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LIVING OVER THE SHOP
3 & 4 Capel Street, Dublin 1
2000-2002
Client Dublin City Council
Architects:
John O’Neill & Associates in association with Dublin City Council Architects
Conservation Consultant:
Thomas McGimsey
Structural Consultants:
Barrett Mahony
There is a long tradition, in Dublin, of the upper floors of retail premises being let go derelict. In 2000 Dublin City Council launched a package of tax incentives to encourage owners of shops to renovate the upper floors of their premises for residential use.
The practice was commissioned to renovate two derelict protected structures on Caple Street, Dublin1, as a flagship for the scheme.
Each of these buildings has a shop on the ground floor with a basement under. Beside the shop front is a door giving access through a narrow hall to a staircase to the upper floors.
A strategy of providing one apartment per floor was adopted to preserve the integrity of the plan. Each apartment has its living room, with kitchen, in the original front room and a bedroom in the original rear room. Part of the rear room is taken up with the entrance hall and bathroom. A large balcony is provided for each apartment at the rear, accessed off the bedroom.
With the assistance of Tom McGimsey, Conservation Architect, a work method was devised for carrying out the works. This entailed, identifying materials such as floorboards, ceiling cornices and roses etc. which could be culled and reused.
In other instances elements of structure such as floor joists, which were no longer sound were preserved alongside new joists.
However, once the original buildings had been made sound and reinstated, all new interventions are expressed in contemporary terms. These interventions including kitchens, bathrooms, balconies etc., are necessary for the continued use of the buildings. We believe is the best way to ensure the continued conservation of buildings is to ensure their continued use.
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