R&H Hall set for demolition
The iconic R&H Hall silos will be confined to history as their demolition is set to take place at the end of this month. Their dismantling will mark the first phase of the grand redevelopment plan for Kennedy Quay.
This phase of the South Docks project has the potential to create in the region of 5,000 new jobs when fully developed.
“Because of design and structural impediments and reasons of deterioration, it was not found possible to conserve or to safely re-purpose the buildings,” said a spokesperson for O’Callaghan Properties, who are spearheading the redevelopment.
The same was not true of the older Odlums Mills building, further eastward on Kennedy Quay which is to be restored and reimagined with retail, café, residential and office uses.
The R&H Hall building will be replaced by a new sustainable landmark building that occupies the same footprint, making reference in its design to the industrial characteristics of the silos. The architectural expression of the new buildings will reflect and mirrors the silos.
As part of the demolition process, O’Callaghan Properties has embarked on a archaeological recording and conservation process with respect to the historic industrial machinery within the R&H Hall complex. This work is being carried out under the guidance of Dr Colin Rynne, Director of the Historic Building Survey Unit, Department of Archaeology, UCC. The recording process precedes the dismantling, conservation and display of key examples of the silos’ industrial fabric.
The recording, conservation and demolition process is anticipated to take six months. Some of the industrial machinery within the silos, such as the grain dryers, extends to virtually the entire height of the buildings. The safe dismantling of many of the items to a storage facility will take place prior to their re-installation in parts of the Kennedy Quay project.
“Sadly, the possibility of retaining R and H Hall for adaptive reuse did not prove viable technically, economically, or sustainably, but its cultural memory will be actively retained,” said conservation engineer and heritage specialist Chris Southgate.
"While we are losing an industrial structure which has dominated Cork’s skyline for 90 years, we are not losing the special atmosphere of the area, with the active retention and reuse of the most significant industrial elements from within the building. The aim is both to actively save this memory of Cork’s industrial and maritime history, while also creating a place which is good for people to live in, to feel a sense of belonging, inclusion and identity rooted in the past,” he said.
“Indeed, in this proposal the Marina will be returned to its historic position of being Cork’s premier integrated amenity space, a role lost to its industrialisation from the 1880s. A vision to deliver homes on this land was first envisioned by Cork Corporation in 1780, and will eventually be delivered in the 2020s,” he added.