The Stokes Place building will face on to St Stephen’s Green South
The Irish arm of US property giant Kennedy Wilson has secured planning permission for a nine-storey, mixed-use but office-led campus at St Stephen’s Green, with capacity for 3,000 office workers.
Dublin City Council has granted permission to KW Investment Funds ICAV for revisions to an office scheme at Stokes Place that was originally approved in January 2023.
At the time, An Coimisiún Pleanála gave permission for the demolition of an office complex facing on to St Stephen’s Green and Harcourt Street, and for the construction of a new eight-storey block.
In the revised scheme, the council is allowing a ninth floor and the architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, a British firm, is promising “a landmark piece of architecture” that will be “responding to our further understanding of the history of the locality”. The new application adds 3,530 sq m in office floorspace, to bring the total to 40,800 sq m.
The reconsidered design allows for a more sympathetic transition
The council planner’s report concluded the development would not have an adverse impact on the surrounding area.
“The reconsidered design allows for a more sympathetic transition and stepped approach to the existing adjoining buildings,” it said.
“This in turn has reduced the visual impact and generally allowed for a more sympathetic appearance of the new development when viewed from St Stephen’s Green South.”
Stephen Little, a planning consultant for Kennedy Wilson, said that “through the acquisition of additional adjoining properties and changes in the office market in terms of environmental credentials”, the opportunity had presented itself to make enhancements to the already permitted development.
Mr Little said that “the ambition is to develop a world-class, mixed-use campus with a strong focus on office space, supported by outstanding architecture and carefully considered placemaking”.
Nine of the existing Russell Court apartments are to be refurbished as part of the proposals.
In response to the revised plans lodged last August, BKD Architects on behalf of the owners of 97 to 100 St Stephen’s Green, DTIL Ltd, said its client had a number of concerns with certain aspects of the proposed design, “and the potential adverse impacts that will arise”.
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