Hawkins House, one of Dublin’s ugliest buildings, finally set to be demolished

Hawkins House, considered one of Dublin’s ugliest buildings, is finally to be levelled, three years after its demolition and redevelopment was granted permission.

Contractors have until next week to bid to demolish the former Department of Health headquarters, built in 1962 on the site of the former Theatre Royal on the corner of Poolbeg Street and Hawkins Street.

Meanwhile, Dublin City Council has granted permission to developer Pat Crean to demolish the last remaining building other than Hawkins House on the prime city block bordered by Hawkins Street, Tara Street, Townsend Street and Poolbeg Street.

After several delays, mostly recently related to the coronavirus pandemic, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has set a deadline of May 14th for demolition contractors to submit their tenders to raze Hawkins House.

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It is expected the demolition will take place in the coming months as outdoor workers return to construction sites, but the OPW said the future of the site post-demolition has yet to be determined. “The potential redevelopment of the site is under consideration, and subject to the availability of funds,” a spokesman said.

However, permission does already exist for a new office complex on the site of Hawkins House as part of a larger redevelopment scheme for the area between Hawkins Street and Tara Street.

In June 2017, Bord Pleanála granted permission to the OPW for the demolition of Hawkins House, and its replacement with an office complex up to 10 storeys tall. At the same time the board also gave the go-ahead to Mazars, the receiver appointed by the National Assets Management Agency (Nama) to Cuprum Properties Ltd, to demolish the neighbouring Apollo House, built in 1969 and the Long Stone pub, and their replacement with buildings from five to 12 storeys high.

Apollo House, and the Long Stone pub, were subsequently bought by Pat Crean and demolished. Mr Crean now owns all the remaining buildings and sites on the block apart from Hawkins House.

He has since secured permission for the demolition and redevelopment of College House, a 1970s former An Post building on Townsend Street, and next door to it the old Screen cinema. These buildings, which are in the process of demolition, will be replaced with a scheme up to 10 storeys, which will include a 500-seat entertainment venue.

Height permitted

Mr Crean wants to increase the height permitted on the now demolished Apollo House site, almost doubling the new building to 21 storeys – slightly shorter than the 22-storey tower for which developer Johnny Ronan has been granted permission where Tara Street meets the quays.

Dublin City Council last December granted permission for Mr Crean's high- rise scheme, which would now include 54 build-to-rent apartments, but it has been appealed to Bord Pleanála by An Taisce.

An Taisce raised concerns about the impact of the new tower on the character and setting of Trinity College, College Green and the city centre’s historic core. Bord Pleanála is due to determine the appeal this month.

Mr Crean is, however, likely to be unimpeded in his ambitions to demolish the last remaining building in his ownership on the block, the Brokerage apartments and Ruin Bar on the corner of Townsend Street and Tara Street.

Dublin City Council in March granted permission for the demolition of the four-storey block of 21 apartments and pub built in the late 1990s, accepting that the apartments were substandard in terms of minimum floor space and their demolition would allow for a “more comprehensive regeneration” of the block. The deadline for appealing the council’s decision will run out in the coming days.

Mr Crean has yet to submit plans for the future development of the Brokerage site, but any new scheme would be designed to “plug into” the permitted and pending developments on the surrounding sites.

Building line

New buildings on this corner site would likely be set back from the current building line of the Brokerage, which currently leaves a narrow footpath, but it is expected an application will be made for a development twice the height of the current apartments, with retail or cafe use on the ground floor and office space above.

With demolition crews still working on Mr Crean’s surrounding sites before Covid-19 restrictions were introduced, it is likely the Brokerage will be levelled before too long, but whether it or Hawkins House will be the last standing on the block remains to be seen.