New Hotel

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIVOLI THEATRE AND CARPARK – DID YOU EVER WONDER ABOUT THIS

May 4, 2022 by Infomatique

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIVOLI THEATRE AND CARPARK – DID YOU EVER WONDER ABOUT THIS

These days every development in Ireland [both parts of the island] must have “quarter” in the name, address or description so you will no doubt have guessed that the replacement for the Tivoli Theatre is the Tivoli Quarter.

The Tivoli Theatre was a theatre on Francis Street in The Liberties, Dublin which closed in 2019 and was demolished shortly afterwards for replacement by a hotel.

The theatre opened on 21 December 1934 as a replacement for an earlier Tivoli Theatre located on Burgh Quay, which had closed in May 1928.

Built to the designs of architect Vincent Kelly with seating provided for 700. The Tivoli Theatre opened as a cine-variety theatre, but by the late-1930s it had converted to full-time cinema use and was renamed Tivoli Cinema.

The Tivoli Cinema was closed in September 1964. It was converted into a nightclub and a shop; before finally re-opening as a live theatre in 1987 and renamed Tivoli Theatre. At time of closing, the upper theatre could seat 475; and the lower venue was in operation as a nightclub

The walls of the carpark had become a noted street art location and the planning permission to demolish the theatre required the extant art to be photographed and documented prior to demolition.

Planning permission was achieved March 2018 for a major urban regeneration scheme on a complex site in Dublin’s Francis Street in the heart of the Liberties Quarter of the city centre.

The scheme includes:

A 260-bed Apart-Hotel
3 Restaurant Units
Gymnasium
Retail and a new Theatre venue.
The design is centred around a proposed new civic square, to be known as “Tivoli Square”, named in honour of the existing theatre which forms part of the site and which is to be rebuilt as a modern performance and arts facility as part of the redevelopment.

The new Tivoli Theatre/ Performance facility, the restaurants and the anchor Apart-Hotel public areas will all address and open onto the new central square which will form the living heart of the development.

VIEWS OF THE NEW HAMPTON BY HILTON

February 16, 2022 by Infomatique

VIEWS OF THE NEW HAMPTON BY HILTON

According to various booking sites this hotel opened for bookings on the 27th September 2021 but my research indicates that it will not open to the public until 25th March 2022.

This new hotel has replaced River House at Chancery Street has been vacant since the motor taxation service moved out in 2007. It was owned for about 15 years by developers Joe and Patrick Linders who are best known for their involvement in the revival of the Smithfield area of Dublin.

River House was a 5-storey office block on Chancery Street, Dublin. It was described as a “brutalist eyesore” by the Sunday Times. It was ugly be any definition.

Permission to build River House was granted in 1972, and the building was completed in 1973. It had curtain walling at ground and 1st floor levels, with 4 additional storeys above with pre-cast cladding. The architect of the building has been disputed. Frank McDonald attributed it to John Thompson and Partners, but this led to a libel suit during which it was stated that “neither John or David Thompson of the firm John Thompson and Partners had anything to do with the design or erection of River House”. It appears to have been the work of Patrick J. Sheahan and Partners.

After a dispute between the Department of Justice and the Dublin Corporation as to who would occupy the building, the Corporation established its motor tax office in the office block, and for many years it was Dublin’s only motor tax office. The building stood vacant from the late 2000s, and attracted anti-social behaviour.

River House was described as “scourge” to the area, and “is considered to be of little or no architectural merit”. It was recorded by the Dublin City Council as a dangerous building in February 2016.

River House was initially purchased by Joe and Patrick Linders, who were involved in the redevelopment of parts of the Smithfield area. The building was purchased by Melonmount Ltd in 2017 for €8 million, and permission was sought to demolish it and replace it with a hotel. The financier, Derek Quinlan, was an advisor on the deal. An Taisce have been critical of the proposed replacement building, describing it as “monolithic” and “lumpen”. River House was demolished in 2018.

BELOW ARE TWO PHOTOGRAPHS OF RIVER HOUSE – APRIL 2014

THE DEAN AN IMPRESSIVE NEW HOTEL IN CORK

August 15, 2021 by Infomatique

THE DEAN AN IMPRESSIVE NEW HOTEL IN CORK

The impressive-looking 109 bedroom hotel is part of Horgan’s Quay rejuvenation project which will give the city centre a new lease of life. To the best of my knowledge the hotel, operated by Ireland’s largest pub and restaurant group Press Up, started to take bookings in December 2020.

The Press Up Entertainment Group was established in 2009 and since then they have become a major player in Ireland’s Hotel, Bar and Restaurant business. Late in 2019 I noted that they operated about 45 venues throughout Dublin with a workforce of 1,600. At that stage they were planning fifteen new hotels, restaurants and bars. One of the hotels was the DEAN which is shown in my photographs.

ALT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE WREN OPEN NEST

April 7, 2021 by Infomatique

ANDREW’S LANE THE THEATRE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE WREN OPEN NEST

Andrews Lane Theatre, acquired for €4.4 million, was located on this lane and had been demolished and replaced by a 9 storey compact hotel. Originally it was to be the Andrew’s Lane Hotel but it now appears that it will operate as the Wren Open Nest.

“ALT by name, alternative by nature, Andrews Lane Theatre has quickly become a favoured hangout for Dublin’s coolest kids.”