Restoration - St Georges Church, Hardwicke Place, Dublin
Many of our heritage buildings are at risk and substantial investment is needed to breathe new life into them. One such building is St Georges Church, Hardwicke Place, which had seen many uses since its deconsecration but became structurally unsafe in 2002.
In 2004 Eugene O'Connor, a private developer, bought the building with the aim of restoring it and making it commercially viable, without compromising its historical integrity.
This was made possible through the construction of a 'building within a building' - a shell housing office units that floats within the church space without interfering with the integrity of the building.
My involvement was in the restoration of Edward Smyth's carved work on the steeple. I restored a severely eroded angel heads, the oakleaf swag ornaments around the clock faces and various Ionic and Corinthian column capitals. To produce a faithful restoration, I worked from some of the undamaged work, and researched archives and similar work by Smyth.
The oakleaf swag ornaments were severely eroded, but just enough remained to continue from the existing work. Wherever possible, restoration was carried out in stone to maintain a continuous record.
This model of restoration provides an important alternative option for the conservation of buildings, and could play a role in tandem with state-funded restorations by delivering financial returns on heritage investment.
Main Contractor: Rainey
Architect: Jim O'Connor and Associates
