejuvenate the Essex Street end of Temple Bar, despite objections from conservationist Michael Smith that the area was already lively enough.
However, opponents also fear the new development, which propose demolishing a significant proportion of protected buildings on Wellington Quay and retaining the facades, could set a precedent for protected buildings in other areas of the city.
The proposed new hotel was praised by Fáilte Ireland, which welcomed the redevelopment and innovative design, which it said would attract ¿well educated and affluent¿ visitors to Dublin¿s city centre. However, the body expressed concern that the demolition of the protected buildings, retaining only the facades, would set a precedent for similar developments.
Speaking for Fáilte Ireland, Paddy Matthews refused to be drawn on whether the organisation was seeking to overturn planning permission, saying that it remained a matter for An Bord Pleanála.
Yesterday, U2 guitarist The Edge told the hearing the design by British architect Norman Foster was "an incredible coup for Dublin city".
Ireland.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Under a radical redevelopment plan, the landmark hotel owned by rock band U2, would be substantially demolished and rebuilt as a 34-metre high structure with views across the capital city from Wellington Quay.
Existing legislation allows for the demolition of protected structures in exceptional circumstances.
"The exceptional and particular circumstances in this case relate to the need to retain or enhance the special interest value of the structures (i.e. the hotel use), the excellence of the proposed development in terms of architecture and uses, the contribution to the city on a strategic level, including the quays, and at a local level in terms of Temple Bar," Kieran Rose, senior planner with Dublin City Council told the hearing.
However, in its own oral submission to the hearing, the Department of the Environment, Local Government and Heritage said it did not believe that the scheme was of such architectural merit as to meet the exceptional circumstances stipulation laid down by the legislation.
Dublin City Council had already granted planning permission for the project, which will see the existing structures Dollard House at 2-5 Wellington Quay; the Clarence Hotel at 6-8 Wellington Quay and 9-12 Wellington Quay demolished, the facades retained, and a new hotel constructed behind it.
The hotel's owners, including U2's Bono and the Edge, said the Clarence has suffered financial difficulty in recent years, and redevelopment was necessary to sustain it.
The proposed five-star hotel will include a sky room and a viewing terrace at the top level of the hotel, a 'sky catcher' central atrium and three basement floors.
The development is expected to rejuvenate the Essex Street end of Temple Bar, despite objections from conservationist Michael Smith that the area was already lively enough.
However, opponents also fear the new development, which propose demolishing a significant proportion of protected buildings on Wellington Quay and retaining the facades, could set a precedent for protected buildings in other areas of the city.
The proposed new hotel was praised by Fáilte Ireland, which welcomed the redevelopment and innovative design, which it said would attract ¿well educated and affluent¿ visitors to Dublin¿s city centre. However, the body expressed concern that the demolition of the protected buildings, retaining only the facades, would set a precedent for similar developments.
Speaking for Fáilte Ireland, Paddy Matthews refused to be drawn on whether the organisation was seeking to overturn planning permission, saying that it remained a matter for An Bord Pleanála.
Yesterday, U2 guitarist The Edge told the hearing the design by British architect Norman Foster was "an incredible coup for Dublin city".
Ireland.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Clarence 'a coup' for Dublin, says Edge
The demolition of the Clarence Hotel, Dublin, a protected structure, and its rebuilding to a design by British architect Norman Foster was "an incredible coup for Dublin city" U2 guitarist and one of the owners of the hotel The Edge has said.
He was speaking outside a Bord Pleanála appeal hearing against plans to demolish all but the facades of the hotel, its expansion form 49 to 140 rooms, and the addition of a metallic elliptical roof called the "sky catcher".
One of the appellants to the project conservationist Michael Smith yesterday described the proposed building as a "cannibalistic behemoth" and said the sky catcher looked like a spaceship which has landed in the middle of Temple Bar.
The hotel had done an "immense amount of good for the city", The Edge said, however it had run into financial difficulties in recent years and if it was to be sustained into the 21st century it needed to be redeveloped.
Although the hotel and surrounding buildings, which have been purchased for the €150 million extension and redevelopment, are listed on the Record of Protected Structures, it is proposed that they will be demolished and only their front facades retained.
The fact that the building had been designed by Foster who created the Swiss Re Tower in London, also known as "the Gherkin", was an incredible coup, and "outweighed the sacrifice of parts of ordinary period buildings", The Edge said.
The 34-metre five-star hotel with its "sky room floating above the city" would be "completely commensurate with the scale of that grand street - the River Liffey" Andy Bow of Foster and Partners told the planning hearing.
It would "soften the impact" of surrounding buildings such as the Central Bank and the Civic Offices on Wood Quay and would bring a "new vitality to the west end of Temple Bar". The demolition of the buildings and the back facade facing on to Essex Street would rid Essex Street of its current "prison-like" look, Mr Bow said.
An Taisce's Kevin Duff said the applicants had not demonstrated the exceptional circumstances which are legally required to permit the demolition of protected structures.
The design was a "unsatisfactory combination of facade retention and new build" he said and was the largest proposed demolition of protected structures since legislation was introduced in 1999. The loss of the facades on Essex Street was a serious loss for Temple Bar he said.
Architect James Kelly said given the capabilities of Foster his reverting to facadism was "very sad". The design was coming "perilously close to pastiche", he said.
Mr Smith said the design was "behind the times". "Ten years ago a scheme like this might have got planning permission, surely not now. If it gets permission we can wave goodbye to proper development in Dublin City."
The proposed roof "looks like a flying saucer" it was a "rag-bag, leviathan, a silly set piece" he said. The architects had shown no awareness of their surroundings.
"This building is in the wrong place - like a little black dress on your great aunt," Mr Smith said.
Ireland.com
www.buckplanning.ie
He was speaking outside a Bord Pleanála appeal hearing against plans to demolish all but the facades of the hotel, its expansion form 49 to 140 rooms, and the addition of a metallic elliptical roof called the "sky catcher".
One of the appellants to the project conservationist Michael Smith yesterday described the proposed building as a "cannibalistic behemoth" and said the sky catcher looked like a spaceship which has landed in the middle of Temple Bar.
The hotel had done an "immense amount of good for the city", The Edge said, however it had run into financial difficulties in recent years and if it was to be sustained into the 21st century it needed to be redeveloped.
Although the hotel and surrounding buildings, which have been purchased for the €150 million extension and redevelopment, are listed on the Record of Protected Structures, it is proposed that they will be demolished and only their front facades retained.
The fact that the building had been designed by Foster who created the Swiss Re Tower in London, also known as "the Gherkin", was an incredible coup, and "outweighed the sacrifice of parts of ordinary period buildings", The Edge said.
The 34-metre five-star hotel with its "sky room floating above the city" would be "completely commensurate with the scale of that grand street - the River Liffey" Andy Bow of Foster and Partners told the planning hearing.
It would "soften the impact" of surrounding buildings such as the Central Bank and the Civic Offices on Wood Quay and would bring a "new vitality to the west end of Temple Bar". The demolition of the buildings and the back facade facing on to Essex Street would rid Essex Street of its current "prison-like" look, Mr Bow said.
An Taisce's Kevin Duff said the applicants had not demonstrated the exceptional circumstances which are legally required to permit the demolition of protected structures.
The design was a "unsatisfactory combination of facade retention and new build" he said and was the largest proposed demolition of protected structures since legislation was introduced in 1999. The loss of the facades on Essex Street was a serious loss for Temple Bar he said.
Architect James Kelly said given the capabilities of Foster his reverting to facadism was "very sad". The design was coming "perilously close to pastiche", he said.
Mr Smith said the design was "behind the times". "Ten years ago a scheme like this might have got planning permission, surely not now. If it gets permission we can wave goodbye to proper development in Dublin City."
The proposed roof "looks like a flying saucer" it was a "rag-bag, leviathan, a silly set piece" he said. The architects had shown no awareness of their surroundings.
"This building is in the wrong place - like a little black dress on your great aunt," Mr Smith said.
Ireland.com
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 6 April 2008
No Failte Ireland welcome for U2's proposed Clarence revamp
U2's plans for a €150m revamp of the Clarence Hotel in Dublin have not been given one hundred thousand welcomes by Failte Ireland, the national tourism authority.
Failte Ireland criticised the project, saying that the planned dramatic facelift for the hotel -- owned by Bono and The Edge -- contravenes policies relating to conservation and does not constitute sustainable development.
The comments were made by Paddy Mathews, the authority's manager for Environment and Planning, in a submission that will be made at an An Bord Pleanala oral hearing about the case later this month.
It will be a blow to the band, after they especially requested the hearing to put their case forward before the planning board come to a decision on whether or not they should be allowed to go ahead.
The ambitious project for the Clarence -- which involves knocking down four neighbouring listed buildings and erecting a spaceship-like atrium on top -- was given the green light by Dublin City Council in November of last year.
However, a number of interested parties appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala. An Taisce, the national trust, and the Irish Georgian Society voiced opposition.
Bono, The Edge and developer Paddy McKillen then requested an oral hearing by the board, believed to be in order to put their views forward ahead of the board making a decision.
Failte Ireland did not volunteer the submission, it was requested by An Bord Pleanala.
In his comments, Paddy Mathews conceded that the development would be "exciting and innovative".
But he added: "It is clear that the treatment of these protected structures contravenes Dublin City Development Plan policies relating to the conservation of protected structures and does not constitute proper and sustainable development."
He said: "Dublin city derives much of its character and appeal to visitors from its Georgian heritage. It is important that the integrity of this historic fabric be protected.
"It is also considered that this may set an unwelcome precedent for development in the Georgian heart of the city."
One of the appellants, environmentalist and former head of An Taisce Michael Smith, welcomed and agreed with the Failte Ireland submission.
He said: "It is part of a new, serious approach to the environment that the former Bord Failte has started to take over the last few years. Formerly it was inclined to support all tourist infrastructure."
Smith also called on the Minister for the Environment John Gormley to make a submission to An Bord Pleanala, as he said would be usual, against what Smith described as "the biggest demolition of protected structures in more than a decade in Dublin" before its oral hearing on the matter starting on April 16.
The revamp has already been given the go-ahead by Dublin City Council, despite its own city conservation architect, Clare Hogan, advising a refusal in her report, stating that the planned development did not meet legal requirements.
She expressed concern that the band was unable to provide "exceptional circumstances" to demolish four neighbouring listed buildings -- as required under the Planning and Development Act 2000.
Bono and The Edge plan to demolish the Georgian buildings and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a 141-bedroom five-star hotel and spa -- complete with restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
A spokesman for Failte Ireland said: "Our position is as outlined in the submission to the oral hearing. We would be happy to meet developers to talk about plans in great detail, if developers think that would be of benefit."
A planning source said the Failte Ireland comments were not as damning as they may initially seem. They said: "It is pretty balanced. They make a nod towards the good points of the project, while also voicing a bog standard concern about gutting buildings."
Larissa Nolan
www.buckplanning.ie
Failte Ireland criticised the project, saying that the planned dramatic facelift for the hotel -- owned by Bono and The Edge -- contravenes policies relating to conservation and does not constitute sustainable development.
The comments were made by Paddy Mathews, the authority's manager for Environment and Planning, in a submission that will be made at an An Bord Pleanala oral hearing about the case later this month.
It will be a blow to the band, after they especially requested the hearing to put their case forward before the planning board come to a decision on whether or not they should be allowed to go ahead.
The ambitious project for the Clarence -- which involves knocking down four neighbouring listed buildings and erecting a spaceship-like atrium on top -- was given the green light by Dublin City Council in November of last year.
However, a number of interested parties appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala. An Taisce, the national trust, and the Irish Georgian Society voiced opposition.
Bono, The Edge and developer Paddy McKillen then requested an oral hearing by the board, believed to be in order to put their views forward ahead of the board making a decision.
Failte Ireland did not volunteer the submission, it was requested by An Bord Pleanala.
In his comments, Paddy Mathews conceded that the development would be "exciting and innovative".
But he added: "It is clear that the treatment of these protected structures contravenes Dublin City Development Plan policies relating to the conservation of protected structures and does not constitute proper and sustainable development."
He said: "Dublin city derives much of its character and appeal to visitors from its Georgian heritage. It is important that the integrity of this historic fabric be protected.
"It is also considered that this may set an unwelcome precedent for development in the Georgian heart of the city."
One of the appellants, environmentalist and former head of An Taisce Michael Smith, welcomed and agreed with the Failte Ireland submission.
He said: "It is part of a new, serious approach to the environment that the former Bord Failte has started to take over the last few years. Formerly it was inclined to support all tourist infrastructure."
Smith also called on the Minister for the Environment John Gormley to make a submission to An Bord Pleanala, as he said would be usual, against what Smith described as "the biggest demolition of protected structures in more than a decade in Dublin" before its oral hearing on the matter starting on April 16.
The revamp has already been given the go-ahead by Dublin City Council, despite its own city conservation architect, Clare Hogan, advising a refusal in her report, stating that the planned development did not meet legal requirements.
She expressed concern that the band was unable to provide "exceptional circumstances" to demolish four neighbouring listed buildings -- as required under the Planning and Development Act 2000.
Bono and The Edge plan to demolish the Georgian buildings and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a 141-bedroom five-star hotel and spa -- complete with restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
A spokesman for Failte Ireland said: "Our position is as outlined in the submission to the oral hearing. We would be happy to meet developers to talk about plans in great detail, if developers think that would be of benefit."
A planning source said the Failte Ireland comments were not as damning as they may initially seem. They said: "It is pretty balanced. They make a nod towards the good points of the project, while also voicing a bog standard concern about gutting buildings."
Larissa Nolan
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Bono meets match with searing attack on 'brazen' hotel plan
BONO is not a man known to be short of words but he may have met his match in an opponent to his hotel expansion plans.
The U2 frontman and his bandmate, The Edge, who are partners in the Clarence Hotel in Dublin city centre, have been accused of "brazenness", "pique" and "anachronistic insensitivity" in their plan to demolish all but the famous facade of the protected building and create an enlarged premises behind.
Their critic is environmentalist Michael Smith, former chairman of heritage group An Taisce, who has lodged a formal objection with An Bord Pleanála urging rejection of the proposal, which was approved by Dublin City Council last month.
In a searing 22-page attack on the rock stars, Mr Smith says the proposed development is too big, out of character with the area, damaging to neighbouring buildings and destructive to the Liffey riverscape.
"The proposal is contextually illiterate, showing no awareness of the importance, subtlety or uniqueness of Dublin's quays. It provides for a parodying ragbag Leviathan of all the three forms, oversailed by a greedy cybership.
"The effect is to create a silly setpiece on the scale of the civic offices but comprising a mismatch of eviscerated typologies under a single roofscape which is somewhat redolent of the civic offices."
Mr Smith accuses Bono and The Edge of bastardising the original building when they took it over in the 1990s and mocks the reported losses the venture has racked up.
"The fact that the current owners are not up to running a hotel does not give them a right to demolish and start again. The owners clearly still have not found what they are looking for. Without presuming too much, I venture it is not a hotel," he writes.
Objections have also been lodged by An Taisce and a neighbouring firm of solicitors. A decision is due from An Bord Pleanála by April 22 next year.
Caroline O'Doherty
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The U2 frontman and his bandmate, The Edge, who are partners in the Clarence Hotel in Dublin city centre, have been accused of "brazenness", "pique" and "anachronistic insensitivity" in their plan to demolish all but the famous facade of the protected building and create an enlarged premises behind.
Their critic is environmentalist Michael Smith, former chairman of heritage group An Taisce, who has lodged a formal objection with An Bord Pleanála urging rejection of the proposal, which was approved by Dublin City Council last month.
In a searing 22-page attack on the rock stars, Mr Smith says the proposed development is too big, out of character with the area, damaging to neighbouring buildings and destructive to the Liffey riverscape.
"The proposal is contextually illiterate, showing no awareness of the importance, subtlety or uniqueness of Dublin's quays. It provides for a parodying ragbag Leviathan of all the three forms, oversailed by a greedy cybership.
"The effect is to create a silly setpiece on the scale of the civic offices but comprising a mismatch of eviscerated typologies under a single roofscape which is somewhat redolent of the civic offices."
Mr Smith accuses Bono and The Edge of bastardising the original building when they took it over in the 1990s and mocks the reported losses the venture has racked up.
"The fact that the current owners are not up to running a hotel does not give them a right to demolish and start again. The owners clearly still have not found what they are looking for. Without presuming too much, I venture it is not a hotel," he writes.
Objections have also been lodged by An Taisce and a neighbouring firm of solicitors. A decision is due from An Bord Pleanála by April 22 next year.
Caroline O'Doherty
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 19 November 2007
Planners backed U2 bid 'out of deference'
The former head of An Taisce last night expressed concern that approval was given to U2's controversial revamp of the Clarence Hotel out of "deference".
Dublin City Council officials granted the superstar rock group planning permission to go ahead with their €150m planned revamp amid criticism last week. A condition is that the developers contribute almost €1m to council initiatives, such as the cost of the Metro North rail line.
However, the council's own city conservation architect, Clare Hogan, had advised a refusal in her report -- stating that the planned development did not meet legal requirements.
She expressed concern that the band was unable to provide "exceptional circumstances" to demolish four neighbouring listed buildings -- as required under the Planning and Development Act 2000.
Co-owners Bono and the Edge plan to demolish the Georgian buildings and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a 141-bedroom, five-star hotel and spa -- complete with restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
Speculative
However, their inability to follow procedure meant that the decision was "reminiscent of the climate of 1960s speculative development", she said.
Speaking to the Irish Independent last night, former head of An Taisce, Michael Smith, said that Ms Hogan's comments were damming.
"She is blatantly saying that this should not have been given permission and recommended a refusal," he said.
"Although this was not unexpected, it is clearly in breach of national legislation and the city council's own plans.
"It seems obvious that the planning department rubberstamped this application out of deference to a renowned architect and a sexy developer."
But, according to the environmentalist, it would be "foolish" to mount a legal challenge to the decision at this stage, as the entire planning process needs to be exhausted before the courts intervene.
Only if An Bord Pleanala finds the decision unfavourable, will conservationists and environmentalists be allowed to mount a legal challenge.
In contrast, senior executive planner, Anthony Abbot-King, has branded the scheme as an "exemplary design solution".
He also considered the four Georgian buildings to be in "poor to very poor condition".
Architect firm Foster & Partners has said that, in order to turn the hotel into a rival of the greatest luxury hotels in the world, the plans have to be drastic.
However, a spokesman for the firm said that the "exceptional" new hotel would not see the streetscape of the Wellington Quay side in any way altered.
"If we were to keep the building as it is, we would have no scope to create the grandeur and interest that would be demanded for one that aspires to be the world's best," the spokesman added.
Patricia McDonagh
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Dublin City Council officials granted the superstar rock group planning permission to go ahead with their €150m planned revamp amid criticism last week. A condition is that the developers contribute almost €1m to council initiatives, such as the cost of the Metro North rail line.
However, the council's own city conservation architect, Clare Hogan, had advised a refusal in her report -- stating that the planned development did not meet legal requirements.
She expressed concern that the band was unable to provide "exceptional circumstances" to demolish four neighbouring listed buildings -- as required under the Planning and Development Act 2000.
Co-owners Bono and the Edge plan to demolish the Georgian buildings and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a 141-bedroom, five-star hotel and spa -- complete with restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
Speculative
However, their inability to follow procedure meant that the decision was "reminiscent of the climate of 1960s speculative development", she said.
Speaking to the Irish Independent last night, former head of An Taisce, Michael Smith, said that Ms Hogan's comments were damming.
"She is blatantly saying that this should not have been given permission and recommended a refusal," he said.
"Although this was not unexpected, it is clearly in breach of national legislation and the city council's own plans.
"It seems obvious that the planning department rubberstamped this application out of deference to a renowned architect and a sexy developer."
But, according to the environmentalist, it would be "foolish" to mount a legal challenge to the decision at this stage, as the entire planning process needs to be exhausted before the courts intervene.
Only if An Bord Pleanala finds the decision unfavourable, will conservationists and environmentalists be allowed to mount a legal challenge.
In contrast, senior executive planner, Anthony Abbot-King, has branded the scheme as an "exemplary design solution".
He also considered the four Georgian buildings to be in "poor to very poor condition".
Architect firm Foster & Partners has said that, in order to turn the hotel into a rival of the greatest luxury hotels in the world, the plans have to be drastic.
However, a spokesman for the firm said that the "exceptional" new hotel would not see the streetscape of the Wellington Quay side in any way altered.
"If we were to keep the building as it is, we would have no scope to create the grandeur and interest that would be demanded for one that aspires to be the world's best," the spokesman added.
Patricia McDonagh
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 18 November 2007
U2 finally get go-ahead for €150m hotel plan
U2 have finally found what they're looking for -- planning permission for a €150m revamp of the Clarence Hotel.
The rock supergroup have been given the green light by Dublin City Council to go ahead with controversial plans to turn the landmark property in Temple Bar into what Bono claims will be "the most spectacular hotel in Europe". His friend, former US President Bill Clinton, stayed at the hotel last night.
But conservationists and environmentalists have expressed outrage at the decision to allow Bono and The Edge to demolish four neighbouring listed buildings and erect a spaceship-style atrium on top.
Under planning law, council's should only give permission to demolish listed buildings "in exceptional circumstances".
Michael Smith, environmentalist and former head of An Taisce, the national heritage trust, has blasted the council's decision as "illegal" and accused U2 of "the biggest demolition of protected structures in Ireland in years".
Even the council's own City Conservation Architect, Clare Hogan, advised a refusal.
Ms Hogan said in her report, which was included in decision documents, that the planned development did not meet legal requirements. "The band were unable to provide exceptional circumstances as required under the Planning and Development Act 2000, to allow demolition of protected structures."
"The decision is reminiscent of the climate of 1960s speculative development."
Michael Smith -- who has been against the development since U2 applied for permission earlier this year -- said Clare Hogan's comments are damning.
"The planning authorities clearly ignored the good advice of the City Conservation Architect. She is blatantly saying that this should not have been given permission and recommended a refusal.
"Essentially, her comments say that permission in this case would be illegal. And it is."
However, senior executive planner Anthony Abbot-King felt the scheme was "an exemplary design solution" and that the owners have shown the existence of exceptional circumstances for economic reasons and through the proposal to reinstate facades, as well as the need to rejuvenate the west end of Temple Bar.
He also considered that the four Georgian buildings were in "poor to very poor condition".
It is expected that An Taisce, as well as the Irish Georgian Society, will soon make an appeal to An Bord Pleanala.
And Michael Smith has vowed that, should An Bord Pleanala give the go ahead, he will personally challenge the permission in the courts.
Co-owners Bono and the Edge plan to demolish the Georgian buildings and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a 141-bedroom, five-star hotel and spa complete with signature restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
The "skycatcher atrium" on top will be visible from all over the city.
The hotel was designed by the internationally-renowned architect Norman Foster. A recent online poll found that three-quarters of architects on website Archiseek believed the development should not be given permission.
Larissa Nolan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The rock supergroup have been given the green light by Dublin City Council to go ahead with controversial plans to turn the landmark property in Temple Bar into what Bono claims will be "the most spectacular hotel in Europe". His friend, former US President Bill Clinton, stayed at the hotel last night.
But conservationists and environmentalists have expressed outrage at the decision to allow Bono and The Edge to demolish four neighbouring listed buildings and erect a spaceship-style atrium on top.
Under planning law, council's should only give permission to demolish listed buildings "in exceptional circumstances".
Michael Smith, environmentalist and former head of An Taisce, the national heritage trust, has blasted the council's decision as "illegal" and accused U2 of "the biggest demolition of protected structures in Ireland in years".
Even the council's own City Conservation Architect, Clare Hogan, advised a refusal.
Ms Hogan said in her report, which was included in decision documents, that the planned development did not meet legal requirements. "The band were unable to provide exceptional circumstances as required under the Planning and Development Act 2000, to allow demolition of protected structures."
"The decision is reminiscent of the climate of 1960s speculative development."
Michael Smith -- who has been against the development since U2 applied for permission earlier this year -- said Clare Hogan's comments are damning.
"The planning authorities clearly ignored the good advice of the City Conservation Architect. She is blatantly saying that this should not have been given permission and recommended a refusal.
"Essentially, her comments say that permission in this case would be illegal. And it is."
However, senior executive planner Anthony Abbot-King felt the scheme was "an exemplary design solution" and that the owners have shown the existence of exceptional circumstances for economic reasons and through the proposal to reinstate facades, as well as the need to rejuvenate the west end of Temple Bar.
He also considered that the four Georgian buildings were in "poor to very poor condition".
It is expected that An Taisce, as well as the Irish Georgian Society, will soon make an appeal to An Bord Pleanala.
And Michael Smith has vowed that, should An Bord Pleanala give the go ahead, he will personally challenge the permission in the courts.
Co-owners Bono and the Edge plan to demolish the Georgian buildings and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a 141-bedroom, five-star hotel and spa complete with signature restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
The "skycatcher atrium" on top will be visible from all over the city.
The hotel was designed by the internationally-renowned architect Norman Foster. A recent online poll found that three-quarters of architects on website Archiseek believed the development should not be given permission.
Larissa Nolan
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 17 September 2007
U2 cutting it fine with hotel plans
Protected structure may hinder skycatcher glass dome proposal
U2's plan to transform the Clarence Hotel is hanging in the balance, as the rock supergroup have just one more week left to answer a list of key questions from the planning authorities about the project.
Bono and the Edge - who own the property in the heart of the capital - applied to Dublin City Council earlier this year to give the Clarence a €150 million revamp.
Their ambitious plan is to make the Clarence "the most spectacular hotel in Europe", complete with a spaceship-like glass dome on top, visible from all over the city.
Their proposal to quadruple the size of their landmark property, demolishing neighbouring Georgian buildings and rebuilding the hotel itself, has been the subject of a number of objections.
Officials in the council's planning department delayed their application in March, saying the owners must answer a raft of 18 questions before it could be considered.
They were given six months to respond -- but have yet to do so and the cut-off time is looming.
With the deadline set for September 26, the Clarence Partnership have just over one week left to provide the additional information requested.
A source in the planning department said: "They are cutting it very fine, leaving it until the eleventh hour. Or perhaps they are using all the time they have, as some of the questions are very complex."
In a letter to Bono and the Edge, the department pointed out that under Section 57 of the Planning and Development Act, authorities will not grant planning permission for the demolition of a protected structure, save in exceptional circumstances.
It stated that it requires the strongest justification to do so and wants the owners to address this matter in detail.
A significant number of the queries relate to the ambitious skycatcher glass dome, a Viking boat-shaped atrium stretching from the basement to the rooftop.
It asked the applicants to clarify the numbers and purpose of all proposed openings onto both Wellington Quay and Essex Street East and it wants more information and details on drawings and plans and requests clarification on the nature of the proposed retail area.
Bono wants to transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a nine-storey, 141-bedroom five-star hotel and spa complete with signature restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
The new hotel will encompass the former Dollard printing works and four other Georgian buildings on Wellington Quay.
Objectors to the plan include An Taisce, the heritage trust, who say the proposal is completely inappropriate for both the protected structures and their historic city-centre location, and the Irish Georgian Society, which believes that the development would dwarf adjoining buildings and dominate the Liffey quays.
The Clarence hotel was established in 1852 and bought by Bono and The Edge in 1992. Despite being the hotel of choice for international celebrities, it has incurred losses.
One of the biggest critics of the proposed Clarence revamp is conservationist and former head of An Taisce, Michael Smith, who described it as the "bastardisation" of the hotel.
He said: "The city council has indulged them and their property partner Paddy McKillen long enough."
Irish Independent
U2's plan to transform the Clarence Hotel is hanging in the balance, as the rock supergroup have just one more week left to answer a list of key questions from the planning authorities about the project.
Bono and the Edge - who own the property in the heart of the capital - applied to Dublin City Council earlier this year to give the Clarence a €150 million revamp.
Their ambitious plan is to make the Clarence "the most spectacular hotel in Europe", complete with a spaceship-like glass dome on top, visible from all over the city.
Their proposal to quadruple the size of their landmark property, demolishing neighbouring Georgian buildings and rebuilding the hotel itself, has been the subject of a number of objections.
Officials in the council's planning department delayed their application in March, saying the owners must answer a raft of 18 questions before it could be considered.
They were given six months to respond -- but have yet to do so and the cut-off time is looming.
With the deadline set for September 26, the Clarence Partnership have just over one week left to provide the additional information requested.
A source in the planning department said: "They are cutting it very fine, leaving it until the eleventh hour. Or perhaps they are using all the time they have, as some of the questions are very complex."
In a letter to Bono and the Edge, the department pointed out that under Section 57 of the Planning and Development Act, authorities will not grant planning permission for the demolition of a protected structure, save in exceptional circumstances.
It stated that it requires the strongest justification to do so and wants the owners to address this matter in detail.
A significant number of the queries relate to the ambitious skycatcher glass dome, a Viking boat-shaped atrium stretching from the basement to the rooftop.
It asked the applicants to clarify the numbers and purpose of all proposed openings onto both Wellington Quay and Essex Street East and it wants more information and details on drawings and plans and requests clarification on the nature of the proposed retail area.
Bono wants to transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a nine-storey, 141-bedroom five-star hotel and spa complete with signature restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
The new hotel will encompass the former Dollard printing works and four other Georgian buildings on Wellington Quay.
Objectors to the plan include An Taisce, the heritage trust, who say the proposal is completely inappropriate for both the protected structures and their historic city-centre location, and the Irish Georgian Society, which believes that the development would dwarf adjoining buildings and dominate the Liffey quays.
The Clarence hotel was established in 1852 and bought by Bono and The Edge in 1992. Despite being the hotel of choice for international celebrities, it has incurred losses.
One of the biggest critics of the proposed Clarence revamp is conservationist and former head of An Taisce, Michael Smith, who described it as the "bastardisation" of the hotel.
He said: "The city council has indulged them and their property partner Paddy McKillen long enough."
Irish Independent
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