Cumann Seandalaiochta agus Staire Phort Lairge

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Submission to save Hennebique Warehouse

Submitted to the City Council, just ahead of the deadline of 30th November: 

To whom it may concern,

As a Waterford person, I am delighted at the prospect of the development of the North Quays.
As somebody who worked on the R & H Hall\Waterford Flour Mills site for twenty years, and as a member of Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society, I was delighted to see, that part of the North Quays Master Plan was the preservation of the Hennebique Warehouse.
This building is the last remaining tangible link to a site which was part of the thriving maritime history of Waterford. Grain stores, a water powered flour mill and a box factory occupied this site in the 19th century, an ancient ferry operated from the site to the city.
However, I am now puzzled as to why the Council, who state in the Master Plan that the building will be considered in any future development, now brings forward a plan to demolish it. The latter seems contrary to all the aspirations/policies in the draft Master Plan.
I believe that the thrust of a recent engineers report to the Council is that too much physical compromise would be needed to enable its adaptive reuse. He does not actually discuss how it might be reused, merely stating that "it is difficult to see what future use the building could serve”, I disagree.
The North Quays Master Plan aspires to the provision of a visitor centre, exhibition space and other cultural amenities. I see no reason why The Hennebique Warehouse couldn't be adapted to these and other uses. Here are some examples:
·         Maritime museum (In a city with such a maritime heritage, there have been many calls for a Maritime Museum, the major obstacle was to find a location, here is a readymade and most appropriate location)
·         Industrial Museum.
·         Gallery\Exhibition Centre.
·         Visitor Centre.
With a nine storey building it would be possible to have a combination of some, if not all, of the above.
The floor to ceiling height has been cited as a disadvantage, again, I disagree. The floor to ceiling height is 2650mm, except the top floor, where it is 3800mm! On a recent visit to Tullamore in County Offaly, I paid a visit to the Tullamore DEW experience, where the old Bond Store is now a very attractive and successful visitor centre, the floor to ceiling height in the reception area and gift shop is 2000mm.

I appeal to the City Council to preserve this iconic building, I do not use the word iconic lightly, the Oxford Dictionary defines an Icon as - 
 A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration. Whilst the Hennebique Warehouse is not worthy of veneration, it is most definitely a representative symbol of the history and heritage of this site. Not only is it listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a building of National importance, it was part of the fabric of a once thriving site which gave employment to people from Ferrybank, the City and surrounding areas, in some cases, to 2 and sometimes 3 generations of the one family and it contributed to the social and economic life of the city for over 100 years.
While the Hennebique Warehouse stands it will be a palpable link to the heritage of the site, the port and indeed, the city.

Yours Sincerely,
Michael Maher 


The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society, Ireland.
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