One of Dublin’s most iconic eyesores has come up for rent. The home of the former tax office at Chancery Place is actually called River House but for most of us its probably referred to with a string of far uglier names.
Not everyone pours scorn on the dank looking concrete shell though – the wonderful Built Dublin architecture blog even goes as far to declare a strange grá for the spot.
“River House has always been quite attractive to me, and having visited the two other motor tax offices, the nature of the business seems to cast an inherent ugliness on its surroundings – it’s genuinely hard to imagine Nutgrove’s one being aesthetically appealing, but it’s quite possible I might change my mind if I saw it in photographs or in another country, removed from my own experience. Here, anyway, the attraction is the big, dirty concrete form, the way the plinth steps out to handle the angle of Greek Street and to take in the entrance to the car park.”
One’s mind races when it comes to alternative uses for the spot. Conveniently located around the corner from the notorious Chancery early house, it could have the making of a palace of thumping techno and excess – an idea barred from reality due to its proximity to residential housing no doubt. There’s probably far more useful social functions that it could serve too given the state of our dear city.
So, here’s the question out to the floor. What would you lot do with the place if you had a chance to rent it?
The details are on daft.ie – let us know how your bids go.
Comments
A similar eyesore in Cork (also a former tax office) is now Sample-Studios
Affordable housing.
I really hope they don’t do over the whopper graff at the front
Low cost offices for start ups. Shared facilities. Soup kitchen on the ground floor, community clinic for low cost healthcare, lending library.
Massive public art space with rehearsal spaces, performance space, art studios and gallery space.
urban farm and apiary on the roof
some sort of government challenge like “the thirsty games” send in Enda and friends see who comes out and if we still don’t like them send them back in until we have eliminated all threats to our beautiful people and country!!!
Well, given half a chancery…
well the competition just went through the roof….
paint it?
I would use it to store all the joy and hope that has been sucked out of the nation. With a big padlock on the door. Fuck you- no joy for the likes of you.
That could be a cool school or college campus
Student accommodation
Reminds me of the shithole Phibsborough shopping centre
It was on fire a week ago
Brothel
Techno Fortress!
Give it over to Peter McVerry to run…and give him the Oireachtas budget…let the hammock-swingers emigrate…in fact deport them…to their Friends in U$roi£.
I love these buildings! Brutalist architecture is so underrated. I agree with Spud Murphy – techno fortress.
Irish Burners
Give it to Richard Seabrook from Offset. It’s his wet dream!
Although a Techno Fortress sounds good too.
Community Hub, voluntary groups office and meeting space, community development training, co-operative set up space, youth action space, Social welfare advice, health clinic, creche, etc etc.
Three for techno fortress. Big bang bang parties ahoy!
Arts Collective!
Host post modern swashbuckling sword fights.
A giant mancave
Somewhere, sometime, there is a memory of an article by Frank McDonald??? on Dublin Buildings that mentioned this one. What the author said wasn’t actionable, but the incorrect architects were named. These architects sued – successfully, on the grounds that accusing them of having designed this yoke was libelous.
Turn it into Dublins version of Berghain
It needs community /creative paint project like this! http://www.ted.com/talks/haas_hahn_how_painting_can_transform_communities?language=en
Steve Cross Mark Cadastrophe – another gem
What about a tax office? I think more are needed the way things are going.
a creative digital hub with a good lick of paint
One of the best pubs in Dublin next door by the way… as close to an authentic Dub pub as we get these days and great music.
A grand spot for the (soon) newly appointed government. Of the people, By the people!!
A grand spot to start the (soon) newly appointed government. Of the people, By the people!!
Paint it ta fuck anyway first.
fully staffed homeless shelter…
looks like a great location for a free party
Open a small coffee shop, then wait about 2 weeks for Starbucks to inevitably buy me out and use the proceeds to get off this God forsaken island ran by chancers and fools.
Mick T-woc Opportunity knocks for Rotato Inc!
Berghain ?
Techno Fortress! I agree
Dublins answer to berghain seems to be the answer
A multi-story petshop and haberdashery.
Yup. Techno fortress.
Demolish! Art gallery sounds good and all the below sounds good!
I would simply paint it.
Zombie fortress, obviously.
I wonder if it’s the same person that designed phibsboro shopping centre..
Could be new office for Central bank Hq, they spending lots of our money on new offices! Why not use this instead?
They should ask the people that live beside it
defo techno fortress best option
Bill Cullen and his consortium own it
Irish Berghain
Berghain, Dublin. No cameras allowed!
could be a place for the homeless
Should keep it for the creative for cheap rent. Never seem to be any places to start something new and interesting
We’ll all be sorry if these brutalist gems are ever knocked.
Discothèque !
knock it down, plant some trees
Spud Murphy’s Techno Fortress a la Orwellian 1984
Ignite. Launch. Watch.
Apply to the government to create washrooms and kitchens for the homeless, add a library and education center too. Because there is fuck all else for them.
Anne McCann
Dáithí Blanko defo needs refurbishing looks horrendous as it is like other buildings in Dublin, would make a great arts centre who designs these type of buildings, we need to learn some things from other European cities.
Homeless shelter
Its not an eyesore. Its lovely. Xx
@techno fortress. Those fine Gardai beside it could be bouncers.
Electronic arts venue
a science and exploration museum ….give it to the science gallery folk
Arts and enterprise center for young people
roller rink! 🙂
Irish waters new HQ