Dawson Street Apartment

PKA's remodelling of three run-down Georgian townhouses included the creation of a stunning duplex apartment on the top floors of the Dawson Street / Duke Street corner of these protected structures.

Built as part of Joshua Dawson's 1700's grand plan for the lands east of Grafton Street, the three properties were in a dilapidated condition when purchased by our clients in 2016, and their overall condition did little justice to their location on one of the most important and fashionable streets of Georgian Dublin.

PKA remodelled the three houses from top to bottom: upgrading the existing ground floor retail / restaurant units; providing suites of serviced offices on the upper floors of 51a and b; converting the top floors of the Dawson / Duke Street corner into a stylish duplex apartment.

The apartment's front-door on Duke Street leads to an en-suite bedroom at second floor level; the access staircase from the street was remodelled, with oak treads and minimalist stainless steel balustrades.

Within the apartment a new oak staircase connects the entrance level to the double-height kitchen / dining / living room above, who's spectacular vaulted interior echoes the Dutch Billy profile of the original.

The project also included an extensive programme of conservation and repair works to the historic fabric, including a total reconstruction of the original roof structure.

An exemplar in the adaptation of Georgian townhouses to contemporary apartment living, the philosophy underpinning PKA's design is that the combination of contemporary interventions with conservation of original elements produces and architecture that is richer than either on its own.

Client: Private
Value: Private

Size: 550 sq.m.

Reference: On application
Design: 2014
Completion: 2015