Dublin's EUR 750m revamp gets green light

International architectural firm HKR Architects (HKR) said on Monday that its design for the regeneration of Dublin's Northern Quarter has received planning permission from Dublin city county council. The Northern Quarter development represents a EUR 750 mln investment and will see Dublin's north inner city become a prime retail location.

The project is a mixed-use urban development that will integrate retail, residential, leisure and hotel & spa facilities. The plan, which is being led by Arnotts Department Store, includes the transformation of the Northern Quarter of Dublin and the recreation of Prince's Street into a fully-engaged urban street and pedestrian thoroughfare. It will become Dublin's premier shopping street incorporating a new public square at the centre. The scheme, which spans four Dublin streets, comprises some 130,000 m² of space and includes 47 shops, 17 restaurants and bars, a 152-bedroom four-star hotel and 189 flats.

HKR's design for the project recently received an award for best European Retail Regeneration Project at The EG Retail Awards, Mapic in Cannes. Jerry Ryan, managing director of HKR, said: 'This is one of the largest regeneration projects to be undertaken in Dublin's city centre and is an exciting and challenging project for HKR. The granting of planning permission recognises our leading edge international design capability and HKR's ethos of design and commerciality living together. It is testament to the unique and transferable skill-set that the team at HKR has developed both nationally and internationally in urban regeneration.'