The O’ Connell Street boulevard design with wide sidewalks and a subsidiary central section has transformed Dublin’s main thoroughfare from a street showing signs of social and economic decline and loss of confidence and identity into a modern space allowing the street to reflect the positive aspirations of the capital and the nation
The centrepiece of O’Connell Street is the creation of a formal outdoor ‘room’ around the GPO building. Framed by clipped and pleached lime trees, the space is kept clear of all other trees and street furniture, creating a distinctive celebration space of national significance. The grey granite defined by a strip of pink granite articulated by white squares unifies the busy carriageways with the open median to unite the streetscape with its adjoining building in a bold architectural flourish that combines the spatial and movement functions of the street under the soaring presence of the stainless-steel spire.
