Sir, - At its biannual meeting on September 18th in Stockholm, the Council of Docomomo International expressed its great concern to learn of Aer Rianta's proposal to construct a new pier connected to the old central terminal building in Dublin Airport.
Docomomo International is the only non-governmental organisation of specialists devoted to the history and documentation of the Modern Movement and the preservation and reassessment of its architecture and planning worldwide.The architectural heritage of the Modern Movement is more at risk today than it has been at any other period due to its age, the often innovative application of technology, the change in functions it was designed to perform, and the prevailing cultural climate.
Docomomo was founded in 1990 to establish a network of architects, historians, administrators, conservationists, teachers and other experts to press for the documentation and conservation of the most significant examples of Modern Movement architecture and to promote a greater understanding of the ideas which generated them. The organisation today has active working parties in 33 countries and specialist committees for establishing an international register and to cover its interests in education, technology, urbanism, landscape and publications.
The proposal to construct a new pier at Dublin Airport involves a two-storey structure within six metres of Desmond Fitzgerald's 1939 terminal building, which will have a permanently detrimental impact on the airside appearance of this landmark structure, the most important pre-war Modern Movement building in Ireland and one of the few Irish architectural achievements which can genuinely claim to be of international significance. Nor should one forget this building's other international role as Ireland's gateway to the world.
The building's unique status is already officially recognised by its inclusion on List 1 of Fingal County Council's development plan and it is to be hoped that An Bord Pleanala's decision on the current planning appeal will uphold the requirement for its preservation. It would, however, be preferable by far if the Minister for Public Enterprise, the owner of the old central terminal building, were now to instruct Aer Rianta to withdraw the current planning application, lodged on his behalf, pending publication of a master plan for Dublin Airport setting out a conservation policy for the old central terminal building.
The development needs of Dublin Airport are acknowledged but, just as in the recent case involving Copenhagen's second airport, it should not be beyond the capabilities of the Irish Government and the Irish Airport Authority to conceive a solution that protects both future infrastructural requirements and the architectural heritage legacy of the early years of the Irish State. - Yours, etc., Prof H. Jan-Henket,
Chairman,
Docomomo International,
Delft University of Technology,
Berlageweg 1,
Delft,
Netherlands.