Sir, - Ireland has a deserved international reputation for the excellence of its 18th and 19th century built heritage. The architectural legacy of 20th century Ireland cannot rival the wealth of the previous centuries, so it behoves us to treasure and preserve the relatively few outstanding buildings of the last 100 years.
The former Wiggins Teape building of 1932, on Dublin's East Wall Road, designed by architect John Stephenson, of the Belfast firm of Stephenson and Son, is one such building. It shows great skill and sophistication in its proportions and materials. The facade represents one of the earliest known uses of reconstituted stone - all in all a building well worthy of preservation. It is, however, in danger of demolition and would be a very considerable and unnecessary loss. A building demolished is irreplaceable - its beauty, workmanship and history lost forever. - Yours, etc.,
Mary Bryan, BArch, Conservation Officer, Irish Georgian Society, Ireland's Architectural Heritage Society, Merrion Square, Dublin 2.