Planning and transport authorities have raised concerns over plans for the demolition and redevelopment of Hawkins House and Apollo House, widely regarded as two of the ugliest buildings in the centre of Dublin.
The Office of Public Works (OPW), along with Nama-appointed receivers to Apollo House and the neighbouring Long Stone pub, last month applied to Dublin City Council for permission to build a new office “quarter” along with shops, restaurants, a public plaza and a new diagonal pedestrian street.
It would be one of the largest redevelopment projects in the city centre since the end of the economic boom with an estimated value of €50 million.
The proposed scheme takes up almost an entire city block bounded by Poolbeg Street, Tara Street, Townsend Street and Hawkins Street .
The development would bring to fruition the long-promised demolition of the Department of Health headquarters at Hawkins House, owned by the OPW. Built in 1962 on the site of the former Theatre Royal, Hawkins House is often cited among the least attractive buildings in the city, along with its slightly younger neighbour, Apollo House, built in 1969 and until recently leased to the Department of Social Protection.
Safety
Transport Infrastructure Ireland, formed last year by the merger of the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency, said it was concerned that the development would impact on the safety of the Luas Cross City line currently under construction.
The development had “significant potential to impact adversely on the operation of the light rail infrastructure in the vicinity of the subject development proposals”, the transport authority said.
In particular it said the demolition plans did not take appropriate account of the proximity of the Luas line and measures were needed to avoid “collapse” of the building over the line.
The city council has raised concerns about the height of both replacement buildings.
The existing Hawkins House is 12 storeys high and approximately 41m tall. The new building will be 10 storeys, but because of the greater floor-to-ceiling heights required under current planning rules, it will be similar in height at about 40m. Apollo House will go up from 10 to 12 storeys, or from about 35m to 48m.
Concerns
The council has concerns about the impact of the views from the quays of the eighth- and ninth-floor levels of Hawkins House. “The applicant is requested to respond to these concerns by reviewing the height, massing and façade treatment of the proposed development.”
The council wants the OPW to undertake further analysis of the impacts of the proposal on nearby residential developments in terms of daylight, sunlight and overlooking.
In relation to Apollo House the council has concerns about the 10th and 11th floors as viewed from “sensitive conservation areas in the city”, particularly as viewed from College Park in Trinity College and from the Custom House, which the council said “appear overly dominant”.
The heights sought for the two sites are permitted under the council’s 2012 George’s Quay Local Area Plan, which envisages the creation of a new “midtown” for the city south of the Liffey to Pearse Street and from Hawkins Street to Lombard Street. The scheme is one of the first sought under the plan.
