Significant View: Royal Hospital Kilmainham to Phoenix Park. hoenix Park to Royal Hospital: view of Royal Hospital from Phoenix Park to Wellington Monument view of Royal Hospital rail bridge from Conyngham Road oyal Hospital to Phoenix Park: view of Phoenix Park from Royal Hospital to west view of Phoenix Park from Royal Hospital to north-east a. b. c. d. Visual connections: Chesterfield Avenue to Guinness Lands. views from Chesterfield Avenue to Guinness UDV Brewery. Visual connections: City Quays to Park. views of Wellington Monument from City Quays heuston gateway: summary report 21
3.4 Connections: Views The Development Framework Plan proposes maintaining and strengthening visual connections of the Heuston Gateway to and from the city centre and surrounding environs. Due to the topography of the study area and the number of national institutions and established green amenity spaces, the study area has many existing and potential views. For the Development Framework Plan the views are divided into significant views and visual connections. A significant view should not be adversely affected by development within the area shown. A visual connection is defined as a view linking distant areas of the city, aiding orientation and legibility. Such a view is not regarded as untouchable but any development should enhance and not entirely block the view. The impact of any development should be ascertained by a visual impact assessment as necessary. 1. Significant view: Royal Hospital Kilmainham to Phoenix Park. 2. Visual connection: Chesterfield Avenue to Guinness Lands. 3. Visual connection: City Quays to Park. development framework plan urbanprojects 22
Heuston Gateway: building development: tall buildings 9 6 5 3 2 1 7 8 Heuston Gateway: building development: locations for landmark buildings heuston gateway: summary report 23 4
3.5 Building development The Development Framework Plan sets out guidelines for building development generally across the study area and specifically for each site. Appropriate locations for tall buildings, distribution and location of uses and massing are described. 3.5.1 High Buildings and Massing The development across the area must be sufficiently dense to allow a rich mix of uses. Human scale, the immediate environment and microclimate must be maintained at the optimum quality. Overshadowing should be minimised. Building height is dependent on location and use, particularly in relation to significant views and visual connections. The Heuston Station lands and Guinness lands are identified in Managing Intensification and Change: A Strategy for Dublin Building Height as potential locations within the city for the development of tall buildings and high density. The Development Framework Plan for the Heuston Gateway is in line with this report and specifies the location of 3 tall buildings in the area. The Heuston Gateway is considered a suitable location as: it is a major strategic and well serviced site suitable for comprehensive development. The Heuston Gateway will provide an attractive inner city location for large-scale intensive commercial activity. the Regeneration Strategy aims to create a high profile, high quality, mixed use and high density development. A small number of high quality tall buildings will ensure a new public perception of the area and provide large gross floor areas. By restricting the number of tall buildings to 3 the permeability of views across the area and the overall character of the area can be maintained. New development must enhance the area and not dominate the existing institutions. The footprints of the tall buildings should have a long dimension in an east-west orientation to avoid blocking out light and views from the west. Each tall building is located on a major public space located around the station. Guinness Building : OPW Building: CIE Building: corner site on Guinness lands relating to the Heuston Square. corner site on OPW lands adjacent to Dr Steevens Hospital and Park, and opposite the south façade of the station building. site to the north of the station building on the river relating to the West Terrace and River Terrace. The height of the buildings should not be the sole factor in assessing suitability. Slenderness ratio (height to width) and transparency (reflection and penetration of light) should also be taken into account. Height should not be restricted by precedents in Ireland. Each proposal must be assessed by a full visual impact assessment as part of an environment impact assessment. The cluster of 3 tall buildings will locate the Heuston Gateway from the existing city centre, docks and suburbs. 3.5.2 Landmark Buildings The Regeneration Strategy for the Heuston Gateway describes the area as the gateway to the city from the west. The strategy aims to extend the existing city centre to include the Heuston Gateway while preserving and strengthening the existing character of the area. Numerous sites throughout the Heuston Gateway are suitable for development of new or extended hi-profile public buildings and/or institutions: 1. West end of Heuston Station 2. West Terrace tall building 3. Heuston Station Lands site 4. Guinness site on Heuston Square 5. Hickeys site 6. National Museum site 7. OPW site on Dr Steevens Park 8. Clancy Barracks/CIE lands 9. Phoenix Park site on Parkgate Street / Infirmary Road development framework plan urbanprojects 24
4:00 STAKEHOLDERS 4.1 Uses The Heuston Gateway Regeneration Strategy aims to create a high quality, mixed use, high density development centred on the station and associated public spaces. The Development Framework Plan must attract significant mixed-use development throughout the study area, shifting the defined city core westwards. development plan with preservation and re-use of existing important structures. Z9, to preserve, provide and improve recreational amenity and open space, is proposed for a number of existing and new public spaces: Heuston Square; West Terrace extending over to Conyngham Road; Eircom Gardens; and Dr Steevens Hospital Park. The Z9 areas along both sides of the river are extended also. 4.2 Zoning The existing zoning map in the Dublin City Development Plan 1999 generally reflects the large single ownerships in the study area. Some stakeholders sites require re-zoning to create the planning context to facilitate appropriate development in line with the Heuston Gateway Development Framework Plan. The proposed re-zoning should be implemented in the next review of the Dublin City Development Plan. Local Area Plans may be appropriate for certain sites should proposals require more immediate facilitation. It is proposed that the immediate environs of the station are designated Z5 to reflect the importance and prestige of these sites at the gateway to the city. Z5; to consolidate and facilitate the development of the central area, and to identify, reinforce, strengthen and protect its civic design character and dignity, requires the highest architectural design standards. This area is also to be the location for new city landmarks and will effectively draw the perception of the city to the west one of the principal objectives of the Regeneration Strategy. To facilitate mixed use development around this central core a large area with designation Z6, to provide for the creation and protection of enterprise and facilitate opportunities for employment creation is proposed. This includes most of the Guinness UDV lands, the Eircom site and part of the CIE lands. The Clancy Barracks site to the west of the station is zoned Z1. It is proposed in this study, that the Z1 zoning is retained for the entire site to allow the first phases to proceed. The new development should consider a revision zoning to allow mixed use Dublin Development Plan stakeholders urbanprojects 26
Dublin Development Plan, proposed rezoning heuston gateway: summary report 27
4.3 Phasing The phasing of development should be intrinsically linked to the construction and completion of the key infrastructural elements. Much of the infrastructure required to accommodate the development capacity is located on the Heuston Station lands and it is critical that new, more comprehensive proposals for these lands are drawn up and implemented / commenced in the immediate future. Phasing should be carefully considered in light of current market conditions and capacity to absorb the proposed volume of space and use. phasing development stakeholders urbanprojects 28
5:00 SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY The Development Framework Plan for the Heuston Gateway should incorporate a sustainability strategy for appropriate development. All developments should follow the basic guidelines and recommendations for sustainable urban design described in the report. The aims of the sustainability strategy for the Heuston Gateway should be: to create an appropriate balance between dense urban development and preservation or creation of green amenity areas to encourage development of high density mixed use areas for living and working to integrate large underused stakeholders sites into the urban grain of Dublin to reduce car dependency and provide efficient public transport to protect water quality and air quality to control noise pollution to manage waste and recycling to preserve natural landscapes and ecosystems to protect architecturally or historically significant structures social and affordable housing, Dublin [Urban Projects]; housing for elderly, Amsterdam [KCAP]; housing, Helsinki [Arrak Architects] housing, Dornbirn, Austria [Herman Kaufmann]; terraced housing and apartments, Rotterdam [Frits van Dongen] sustainability strategy urbanprojects 30
6:00 PROGRESS & IMPLEMENTATION 6.1 Levies A study is being carried out by consultants to assess the predicted costs of the infrastructure proposed by DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald, Fergal MacCabe and FaberMaunsell for the Heuston Gateway. Developments benefiting from this infrastructure will contribute to the costs by a system of levies in accordance with Sections 48 and 49 of the Planning and Development act 2000. The infrastructure will be considered in 2 categories: 1. Public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in the area of the Planning Authority generally, i.e. the area of Dublin City. 2. Public infrastructure services and projects which will benefit the development of individual sites within the area of regeneration. This will require the adoption by the Planning Authority of a supplementary development contribution scheme. the appropriate and co-ordinated development of the Heuston Gateway. By the implementation of the required infrastructure, the creation of a high quality public domain spaces and connections, controlled building development and appropriate diversity and mix of uses, the Heuston Gateway will extend the city centre of Dublin to the west. This will create a coherent and vibrant quarter of the city that captures the public imagination. 6.2 Status of Report The Heuston Gateway Study is made up of 2 separate reports: Part 1: Scope and Context; Part 2: Regeneration Strategy and Development Framework Plan. Supplementary to these 2 main reports, 5 substudy documents describing Development Framework Plans for specific sites have also been prepared: CIE; Guinness UDV; St John s Road Sites; Hickey Site; Clancy Barracks. All the reports have been prepared solely for Dublin City Council who commissioned the study in April 2001. The reports therefore remain the property of Dublin City Council. The reports have been prepared by Urban Projects with inputs from the consultant team: Fergal MacCabe; DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald; FaberMaunsell. The Development Framework Plan is intended to be used as a management tool for Dublin City Council to ensure co-ordinated and appropriate development in the area. This is particularly relevant in the areas detailed in this document: transport and infrastructure; density and use; building height; significant views and visual connections. The Heuston Gateway Regeneration Strategy and Development Framework Plan is not a Local Area Plan and will therefore not have statutory powers. However it is expected that certain elements of the Regeneration Strategy and Development Framework Plan will be integrated into the revised Dublin City Development Plan. This is particularly relevant in terms of zoning, major transport infrastructure proposals, building height and protected views. 6.3 Conclusion The Heuston Gateway is of national and civic importance. The area is rich in terms of historic and national monuments, natural amenity and topography. The area has potentially excellent transport connections. The Regeneration Strategy and Development Framework Plan aim to realize the potential of the area and provide guidance for the appropriate and co-ordinated development of the Heuston Gateway. By the implementation of the required infrastructure, the creation of a high quality public domain spaces and connections, controlled building development and appropriate diversity and mix of uses, the Heuston Gateway will extend the city centre of Dublin to the west. This will create a coherent and vibrant quarter of the city that captures the public imagination. The core aim of the Development Framework Plan and the study as a whole is to ensure the creation of a high quality public domain as detailed in this document. The economic, social and environmental benefits to the city and the country will be significant. progress and implementation urbanprojects 32