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Hawkins House to be demolished

Muahahaha

I'll believe it when I see it but the Indo reports today that one of the biggest eyesores in the city center, aka Hawkins House/Dept of Health, could be set for demolition.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/health-hq-voted-as-citys-ugliest-building-set-to-be-demolished-31439409.html

Also interesting is that there is a one bedroom flat on the very top floor of the building

The upper level of the building has been unoccupied for some time.
At the top of the building is a penthouse flat which hasn't been used since the 1970s, complete with floral wallpaper and one bedroom.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar did a tour of the building when he took office and was surprised to discover the flat at the summit. "There was this lurid floral wallpaper on the walls, a dirty avocado toilet suite and some old whiskey bottles scattered about. There was just one bedroom. I've no idea who, if anyone, lived in it," Mr Varadkar told a newspaper last year.

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Muahahaha

It was just on the RTE news that the OPW have applied for planning permission to demolish Hawkins House. Permission might take up to a year to go through but it now looks like going ahead. The report said it will be replaced by a building that is the same height but has 50% more space. It also said that the 400 employees inside Hawkins House will be moving to the former Bank of Ireland buildings on Baggot St for the duration of the project. The project will cost €50m but the report didn't really clarify what exactly this €50m will get.

I found it difficult to believe that they can get 50% extra office space from the same footprint but if they can then fair play. I was also surprised that there is only 400 staff on site, at a guess it is 10 storeys high which would mean an average of 40 staff per floor. Does anyone know if a number of floors are just lying empty or something?

Also can anyone speculate as to how a building of this size will be demolished? I would absolutely love to see it get the dynamite treatment just for the sheer visual satisfaction to be had from a crumbling eyesore!

Alias G

Nichard Dixon wrote: »

This is all very fine, but unless the site is bigger than Busaras it is no
real help. Buraras is already close to the DART and LUAS and has better access.

A new bus terminus wouldn't replace busaras. Busaras is already significantly over capacity and a second terminus is needed. This is not a new idea for that site.

Nichard Dixon

BowWow wrote: »

Personally I'd love to see Hawkins Hse/Apollo Hse as the site of a new Central Bus Station, replacing Busaras, with a walkway bridge linking to the new Tara Street Dart Station.
Luas will be outside the door of Hawkins Hse.
In the future an underground walkway could link to the O'Connell Bridge MN station - if ever built, or alternatively an underground station box could be built under the new Hawkins House to be used as part of any future Dublin Underground.
Would be the makings of a city centre transport hub.............

This is all very fine, but unless the site is bigger than Busaras it is no
real help. Buraras is already close to the DART and LUAS and has better access.

Dord

BowWow wrote: »

Personally I'd love to see Hawkins Hse/Apollo Hse as the site of a new Central Bus Station, replacing Busaras, with a walkway bridge linking to the new Tara Street Dart Station.
Luas will be outside the door of Hawkins Hse.
In the future an underground walkway could link to the O'Connell Bridge MN station - if ever built, or alternatively an underground station box could be built under the new Hawkins House to be used as part of any future Dublin Underground.
Would be the makings of a city centre transport hub.............

Get outta that garden with your logical forward thinking! :P we'll have none of that "divil" stuff in Ireland thank you very much. :pac:

BowWow

Personally I'd love to see Hawkins Hse/Apollo Hse as the site of a new Central Bus Station, replacing Busaras, with a walkway bridge linking to the new Tara Street Dart Station.
Luas will be outside the door of Hawkins Hse.
In the future an underground walkway could link to the O'Connell Bridge MN station - if ever built, or alternatively an underground station box could be built under the new Hawkins House to be used as part of any future Dublin Underground.
Would be the makings of a city centre transport hub.............

spurious

podge018 wrote: »

have you been in it lately?

Last time was about March, though my mother goes in regularly.

podge018

spurious wrote: »

One of the last old style 'red curtains with ushers' cinemas.

have you been in it lately?

spurious

D Trent wrote: »

http://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/sad-news-as-iconic-dublin-cinema-will-close-its-doors-with-a-fortnight/518463

That is sad news. One of the last old style 'red curtains with ushers' cinemas.

cgcsb

Would be lovely if the whole block was redeveloped with a new diagonal street between Tara St station and College Green, you'd be guaranteed good footfall with commuters.

D Trent

http://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/sad-news-as-iconic-dublin-cinema-will-close-its-doors-with-a-fortnight/518463

Arthur Daley

On the 1962 (I think) reeling in the years they have a piece about the theatre royal closing and show some footage of hawkins house being built. Somewhere up on youtube

donegal.

from http://www.streetsbroadandnarrow.com/ . It has some great pics

Muahahaha

Seems Hawkins House might fall down before it gets dragged down!

Health bosses have been forced to place decking around one of the capital's ugliest buildings amid fears that parts of the structure might come loose during winter storms.

The Department of Health said that "protective measures" had been installed at its Hawkins House offices following a survey from the Office of Public Works (OPW) in recent months.
Voted the worst building in Dublin, the 12-storey eyesore was designed by Sir Thomas Bennett and was erected in 1962.
It replaced the Theatre Royal, and was marketed as a "prestige building" when it opened.
But now there are concerns that panels erected on the exterior are in danger of falling off and causing injury to passers-by, visitors and staff.
The OPW said an outer structure had been put in place to "protect the external facade of the building".
The move comes because parts of the panels on the exterior have been falling off, and there is concern that a serious injury might arise if a larger piece fell.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/safety-fears-for-public-as-parts-fall-off-city-offices-31601499.html

FreudianSlippers

Muahahaha wrote: »

I'd thought I heard something about Sean Mulryan/Ballymore hoping to proceed with it, though I'm not sure if planning still exists for a hotel that tall.

Sounds like we'll know on 8 September about that commercial block and hotel development in Spencer Dock.

FreudianSlippers

Muahahaha wrote: »

I'd thought I heard something about Sean Mulryan/Ballymore hoping to proceed with it, though I'm not sure if planning still exists for a hotel that tall. It'll still be good to get something decent built there and then when its done maybe they will re-visit the cladding on the Convention Center itself, it detracts from the architecture rather than adding to it IMO.

Height was definitely rejected already. Not sure about current plans - I think I've seen you over on SSC though right? One of that lot would know for sure!

Muahahaha

I'd thought I heard something about Sean Mulryan/Ballymore hoping to proceed with it, though I'm not sure if planning still exists for a hotel that tall. It'll still be good to get something decent built there and then when its done maybe they will re-visit the cladding on the Convention Center itself, it detracts from the architecture rather than adding to it IMO.

FreudianSlippers

Muahahaha wrote: »

Are the NAMA plans to develop a hotel behind the Convention Centre still going ahead?

I think the Convention Centre is owned by the OPW as opposed to NAMA, but AFAIK the plan is still to build that hotel or else sell the right to build it (the latter being the better option I would think).

Muahahaha

Are the NAMA plans to develop a hotel behind the Convention Centre still going ahead?

FreudianSlippers

carlmango11 wrote: »

I guessing the tower that was to be built beside it is either:
Cancelled, never going to happen

Rejected because it's taller than the houses Irish people are used to living in

I was saying that over on SSC, I think the 2nd proposal was the more likely one and they planned on the DCC cutting it at that "atrium" level just above the current elevation of the Convention Centre. AFAIK that'd make it about the same size as a few of the places across the river.

carlmango11

I guessing the tower that was to be built beside it is either:

Cancelled, never going to happen
Rejected because it's taller than the houses Irish people are used to living in

deandean

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Definitely a Charlie Haughey proposal for an iconic building to which the citizens of Dublin would aspire.

L1011

hardCopy wrote: »

I want to know who lived in that flat. It has all the makings of a scandalous love nest belonging to some former minister or senior civil servant.

I really want to see it, the description is perfect of a terrible 1970s shagpad above the city you were likely living off the proceeds of something dodgy from.

Also, what booze the bottles are from.

hardCopy

I want to know who lived in that flat. It has all the makings of a scandalous love nest belonging to some former minister or senior civil servant.

FreudianSlippers

Source

MagicMarker

The convention centre looks great from the front, from the back it looks like a prison.

FreudianSlippers

carlmango11 wrote: »

I feel like the architect designed the slanting glass bit and then just rushed the rest. The rest of the building is just an ugly, square slab. Looks disgusting from the side or back.

In fairness, the convention centre isn't finished as a result of the recession.

carlmango11

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

I actually like the convention centre design. A lot of friends of mine who have visited Dublin from abroad have commented on how much they like it too and one of them is an architect.

I feel like the architect designed the slanting glass bit and then just rushed the rest. The rest of the building is just an ugly, square slab. Looks disgusting from the side or back.

ToxicPaddy

I actually like the convention centre design. A lot of friends of mine who have visited Dublin from abroad have commented on how much they like it too and one of them is an architect.

spurious

Whatever happened the proposed statue in the Liffey that some said would look like a man having a slash? Just thought of it today.

http://archiseek.com/2009/wire-man-set-to-wade-in-to-liffey-as-10-year-planning-permission-granted/

At almost the height of the Statue of Liberty, it certainly would make an impression.

FloatingVoter

NCAD Ist Year Project: Draw a lonely chair (scratch: Van Gogh did that)
NCAD Ist Year Project: Draw a drunken barrel (scratch: Dublin Convention Centre did that)

This is no joke - a wobbly barrel was the kernel of the final convention centre design.

To be honest, without knowing that, it works as streamlined design with function intact. Compare it to the unimaginative piece of excrement that sits aloft in the middle of O'Connell St. A wobbly keg for drunken delegates is an Irish wink at architectural posterity. Think of that and smile next you pass.