Lottery for Free Tours of Dublin’s Old Terminal Building

PurplePrincess

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is offering free Guided Tours of the airport's Old Terminal Building as part of this year’s Open House Dublin architectural festival.The old terminal, designed by a team of architects led by Desmond FitzGerald and completed in 1940, is not normally open to the public. However on Saturday, October 5, DAA staff will give four guided tours of the terminal building as part of Open House.

http://openhousedublin.com/index.php/tour/old-terminal-building

urajoke

Bit odd as most of it is offices now.

You won't get in the control tower as its our back up tower and has our equipment in it.

MET is downstairs and still in use and the floors below are DAA HR.

The lobby has been restored and is a reception that's about it.

lord lucan

They cover the lobby, the former function room that was used for dances, the ME part of the tower if they're agreeable and another conference room that has a great view of pier a and the former north terminal airbridge.

Good little tour given that some of it is off limits to Joe public.

brettmirl

Just got an email saying I got a place on this. Cheers to the OP for the tip off!

crosstownk

Damn. I'm away that weekend. :mad: Would have loved a chance to do this.

BeardySi

Buggeration, I'm busy that weekend!

DOCARCH

brettmirl wrote: »

Just got an email saying I got a place on this. Cheers to the OP for the tip off!

Got my email too. Thanks too to the OP.

miamee

I guess this means I am not getting an email In previous years I have tried to book it online but always booked out immediately. maybe some of you who go it can let us know if it was worth a visit

pajor

Entered for this a few weeks back after seeing it on twitter. Darn.

DOCARCH

Just wondering if anybody else who got an email saying they had a place on the tour get any further feedback?

I sent in my details (who would be going, email address, etc.), as was requested (by Wednesday last week)...but have heard nothing back since/no confirmation?

L1011

From experience they usually only send details out on the Friday. I got another building this year and got an initial reply when I confirmed but nothing else yet.

Davidth88

I missed out on the lottery , however I did win on the lottery for the Central Bank.

They asked for details etc , I sent these off and got the confirmation back on Monday morning

( Off thread ) I will be wearing a large coat with deep pockets to grab as much of the IMF's cash as I can :-)


Enjoy the tour this weekend , wish I was going on that one the old terminal building is just lovely, and looks very smart now they have cleaned up the frontage, it's a shame they have the horrible windows which look out of place ( either plastic or something but modern and not the original ) , perhaps you can ask if there was a reason they were allowed to do that .

DOCARCH

MYOB wrote: »

From experience they usually only send details out on the Friday. I got another building this year and got an initial reply when I confirmed but nothing else yet.

Got my confirmation email yesterday evening.

Will take a few pics and post up any decent ones after Saturday.

Rain Dog

Davidth88 wrote: »

perhaps you can ask if there was a reason they were allowed to do that .

The windows were changed in the 80s, before government agencies, departments, authorities etc., had to apply for planning permission. The glazing to the entrance lobby itself and the passenger lounges on the airside, (probably not part of the tour) are replicas of the original steel windows. As is the glazed screen between the reception and the passenger lounges, although that divide wasn't there originally, it was ticket desks and the route through to the planes.

Rain Dog

A couple of actual original architectural details that may be of interest are the stairs in the reception and the floors on the first floor.

The stairs have the original stone treads and risers, as well as the balustrades and handrail. They also are beside the original glass block windows.

You may notice a creak or two along the carpeted corridor on the first floor, that's the original wooden floor below. You can see the actual wooden floor in the meeting room at south end of the corridor.

For the real architectural geeks, there's also an original light switch or two around, on the landings of the stairs. There's lots of the original radiators around. An original steel window, into a plant room on the south end can be seen from outside - it's small and looks pretty much like any steel window from that time. I'm not sure if the timber cladding along some corridors is original or not, the offices along the first floor airside are definately not.

Razor44

Went on the Tour yesterday, very interesting and the tour was very well done imo. relaxed and a nice over view of the OCTB and the airport over the years. ill put some pics up in the Aviation thread