New St Stephens Green SC Interior design

JeffK88

Don't know if this posted yet put here is what the 'New' St Stephens Green Shopping Center interior could look like.

http://www.renderare.com/?p=995

donvito99

I like it.

SSGSC does look dated, like a huge grandiose PVC conservatory.

ProudDUB

Horrible. Absolutely horrible. It could be any identikit shopping mall anywhere in the world. At least the original conservatory design had a bit of character. I've never been in one even remotely like it in the world & I really like that about it. Would be sad to see it get an over haul that makes it look like every other generic shopping centre in the world.

Sulla Felix

Reminds me of the Whitewater in Newbridge. Not a good thing btw, that kip is the most soulless shopping centre I've ever entered.

Gumbo

donvito99 wrote: »

I like it.

SSGSC does look dated, like a huge grandiose PVC conservatory.

Reminds me of the bird cage in Jurassic Park 3.

Ravelleman

Awful design but from the management´s point of view the location must appear quite out-dated as a retail space. It does seem like an under-utilised location, given its proximity to Grafton St. No doubt the rents will be much higher when re-developed.

The current layout is rather interesting though - it has a kind of panopticon effect where the visitors can see almost all of the shopping spaces at the same time.

jill_valentine

New design looks like a swimming pool or something.

I'm not averse to change, but the unique old timey eccentricity of the current look is its whole charm for me.

ProudDUB

I don't mind giving the place an aul face lift, or changing the layout to freshen it up a bit or maximize revenue, but change for changes sake is just stupid imo. I don't see why it looking like an giant conservatory is necessarily a bad thing. The Great Palm House in the Botanic Gardens is nothing but a giant conservatory too, and yet you don't see anyone in a great rush to tear that down.

Love the term panopticon. That is one of is charms too imo. Love being able to see all floors at once. It gives it a lovely feeling of openness and airiness that the more closed in shopping centres never have.

Can't believe how pissed off I am at the notion of this change to it. I went to school on St Stephens Green. A large part of my teenage years were spent under the roof of the Stephens Green Shopping Centre, so I am probably more biased against change than most.

carlmango11

It's beyond me why anyone would even consider ripping out the current interior for this sh*t. Stephen's Green is fantastic. It's so unique. You always see tourists taking photos of it - I guarantee no one is going to be photographing this soulless crap.

Also those artist's renditions always look three times as good as the finished work so take that into account.

DesperateDan

Really nice building i hope they don't change it. Shop choices are pretty sh1t though :P

John_Rambo

I like the current New Orleans look.

donvito99

ProudDUB wrote: »

The Great Palm House in the Botanic Gardens is nothing but a giant conservatory too, and yet you don't see anyone in a great rush to tear that down.

I don't know what to say.

strandroad

Is it a real project, or just someone playing with rendering software?

Aard

A recent Irish Times article stated that the shopping centre is to be renovated with a 10 screen cinema on the upper floor(s?). I don't think that fits in with the rendering, which is why I wonder the same thing as the poster above.

OU812

I recall reading years ago, that the ironwork on the outside can be just unbolted to reveal a fresh appearance.

It could do with a little revamp, but I'd go as far as new public paving surface & signage for the stores, maybe introduce some tall palms into the middle of it to complete the conservatory appearance.

cherryghost

Leave it as it is, it has character unlike 99% of shopping centres.

uberwolf

Aard wrote: »

A recent Irish Times article stated that the shopping centre is to be renovated with a 10 screen cinema on the upper floor(s?). I don't think that fits in with the rendering, which is why I wonder the same thing as the poster above.

my understanding is that the cinema is going in on top at the back - not interfering with the existing space.

The centre's problem is that they do not have the big units that are attractive to the international retailers - Grafton street is poor in that regard as well and the the shopping centre should seek to take advantage. The mix of tenants is poor. I like the current feel of the place as much as anyone and I would favour a rejig that didn't impact the aesthetics to any great degree.

liffeylite

uberwolf wrote: »

my understanding is that the cinema is going in on top at the back - not interfering with the existing space.

The centre's problem is that they do not have the big units that are attractive to the international retailers - Grafton street is poor in that regard as well and the the shopping centre should seek to take advantage. The mix of tenants is poor. I like the current feel of the place as much as anyone and I would favour a rejig that didn't impact the aesthetics to any great degree.

Yes, you are correct. The reason for the overhaul is to create space for larger retail units- particularly fashion stores.

There are a number of fashion retailers looking for space in the south city centre but they cant get units big enough. I believe the small kiosks in the Stephens green centre on the ground floor are being removed and some larger units built in their place. I would assume there will be the combining of some of the units to make larger spaces also.

The cinema is going in at the top, so doesn't affect the rest of the centre. there will also be more cafes and food options going in.

Aard

Yes it should be very possible to do a rejig of the units without interfering with the conservatory-feel aesthetics. Demand for larger-floorplate units in the immediate is high, as evidenced by the amalgamation of two units further down Grafton. Nespresso are also going through planning permission to create a large shop beside Davy Byrne's. Apple never located in the area because the shops were too small. Some Dawson St premises are being snapped up do to their redevelopment potential.

If Stephen's Green SC can capitalise on the demand for larger shops while retaining the charm and character of the centre then they'll be onto a winner.

Jumboman

Stephens Green Interior is like walking into a 1980s time warp.

Marcusm

ProudDUB wrote: »

Horrible. Absolutely horrible. It could be any identikit shopping mall anywhere in the world. At least the original conservatory design had a bit of character. I've never been in one even remotely like it in the world & I really like that about it. Would be sad to see it get an over haul that makes it look like every other generic shopping centre in the world.

I guess you've never been in Whiteleys in London on which (I believe) it was based. Whiteleys is named after and built on the site of the first department store.

EyeSight

all these calls for larger space. Has HMVs old premise been sold yet? (not arguing, just curious)

richardjjd

You may have hurt the designers feelings - that link isn't working.

Agent Smith

EyeSight wrote: »

all these calls for larger space. Has HMVs old premise been sold yet? (not arguing, just curious)

Was lying vacant on weds night anyway

kylith

I've always loved SSG, I love that it's old fashioned. I hate the modern cookie-cutter sameness of all the new builds. I find Dundrum Centre soulless and a bit claustraphobic, but SSG has always been so open and airy.

liffeylite

Aard wrote: »

Yes it should be very possible to do a rejig of the units without interfering with the conservatory-feel aesthetics. Demand for larger-floorplate units in the immediate is high, as evidenced by the amalgamation of two units further down Grafton. Nespresso are also going through planning permission to create a large shop beside Davy Byrne's. Apple never located in the area because the shops were too small. Some Dawson St premises are being snapped up do to their redevelopment potential.

If Stephen's Green SC can capitalise on the demand for larger shops while retaining the charm and character of the centre then they'll be onto a winner.

good points made here.

Creation arcade is also being rebuilt to avail of larger floor plates for retailers.

Aard

Mr.S wrote: »

I never got why the quality of shops inside where not on par with grafton street etc, its the perfect location.

The units are too small.

ScottSF

I really like it the way it is, though of course it can use some freshening up to make it shine even more. But changing the design completely is silly and completely unnecessary. It is a unique and quaint shopping centre (not a "mall" which is usually soulless). The current design is old fashioned yes, but historic looking and certainly tourist friendly. Americans don't come here to shop at an identical shopping mall with the same boring stores (OK well some do but that's a sad story). I truly hope they leave the style as is but do a bit of layout and design improvements to bring in more retailers and liven up the shopping atmosphere.

The biggest thing in my opinion is to add more benches. There is never a place to sit except around the eating areas. A rooftop patio and foot court (partially covered of course) would also be a much welcome addition for views over the park and Grafton Street.

miamee

ScottSF wrote: »

I really like it the way it is, though of course it can use some freshening up to make it shine even more. But changing the design completely is silly and completely unnecessary. It is a unique and quaint shopping centre (not a "mall" which is usually soulless). The current design is old fashioned yes, but historic looking and certainly tourist friendly. Americans don't come here to shop at an identical shopping mall with the same boring stores (OK well some do but that's a sad story). I truly hope they leave the style as is but do a bit of layout and design improvements to bring in more retailers and liven up the shopping atmosphere.

The biggest thing in my opinion is to add more benches. There is never a place to sit except around the eating areas. A rooftop patio and foot court (partially covered of course) would also be a much welcome addition for views over the park and Grafton Street.

I agree with this, there really is nowhere to sit and people end up sitting outside La Croissanterie or Johnnie Cupcakes or in the food court for a rest, eating nothing - which doesn't look good for those shops.

The area where the Asian buffet is, is completely under-utilised, it is a lovely spot with the big window walls looking out at the green and the top of Grafton Street. If it was a proper cafe/restaurant with decent food, I'd be there a lot more

ScottSF

It would be great if Boards.ie had a feature (button) called "Send this Thread to [the company/person in charge]". That way a set of posts that contain real and useful feedback can easily be forwarded to the people in charge. I feel doubtful that the owners of the shopping centre (for example) ever find this helpful feedback. Plus they might want to respond or post a Survey/Poll about the topic to gather even more feedback from people that want to be heard!

Ravelleman

ScottSF wrote: »

It would be great if Boards.ie had a feature (button) called "Send this Thread to [the company/person in charge]". That way a set of posts that contain real and useful feedback can easily be forwarded to the people in charge. I feel doubtful that the owners of the shopping centre (for example) ever find this helpful feedback. Plus they might want to respond or post a Survey/Poll about the topic to gather even more feedback from people that want to be heard!

It's not helpful to them. They want to make money and in its present form the shopping centre isn't making intensive enough use of the space available to it. It's outdated and can't charge rents on the top end of the scale. It will lose its unique character, yes, but the owners may well go laughing on their way to the bank and that's all that matters.

[Jackass]

Whilst it's an attractive contemporary design, not everything should always be contemporary and modern. What if the Italians thought all of their old buildings needed face lifts and modernisation through the centuries?

I'm not comparing SSGSC to a renaissance building or anything, but just think some architecturally significant buildings around the city should be kept the same.

I'm a big fan of the kiosk layout at the bottom and the big glass facade. The clock in the centre is only marginally smaller than the face of Big Ben (they didn't want to make it as big for whatever reason, so it's slightly smaller).

There's great history to it.

This, along with the grey scaling of Grafton St. instead of resurfacing it in similar vein to the colouring that existed there, is basically just trying to make Dublin and the south inner city as boring and generic as possible. With each of these developments, another large chunk of the cities personality and uniqueness is killed.

Speedsie

miamee wrote: »

The area where the Asian buffet is, is completely under-utilised, it is a lovely spot with the big window walls looking out at the green and the top of Grafton Street. If it was a proper cafe/restaurant with decent food, I'd be there a lot more

The Dome restaurant that was there for over 20 years was a lovely spot - a pity it closed. Great food too.

starviewadams

Could do with lick of paint,and some more escalators maybe,but otherwise I'd leave it as is.

Like the fact that there's still some normal shops left in there,not just identikit crap like Dundrum,Liffey Valley etc.

fondue

What year did the shopping centre open in?

Speedsie

Think it was 1988 for the 'Aluminium' Year...

miamee

Speedsie wrote: »

Think it was 1988 for the 'Aluminium' Year...

Was just about to say '88 alright

I vaguely remember the name of the Dome restaurant but unfortunately I'm not sure that I was ever in it. I wonder if there are any pics of it somewhere...must google it later.

bb1234567

Aw no i love the current design its so odd and kind of ugly in its own attractive kinda way. Its just one of those quirkey little things that makes me love dublin, It would be so sad to see it go
ill admit the actual shops within the centre could be overhawled , they should probably be classier considering the prozimity to graftonst.but the design should stay.

kylith

miamee wrote: »

Was just about to say '88 alright

I vaguely remember the name of the Dome restaurant but unfortunately I'm not sure that I was ever in it. I wonder if there are any pics of it somewhere...must google it later.

Showing my naiveté here, but I thought it was significantly older than that. Like Old-old.

Speedsie

There was an upmarket grocery shop there called Smyth's on the Green there until the sixties, extensive wine vaults that went under the street.

Strahan's wood workers was also there, Brown's chemist and Rice's pub.

Around the corner was Synnott's pub (the only original pub).

The shops & private houses were bought out by the Slazenger family (owners of the Powerscourt estate at the time), and closed down. For a time it was the Dandelion market home of bohemian folk such as Jim Fitzpatrick (most famous for his iconic picture of Che Guevara), Alan Shatter (now in a different sort of market ) and buskers such as The Hive (U2)

As a child I had an afghan jacket bought in the Dandelion market. Loved it & my red wellies.....

Speedsie

Oh, and I don't think that they should make the centre into a bland identi-kit 'mall', it is unique.

Would love them to put in a cinema though - which is being mooted I understand. The last film I saw in the old 'St Stephen's Green Cinema' (where the Fitzwilliam is now-ish) was Octopussy. Underage at the time, but they turned a blind eye...

Speedsie

Here's a photomontage from Dublin City Library photo archive contrasting that corner in 1981 & 2012

Aard

Another thought is that I hope they open up the shops facing the street better. For example right now the only way of getting into Benneton is to go inside the centre. South King St could be made much more vibrant by having more shops opening onto it. The only ones I can think of that do that right now are a pub and Wagamama. There's obvious demand for that stretch with H&M, Zara, and Warehouse having opened there a few years back. Plus I think you can already see into the backs of a few of the shops through some windows so retro fitting an entrance off the street shouldn't be a big deal - and the planners would definitely be in favour of more doors onto the street.

xOxSinéadxOx

^ Yah I agree with this.

I actually love the design of it at the moment hope they don't change it.
Any foreign people I've been in there with have commented on how nice it is.

bb1234567

[Jackass] wrote: »

Whilst it's an attractive contemporary design, not everything should always be contemporary and modern. What if the Italians thought all of their old buildings needed face lifts and modernisation through the centuries?

I'm not comparing SSGSC to a renaissance building or anything, but just think some architecturally significant buildings around the city should be kept the same.

I'm a big fan of the kiosk layout at the bottom and the big glass facade. The clock in the centre is only marginally smaller than the face of Big Ben (they didn't want to make it as big for whatever reason, so it's slightly smaller).

There's great history to it.

This, along with the grey scaling of Grafton St. instead of resurfacing it in similar vein to the colouring that existed there, is basically just trying to make Dublin and the south inner city as boring and generic as possible. With each of these developments, another large chunk of the cities personality and uniqueness is killed.

yeah we have quite a knack for doing that dont we

JupiterKid

While I think that the St Stephen's Green centre needs a facelift - those plans on page 1 are hideous - just a bland modernist design like a million other shopping centres.:( I hope the planners reject these proposals outright.

The glass and open space feel of the Green centre is the main part of its appeal.

I never liked all the white framing and white and pale green walls though - what I'd like to see would be the white and green being replaced with copper, red brick and brass, many of the smaller units enlarged and something to attract people up to the currently dead third floor. The dead frontage along South King Street is a problem too - shops there should have access from the street.

I'd also like to see the glass dome at the corner replaced by a copper one.

Corruptedmorals

I love the centre, the interior decor could definitely be spruced up. Another escalator or two at the main entrance end on the first floor would be nice. It's so dead though, Boots, Argos and Dunnes and very very few other units performing in any way well- two hairdressers, Mothercare and maybe Asha and the t shirt printing place. How many people even know there's a great cafe in the middle of the top floor? The kooky shops are pretty cool but it's never going to entice people, Henry/Mary Street is winning that battle. I used to work there and I loved it, the roof, the clock and the glass units on the ground floor must stay as they are but definitely a lot of work could be done.

Really the southside needs magnets like Penneys, New Look and Forever 21. HMV building would suit one of them, and large units in the green for the others.

Aard

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

Really the southside needs magnets like Penneys, New Look and Forever 21. HMV building would suit one of them, and large units in the green for the others.

I have a feeling that SSG has the capacity to go much more upscale than that. I'd imagine that they're thinking more along the lines of Dundrum as competition rather than Jervis. For example, Apple were considering locating on Dawson St towards the end of the boom. I'd say they'd give their eye-teeth for Benneton's frontage, assuming a larger floor plate and direct street access.

Of course, the ones you mentioned too would love to set up shop there. Again the perennial issue is lack of space. Look at the Penneys in Dundrum, Henry St, even O'Connell St - there's nowhere in SSG as it stands that could accommodate a shop that size other than Dunnes. You mention HMV - it was reported that the company that bought them (Hilco) are looking for a Grafton St area premesis for a new HMV, but not their old place. SSG would be ideal.

Corruptedmorals

Yes, it's just that they are huge draws. Grafton Street with BT, BT2, Reiss, Karen Millen etc. is paling in comparison to shopping on the Northside. Many of the expensive brands are carried in Arnotts. It would be great if SSG could secure a big name tenant, it's quite a dead shopping centre. Aren't apple on the bottom of Grafton street?

Speedsie

Benneton & Mothercare have the ability to open onto the street, the doors were certainly there & open for the first few years of the centre. I imagine they were closed for 'security' purposes.

Yes, Apple is opposite the Provost's House at the bottom of Grafton Street. It's called CompuB though...

Aard

It's just a licensed reseller, like in Dundrum. I wonder too if a revamped SSG could attract some of those brands from Brown Thomas, or Arnotts as you mention. So rather than having a limited concession, those luxury shops could have their own space. There is precedent for that (locating in shopping centres as opposed to the high street), especially in the US. Afaik, that huge Ballsbridge redevelopment that never got going was going to have some luxury shops like the Louis Vuittons of this world.

I'm not saying I'd personally favour it, but if SSG could manage it (I'm sure they could) they'd go for it.

Also, fwiw, I did a quick calculation - the ground floor of the current shopping centre is only 4.5 times the size of the ground floor of Marks & Spencer on Grafton St. Puts things in perspective when there are currently at least thirty units there atm (ground floor only).