'It's such an iconic place' - Protest held against plans to redevelop Stephen's Green Shopping Centre

"Plans to partially demolish and rebuild the site were approved by Dublin City Council on April 21. The application seeks to increase the building to eight stories, reconfigure the retail space, add offices and remove its distinctive exterior and dome."

"Yusuf Alraqi from the Save Stephen's Green Campaign said the new design would "erase anything that is recognisable about the building today and it's such an iconic place". The campaign is helping fund protesters to lodge observations about the plan with An Commission Pleanala. "We don't agree with the lack of understanding or affection for the shopping centre in the plan," he said."

"He added there are concerns beyond the structure's aesthetic value, saying: "They want to restrict the shopping centre to just two floors and then build as much offices as possible. "So, it's been framed as a rejuvenation of the shopping centre, but in reality, it is an office development with the shopping centre development shoehorned in.""

"Mr Alraqi also said there are environmental concerns: "If you keep seeing buildings as being obsolete and then having to destroy them and rebuild them again, then that's just not a sustainable way to go about development in the city." Later, he told the crowd "architecture is not fashion" and led chants of: "End corporate greed, give the city what it needs.""

Hundreds gathered outside a Victorian-style building on Grafton Street after Dublin City Council approved plans on April 21. The proposal would partially demolish the site and rebuild it to eight stories, reconfigure retail space, add offices, and remove the building’s distinctive exterior and dome. Protesters from the Save Stephen’s Green Campaign said the new design would erase what is recognisable and iconic about the building. They also said the plan restricts the shopping centre to two floors while adding as many offices as possible, framing it as rejuvenation but treating it as an office development. Environmental concerns were raised about demolition and rebuilding as an unsustainable approach. A Social Democrats TD said the building needs an upgrade but that tearing it down would be wrong due to carbon emissions and related issues.

Read at Irish Independent