Central Plaza, also known as the Central Bank of Ireland Building for its former tenant, is an office building on Dame Street in Temple Bar, Dublin. It was the headquarters of the Central Bank of Ireland from 1979 to 2017. It is Ireland's only 'suspended building', with its 8 floors hanging from central concrete cores. Each floor was built on the ground and then raised into place. It was controversial for being out of scale with its neighbourhood and for being built taller than approved. , the building is undergoing renovations including the addition of a "rooftop venue" and observation deck.
History
The Central Bank of Ireland originally proposed a new headquarters tower on Dame Street in Temple Bar in 1967. The proposal was immediately opposed as it would entail demolition of the site's 18th-centuryCommercial Buildings. During construction in 1974, the building was discovered to have reached a height of, exceeding 120 feet approved by Dublin Corporation, and it was suggested that the building would have to rebuilt using traditional methods, allowing the hangers to be removed. Construction was halted for a year. Rather than reduce the building's height so late in construction, the Central Bank appealed to Minister for Local GovernmentJames Tully who approved the height increase. The project, which was carried out by Sisk Group, was completed in 1978, and included a replica of the Commercial Buildings in a different location on the site. The plaza occupied by the Occupy Dame Street movement in 2011–2012. The Central Bank announced in 2012 that it would move out of the building, having purchased a site on North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands that was originally planned to be the headquarters of Anglo Irish Bank. The Central Bank sold the Dame Street Tower to Hines and Peterson Group for €67 million in 2016 and moved from the tower in 2017. The tower, its plaza, and public art were proposed to be added to the list of protected structures to protect the significant architecture, but this was deferred by Dublin City Council as it could impede the redevelopment proposed by the new owners. The owners committed that the redevelopment would maintain the building's architectural integrity. In 2017, renovation plans were announced under the name Central Plaza, including redevelopment of the surrounding plaza, office space, and the addition of a two-story "rooftop venue" and viewing area. The renovation is being conducted by John Paul Construction, who completed a similar renovation at Miesian Plaza, the Bank of Ireland's former headquarters. In 2018, coworking provider WeWork agreed to lease all eight floors of the Central Plaza tower.
Architecture
The design and construction of the Central Bank building were very unique, being the only suspended structure in Ireland, and one of perhaps 20 in the world. The building is based around two central concrete cores, with floorspace suspended around them by twelve sets of external supports. During construction, the concrete cores were built first, and each floor was built at ground level and then raised into place. The rooftop supports were originally exposed on the roof, giving the building an even more distinctive profile, but were later contained in copper cladding due to issues with rainwater. The building is in the Brutalist style and was criticized when constructed. In 2017, the Irish Times reported retrospectively: The building has since become better appreciated. In the 2017 application for protected status, Dublin Concillor Mannix Flynn summarized:
Art
The plaza contained the sculpture Crann an Oir by Derry sculptor Éamonn O'Doherty, which became a symbol of the Central Bank, Irish Banking, and the Celtic Tigerboom and bust. The sculpture, also known as the "Golden Ball", has been included in mock-ups of the Central Plaza redevelopment. The Central Bank's lobby contained Abstract Beaded Pattern, a large artwork by Patrick Scott. It was put into storage prior to the Bank's move from the premises in 2017.
