Copyright irishexaminer
The changes follow criticism by planners that the original proposal — which will replace the Leisureplex entertainment complex on MacCurtain St/ Brian Boru St — resembled “an amorphous block”. The Whitbread group, owners of the Premier Inn brand, was given final grant approval for the revised design this week and is hoping to get construction underway on the city’s second Premier Inn early next year. The group, which spent €5.5m acquiring the former Coliseum cinema 0.5-acre site in February 2024, have taken significant steps to reduce the massing, which planners said would have created “an awkward composition” above the roof of Bridge House, and would interrupt a “key view” northwards towards the landmark Trinity Presbyterian Church. To address these concerns, the building has been lengthened along Brian Boru St, reduced in depth above the height of Bridge House, and stepped down below the ridge line of neighbouring buildings. Computer generated images show how the scale-back will reduce the visual impact of the new build when viewed from south of the River Lee. Changes have also been made to the materials originally proposed for the new build, which planners had said would result in “a plain and repetitive singular development that would fail to appropriately respond to or enhance the character of the ACA”. (Architectural Conservation Area). The section of the hotel on MacCurtain Street will be clad in redbrick to tie in with other Victorian buildings in the vicinity, while the use of white/cream stone cladding and brickwork for principal parts of the design will reference the materials used for Trinity Presbyterian Church. Changes in brick colour will prevent it looking “too monolithic when viewed from a distance” and the building has been broken up in several areas to address massing. The loss of bedrooms at upper floor level in the revised design has been mitigated by the introduction of seven ground floor bedrooms. The changes have led to a 462 sq m gain in the gross floor area, and added an additional bedroom. Matt Gent, development manager for Ireland, said: “Securing a grant for a second hotel is wonderful news for us and our customers, and I’m grateful to everyone who has been involved in getting us to this stage”. He said more positive news is in the pipeline. Two years ago, the city’s first Premier Inn, a €30m 187-bedroom hotel, opened on Morrison’s Quay.
