Survey Data
Reg No
20865055
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Social, Technical
Original Use
Town/county hall
In Use As
Town/county hall
Date
1965 - 1970
Coordinates
165051, 71227
Date Recorded
07/03/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached rectangular-plan seventeen-storey county hall, built 1968, with six-storey extension to east c.2005. Metal windows forming continuous glazing to each floor, separated by concrete horizontal bands. Metal glazed doors to ground floor. Originally constructed with a concrete exterior frame, re-clad with louvered glass cladding and concrete parapet and glazed pavilion added to top storey, 2002-6. Glazed Two copper statues by sculptor Oisin Kelly to front (north) of site erected 1969. Limestone date plaque to east. Paved area to front of site. Set back from road.
Appraisal
Cork County Hall was designed by Patrick Mc Sweeney and opened in 1969. For many years it stood as the tallest building in Ireland at 67m until it was eclipsed by The Elysian, built in the city centre in 2008. Its construction represented a changing attitude in 1960s Ireland, with the embracing of international architectural styles and the use of new materials allowing for a radical departure in architecture. The bronze sculpture, by Oisin Kelly, depicting two men admiring the finished project, adds much to its setting and context. Though the disintegration of the concrete led to its re-cladding in the last decade, the building has continued in its original use and remains a focal point and landmark structure in Cork city and county.