{"id":415697,"date":"2026-04-24T19:25:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T19:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/415697\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T19:25:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T19:25:10","slug":"public-reacts-to-stephens-green-shopping-centre-planned-new-look-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/415697\/","title":{"rendered":"Public reacts to Stephen\u2019s Green Shopping Centre planned new look \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Standing outside Dublin\u2019s Stephen\u2019s Green Shopping Centre<\/a>, Jody Abernethy is enjoying a few rays of sunshine before heading back into work at the Art & Hobby store inside. <\/p>\n

Abernethy, who is from Stepaside, Co Dublin, has seen the newly approved plans by Dublin City Council<\/a> for the \u20ac100m part-demolition and rejuvenation of the shopping centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s completely disgraceful. It just looks like a block of apartments. It doesn\u2019t appeal to me at all,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Speaking about the interior and exterior of the existing building, he said: \u201cThe toilets are a bit dated, but it\u2019s still a cool spot. It\u2019s a nice building architecturally.\u201d <\/p>\n

He was hopeful that planning objections would delay the project for \u201cas long as possible\u201d or that the project did not happen at all.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn artist’s impression of what the shopping centre’s entrance could look like <\/p>\n

The owners of the centre, DTDL Ltd, submitted revised plans for the main entrance last month and it received planning permission for the revised plans on Thursday. <\/p>\n

Designed by BKD Architects and O\u2019Donnell+Tuomey<\/a>, the new look centre will be able to accommodate 3,000 office workers, with shops at basement, ground and first-floor levels. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Revamp of Stephen\u2019s Green Shopping Centre gets go-ahead<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

The council received 61 submissions regarding the application, including an objection lodged on behalf of the Save Stephen\u2019s Green Campaign, which was backed by a petition of 20,000 signatures.<\/p>\n

\"Waterford'sWaterford’s Robert Grant, who lives in Dublin, is unhappy about the proposed redevelopment. Photograph: Alan Betson <\/p>\n

Robert Grant, who has a philosophy background and co-founded Hear Listen, a community philosophy project, says that the planned scheme \u201cis disappointing\u201d.<\/p>\n

Originally from Waterford, Grant has been based in Dublin for the last number of years and believes that the capital is becoming \u201csamey\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverything looks like those new pseudo-trendy hotels that try to manufacture a sense of authenticity, but what you get is the same thing over and over again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"LauraLaura Campisi welcomed the new look. Photograph: Alan Betson <\/p>\n

Laura Campisi, a wellness consultant from Saggart, Co Dublin, took a very different view, saying the new designs were \u201cbeautiful\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very geometric,\u201d she said. \u201cI like that because it kind of lines up with the style we have in a modern version of Stephen\u2019s Green and Grafton Street<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n

A regular in the centre, Campisi said the new plans would fuel her shopping habit: \u201cI spend too much in there \u2013 I\u2019ll spend even more when it looks like this,\u201d she said, pointing to the artist\u2019s impression of the new design. <\/p>\n

Others felt the new design was not in keeping with the character of the area. <\/p>\n

\"FlowerFlower seller Kathleen Walsh prefers the original design of the shopping centre. Photograph: Alan Betson <\/p>\n

Kathleen Walsh, a flower seller on Grafton Street, said: \u201cThe old building is far nicer and fits in more with the character of Stephen\u2019s Green and the Shelbourne Hotel.\u201d <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Dublin\u2019s Stephen\u2019s Green is getting a bold new look. But not a great one<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Walsh said she went to the shopping centre a lot at Christmas time with her grandchildren and said she much preferred the original design. <\/p>\n

Speaking about the new plans, she said: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t belong there. The pavement is grand but not the building.\u201d <\/p>\n

The florist said there was no need for such a project. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are we knocking down that building and putting in all that work to put in something that does not go with Grafton Street at all? It\u2019s more Georgian up that way, so I don\u2019t agree with it at all. I think what\u2019s there is absolutely gorgeous,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n

Mary Murphy, a retired nurse from Kilmacud, Dublin, said the proposal looked \u201ccutting edge\u201d. <\/p>\n

Conceding that she may be a \u201cbit old fashioned\u201d, Murphy said she preferred the original design.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am familiar with this soft circle and the dome, so I would be sad to see it go,\u201d she said. \u201cMaybe if it\u2019s more practical and for the future, it looks good, but I think this one looks nicer and softer and gentler. This [new] one is a bit sharp and edgy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AngelaAngela and Pat Donnelly had mixed views about the Stephens Green Shopping Centre redevelopment. Photograph: Alan Betson <\/p>\n

Pat and Angela Donnelly, who both hail from Dublin\u2019s inner city, but are planning a move to Blackhorse, Co Cavan, also spoke about the proposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t frequent it that often, but when I do go it\u2019s enjoyable enough, it wouldn\u2019t bother me,\u201d Pat Donnelly said. <\/p>\n

Angela Donnelly said: \u201cIt\u2019s something new. Change is good.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Standing outside Dublin\u2019s Stephen\u2019s Green Shopping Centre, Jody Abernethy is enjoying a few rays of sunshine before heading…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":415698,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,615,13288,94043,61,60,106424,4674,104952],"class_list":["post-415697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-dublin","tag-dublin-city-council","tag-grafton-street","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-o-donnell-tuomey","tag-retail","tag-stephen-s-green-shopping-centre"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=415697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/415698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=415697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=415697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=415697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}