Dublin-based John Paul Construction has been appointed as the main contractor for a three-year, €36m investment in Bank of Ireland’s College Green buildings in Dublin city centre.
The project will involve the repair, upgrading and restoration of College Green’s 280 windows, 45 staircases and 200 kilometres of electrical cabling, as well as its 54 roofs and 2.5 kilometres of roof walkways.
There will also be improved facilities for Bank of Ireland customers and workspaces for workers.
Bank of Ireland bought the former Irish parliament building in 1803 and opened it to the public as a banking hall in 1808. College Green has served as a bank ever since, making it one of the oldest banking halls in continuous use anywhere in the world.
As well as being a working bank branch, College Green provides office space for Bank of Ireland staff in personal, business and corporate lending, and a wide range of support functions.
Bank of Ireland said its College Green bank branch will remain open for business as usual (Monday-Friday from 10am until 4pm) during the works.
Susan Russell, Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland’s Retail Ireland division, said that as custodians of this special building, and after an enormous amount of planning and preparation, the bank was excited to see work get underway.
“Over the next three years this major investment will breathe new life into College Green, carefully conserving its historic fabric while modernising its energy and heating systems and upgrading spaces for customers and colleagues,” she said.
“When completed, it will help ensure that College Green continues to play an active part in the future of Bank of Ireland and the city of Dublin. Our branch will remain open for business as usual during the works with minimum disruption to customers,” she added.
Liam Kenny, Managing Director of John Paul Construction, said the unique nature of the building combined with the craftsmanship required to restore it to its former glory will make this a fascinating project to be involved in.
“It continues our strong legacy of contributing to Ireland’s architectural landscape through the years,” he added.
