The proposed redevelopment of the Ormond Hotel in Dublin, which would involve its demolition, has faced opposition from a literary group.
The Save Joycean Dublin Committee has objected to the plan by owners Monteco Holdings to demolish the old facade to the building, which features in James Joyce’s Ulysses and was the setting for 1967 film based on the novel.
The Irish Independent reports that committee member James Moore said the new facade that Monteco wants to build is "unoriginal, corporate, bland, generic, and characterless" and does not respect the literary and historical value of the current building.
Michael Smith, former chairman of An Taisce and owner of a nearby building that houses a restaurant, has also objected to the plans and said the Dublin City Council request for a new proposal was "very encouraging and indicative of the evolution over the years of the planning department's attitude to the quays and heritage".
Monteco Holdings, the company of Queens Park Rangers owner Tony Fernandes, bought the former Ormond Hotel, which is situated at numbers eight to 11 along Ormond Quay in Dublin, for around €2.5 million.
It previously made a bid to demolish the site in 2013, but was rejected by the Dublin City Council and An Bord Pleanála, with the latter describing the plans as “monolithic” and “unsympathetic” to the character of the area.
