Planning Department
Dublin City Council
Civic Offices
Wood Quay
Dublin 8
22nd January 2025
Re. Proposed development at the Rotunda Hospital Campus, Parnell Square, Dublin 1 comprising a 4-storey over basement maternity hospital building extension (Critical Care Wing, c. 9,946 sq m gross floor area) including: 80no. additional hospital bedrooms, new theatre and ancillary facilities, a new link corridor (Level 02) and connections with the existing Entrance Building and Main Hospital Building (protected structure); and, all ancillary demolition, site development, conservation, and landscaping and boundary works on campus.
Ref. WEB2689/24
Dear Sir/Madam,
The Irish Georgian Society notes that this planning application is “predicated on the continuous operation of the Rotunda Hospital at its existing site” and strongly supports the implicit acknowledgement in the accompanying Masterplan of “a continued long-term presence of the Rotunda on Parnell Square” (Rotunda Hospital - Masterplan Design Principles, p. 4). Achieving this goal will secure the internationally significant role of the Rotunda as the oldest surviving purpose-built maternity hospital in the world and ensure the continuity of the central role the hospital has played in the lives of multiple generations of Dubliners. It will also ensure the continued use and functioning for its original intended purpose of one of Ireland’s most important 18th century buildings.
However, The Irish Georgian Society has the following key concerns about the current planning application.
- The proposed extension comprises a substantial and deep perimeter block with its façade along Parnell Square West standing four storeys over basement with a full height set back fifth floor of plant behind this.
- Through its significant scale and massing, the extension would have a considerable impact on the character and setting of the protected hospital buildings and on the protected terraced Georgian houses that face the development site.
Conservation opportunities
It is disappointing that the planning application does not seek to fulfil key conservation principles contained in the Masterplan that could balance the impact of the development
and provide a major conservation gain for the city. These principles include the following:
- Reintroduce an urban garden at the heart of the Rotunda complex to enhance the aesthetic and environmental quality of the area, reinventing a new Rotunda Garden design for the future.
- Implement a landscape policy that revives the gardens with a modern design that honours the historical layout and plantings of the original gardens.
- Remove temporary structures and clear above ground car parking from the central garden area to restore open green space, making it accessible and enjoyable for staff, patients, and visitors.
- Develop and maintain pathways, seating, and lighting within the gardens that encourage engagement while respecting the historical context of the site.
Consideration could also be given to removing car parking from the front of the hospital building and reinstating a garden which would comprise a very significant gain for the public realm
While The Irish Georgian Society supports the goal of the Rotunda Hospital to ensure its long-term use of the Parnell Square site as a maternity hospital, the Society has concerns that the proposed development has not successfully met the conservation principles of the Masterplan, notably those relating to the impact of the new extension on its historic built environment and those that would enhance the setting of the Rotunda and in turn benefit the city as a whole.
The Irish Georgian Society urges Dublin City Council to consider these factors in assessing this planning application.
Yours sincerely,
Donough Cahill
Executive Director IGS