Businesses in the O'Connell Street area of Dublin have been urged to upgrade their shopfronts as a contribution to the rejuvenation of the city's principal thoroughfare.
The Dublin city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, said yesterday that the city council had already demonstrated its commitment to the area by erecting the Spire of Dublin and constructing a "grand civic plaza" in front of the GPO.
Later this year, Luas would be traversing O'Connell Street at the junction with Abbey Street, making the area more accessible and bringing in many new visitors, and it was important that the business community should respond.
"Local businesses have an important role to play in the physical transformation of the street and the restoration of the main civic thoroughfare of our capital city to its former architectural glory", the city manager said.
Though some shops and businesses had made their contribution by properly maintaining or successfully installing well-designed and carefully constructed shop fronts and façades, more work needed to be done in this area.
Mr Fitzgerald was speaking at the launch of shopfront design guidelines for the entire area stretching from Parnell Square to College Green, recognising that shopfronts are "essential components of every busy street scene".
In 1997, the O'Connell Street Integrated Area Plan suggested that up to 80 shopfronts in the area were inappropriate and needed to be replaced in the interest of upgrading the overall environment.
These include a number of amusement arcades.
The guidelines, prepared by Howley Harrington Architects in conjunction with Dublin City Council, "illustrate in a simple and practical manner how the principles of good shopfront design can be implemented", according to the city manager.
Copies of the guidelines are available from Mr Paul Crowe, of the city council's central area office. E-mail paul.crowe@dublincity.ie or telephone 01-672 2170
