Is Foster’s plan for Clarence Hotel a threat to Dublin?

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Dublin has already experienced the disastrous effect of signature architecture in the wrong place, says Kevin Duff; while Robert Payne argues that it is a chance for Foster to create a remarkable building. Policy for the protection of Dublin’s historic core has reached the point where schemes involving substantial demolition of its fabric are relatively rare, the last major example being the controversial Hilton/Westin College Green hotel proposal of 10 years ago. In this regard, Foster & Partners’ proposal for the Clarence Hotel on Dublin’s Liffey Quays, entailing the destruction and selective facade retention of protected buildings dating from the 18th-20th centuries, is anachronistic.

Building Design