In the future, you could live in the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

The St James Gate brewery in the Irish capital will be transformed into an urban district

On 29 June, Ballymore, an urban regeneration company, submitted its plans to rejuvenate St James Gate Guinness Brewery site in Dublin and transform it into a new Guinness quarter. The plan will see the preservation of historic buildings on site while remodelling the area with an interconnected web of indoor and outdoor public spaces.

The urban quarter will be a veritable mix of tourist space, residential space and social housing as it will offer Dublin 8 a boost in homes. Apart from the heritage benefits, the developers have also stated that the aim of the Guinness quarter is to be the first operational zero carbon district in the city.

Taking a page out of the Jameson Distillery

Just across the river from the Guinness brewery in Dublin 8 lies the infamous Bow Street Jameson Distillery. The distillery’s site was one of the biggest manufacturing facilities in Ireland throughout the 19^th century.

However, during the 20^th century, the famed whisky brand fell on hard times due to the prohibition in the USA and due to a trade war between Britain and Ireland after the Irish independence declaration. This forced the company to close its Dublin location in 1966.

In 1997, however, they reopened part of the old Bow Street Distillery as a Jameson Museum, while the rest of the ex-industrial neighbourhood developed around the old industrial buildings, turning it into one of Dublin’s most attractive urban sites, due to a high density of open public spaces.

It is precisely this success the Guinness St James Brewery is trying to replicate and even outgrow, as the company plans to continue brewing. However, the more historic buildings will be transformed into a hip residential quarter.

A dynamic and respectful neighbourhood

The St James Gate Brewery is located in the heart of the Liberties, an infamous working-class neighbourhood in Dublin, with strong local culture and a lot of character.

According to a statement by Ballymore, this is a very important factor in the development project and a fact that planners need to respect. Otherwise, the whole project could turn into an exercise in gentrification.

Seán Mulryan, Group Chief Executive of Ballymore, explained that the design needed to be modern, sensitive and highly sustainable, as the company has turned into a sort-of custodian to a very important heritage site for Dublin.

Company officials have also claimed that St James’s Gate will be among the most dynamic neighbourhoods in Europe, protecting the cultural, community, social, and industrial legacy of Dublin 8 and the Liberties.

Plans for the site include 336 homes, with a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. There will be homes to buy, homes to rent and social housing. It also includes hotel accommodation to cater for both the leisure and business visitors to the area.