revisiting smithfield

Renato Benedetti

[ The images accompanying this text are from the joint first prize-winning proposals for the Smithfield Regeneration Ideas Competition 1991 by Benedetti McDowell Woolf. ]

Having been joint winners in the 1991 Stion Ideas Competition, we were delighted to mithfield Regeneration Ideas Competition, we were delighted to be invited back to Dublin by building material to review the recently completed Smithfield Urban space and its immediate context.

Approaching Smithfield by foot, my thoughts were full of our 1991 Competition proposals which contradicted the competition brief, and outlined the need to concentrate on the public space as the key to the regeneration of the surrounding area. My anticipattion of Smithfield's recently completed refurbishment following the 1997 Competition to establish it as Dublin's premier public space, was increased by brief glimpses from afar of the 8-storey lighting masts which characterize McGarry NiEanaigh Architects exemplary winning proposal.

Upon arrival in Smithfield, I was immediately struck as always, by the sheer dimension of the open space of as set out by the City Assembly in 1664. The strong definition and modulation of its unique character and vast scale by supplying just enough initial impetus to release the underlying evolutionary processes of the city was of prime concern in our 1991 Competition proposal. I believe the McGarry NiEanaigh project achieves this with high-quality urban design that is tough, relaxed and theatrically confident. The City Corporation's planners must ensure that any remaining future developments around this urban space must seek to maintain and/or exceed the suitably high standard it sets.

Apart from the critical restriction of carrs from the centre of the square, perhaps the most fundamental single decision and longest lasting part of McGarry NiEanaigh Architects' design is the spatial/material quality achieved by covering the ground plane with cobbles. This unifies and establisheees the special character, texture and grain of the square. My only concern is why use such a pronounced camber which may interfere with some of the newly conceived uses for the square and further undermines the lower 'natural' ground level of the remaining historic distillery buildings of the Smithfield Village development ?

Although a strong graphic in plan, the long slow curve in granite slabs feels a little arbitrary at ground level and the delineation of car-parking spaces and a curbed road down the east side divides the square unnecessarily, undermining its unique power. Service and emergency vehicles can have access to the entire square without a road literally setting in stone the potential for misuse by private cars of that side of the square. The as yet un-refurbished lower quarter of the square was full of private cars when I visited. The 1997 competition brief mentioned the possibility of an underground car park. When this critical end of Smithfield is developed in concert with the much needed East-West Luas light rail link, this parking policy must be reviewed. Increased traffic would have a potentially detrimental effect, unless carefully considered in direct relation to the activity of the square and the Luas station, as well as the contribution made on the wider context of ever increasing inner city road congestion.

The lighting masts are a bold theatrical intervention, appropriately industrial and robust. They signal the square within the urban fabric, picking it out as the special place aroundnd which a derelict urban quarter can be reborn. How wonderful these braziers are when burning ; the warm light contrasting with the cool light off the reflectors, alive with movement, giving a raw and visceral acoustic character to the square, but why only on weekends !?

The masts are such strong attention-drawing elements that their precise detailed resolution is naturally highlighted. Perhaps time and/or budgetary constraints played a role, but they seem either too close together or too structurally crude (which can give them a slightly alienating and/or sinister quality). One can't help imagining that their amplifying presence would be significantly improved if each of their components (the hinged connection to the ground, mast girth, light cantilevers, reflector sails, but not the braziers) had been refined to 20-25 per cent smaller, improving their compositional strength and elegant liile retaining their overall height.

McGarry NiEanaigh's pavilion across from Haymarket, marking the southern extent of thelt while retaining their overall height.

McGarry NiEanaigh's pavilion across from Haymarket, marking the southern extent of the first phase of construction, is a good idea in principle but it fails to make a significant contribution to the square as a permanent building because of its out-of-keeping, over designed feel and lack of scale. The technical back-up facilities for the lighting masts could surely have been housed elsewhere, and the provision of a theatrical 'speaker's corner soapbox' would be much more effective as a temporary/ movable structure fully adaptable to the ever-increasing multiplicity of civic uses that Smithfieeld can and should support.

The courageous decision to avoid the 'gated community' tendency of much private inner-city housing, by permeating the ground plane with 24-hour public access courtyards, is the only noteworthy contribution the Smithfield Villagee development by A&D; Wejchert Architects makes to the urban environment. It is otherwise of disappointingly poor conceptual and material quality, as well as being too low in height. The insubstantial under-detailed curtain walling and render used everywhere else leaves the circular courtyards devoid of life, feeling like forgotten light shafts with left-over service entrances at the back of a speculative suburban commercial building.

As part of the same development, the public viewing platform associated wiith the big 1895 chimney help the public gain a deeper understanding and connection with the development of their city, especially in urban regeneration areas. The Smithfield Village Observation Tower however, is so badly executed it almost undermines the beneficial effect of the view it provides. The relationship to the square and the approach from the ground is compromised and confusing. The massing and positioning on top of the chimney is leaden and out of proportion. The heavily over-engineered and unresolved detailing using the lowest quality materials speaks volumes as an indictment of how wrong the design+build method of procurement can go.

Equally, the existing 1980s red-brick building developed by Lindons, uniquely positioned between Smithfield and the River Liffey is of extremely poor quality. With talk of it being torn down and re-developed at a higher density, it would be beneficial if the City Corporation can ensure it is re-built with the right massing using higher quality detailing and materials. This could significantly contribute to the further definition of the square and its relationship to the river. At 7 storeys the recently completed stone and glass office block adjacent to the north-east of the Lindon building, is approaching the correct scale for new developments directly on the square, but its massing and self-referential attitude make no positive contribution to the square. Its slight and poorly detailed curtain walling feels insubstantial, suburban and inappropriate.

The conceptual aand material quality of Smithfield's Urban Space means that in addition to the existing traditional markets (which should be supported and encouraged to grow), more and varied uses will continue to be found to intensify the enlivening of this unique space. The scale and increased urban importance of Smithfield will justify and support future developments which have a variety of engaging and active restaurants, bars, commercial & retail at ground (especially the sites directly surrounding the square), with high-density mixed use above. The scale can and perhaps should vary between and/or within developments, but a minimum of 8-10 storeys seems more appropriate than the 3-4 storeys which now exist.

We understand that an 8-storey mixed-use scheme has been propoosed for the west side of Smithfield with a 22-storey 'tower feature' hotel towards the north end. If done well, this scale of development seems consistent with Smithfield's new status. Although McGarry NiEanaigh have left the north end open (as well as leaving out the south end pending the Luas line and station for phase two) we have always felt that both ends of Smithfield needed greater definition. In particular, at the north end of the square needs definition in relation to the busy North King Street cross-town route. It could be appropriate to consider further improvements and intensification here (such as a thin building pavilion, screens and/or hard/soft landscaping) as planning gain in relation to the hotel and/or other future developments.

As the urban identity of Smithfield continues to mature, the careful addition of secondary elements such as mature trees, hard landscaping and/or urban furniture could be considered. Further ingredients, which if added correctly would contribute to and intensify the new life of Smithfield. When I visited, the square certainly looked great covered in Christmas trees for sale !

The City Corporation and McGarry NiEanaigh Architects can be justifiably proud of their achievement in re-establishing Smithfield as Dublin's pre-eminent civic space. Inspired civic leadership in setting the correct brief and sufficient budget together with thoughtful well-detailed design using the highest quality materials, sets a qualitative and conceptual benchmark for future urban design in the area and throughout the city. A cohesive metropolitan strategy to reduce road traffic congestion and the encouragement of better design and material quality for future developments could mark Smithfield as both an Irish and a European model for insppired and effective long-term urban regeneration. We will watch with interest.

Renato Benedetti is an architect and partner in McDowell+ Benedetti Architects, London.