How an industrial building in Cork gained a new lease of life 

Architect Lucy Jones' lightness of touch shows what’s possible as she undertook the design of a MacCurtain Street development

Simple, clean lines with comfortable modern furniture and textiles characterise the living areas.

Those of us with a love of architecture will frequently grimace when an old building undergoes a refurbishment and the result sees its essential character compromised, if not destroyed, in the process.

But when done with sensitivity and a sharp eye for creativity, it can turn out like the old Victorian tobacco factory at 48 MacCurtain Street, Cork, which now houses Hotel Isaac, Greene’s Restaurant, the cool destination wine bar Cask and a new recent development.

Architect Lucy Jones of lucy jones |office.

With a brief from the owner to create holiday apartments for families, the design was undertaken by architect Lucy Jones of lucy jones |office, a sister firm of Antipas Jones Architects, based in Dublin but with some more historic Cork connections.

“My family originally comes from Bandon,” says Lucy, who also explains she had an “architectural upbringing”, thanks to her father being an architect.

“Our holidays were spent traipsing around buildings,” she says.

But the architectural upbringing also provided the opportunity for Lucy to work for her father while she studied.

Later, after completing her education, when she lived and worked in France and Denmark, she developed an appreciation of the value of European design, and especially their economy in furniture and lighting design. “I think if I wasn’t an architect, I’d be a furniture designer,” she says.

Now that experience informs the work she does in her Dublin practice, where the approach of pared-back simple lines and a considered eye have even taken her back to continental Europe to expedite design projects on behalf of Irish clients, and in a growing practice portfolio of work which extends from domestic projects to retail and the hospitality trade.

For the Cork project, which began in October 2017 and was completed at the end of 2019, Lucy worked to a tight budget while seeking out and implementing design solutions to counter the limitations of narrow, pokey rooms and narrow stairs, while also dealing with the complications involved in making, in some cases, a living space for six people where there was only enough room for three.

Kitchen units have pops of flat colour and narrow tables have been installed to work with space limitations.

Despite this, Lucy, says, “It had great character too, but in an old building where you can’t move walls, what do you do? How do you fit in a wardrobe or bedside table where there’s no room for them?”

With simple design underpinning the choices of fitted and loose fixtures, attention had to be given to things like narrow tables. Restricted space in bedrooms saw minimal rails mounted on walls with drawers separate, instead of traditional style wardrobes, and the commission of bespoke cabinetry from west Cork-based Seamus White to maximise the limited space available.

A cutting-edge heating system installed by the client presented challenges in the kitchens. “Parts of the kitchen furniture had to be designed so they’re removable for access,” Lucy explains.

But not everything was quite so challenging.

“We were allowed to be brave with colour in halls, and we painted the rooms white with a gauzy pink,” she explains. “I really liked the cocktail chairs in Cask wine bar, but they were too big.

“I found an alternative in the Ace model by Danish company Normann Copenhagen, and we put the couch version in the two-bed apartments.”

Bathroom tiles are patterned for interest rather than the ubiquitous metro style or large, easy-to-clean types. Lighting is simple throughout, and, Lucy adds: “Back-lit mirrors are great if you have little space.”

Bespoke headboards and compact bedside tables, with wall-mounted reading lamps maximise the limited space in bedrooms.

To anyone iffy about hiring a design professional, thinking the money is better spent on the fabric of a renovation or extension, this project is an example of how well-conceived, well-implemented design creates a practical and aesthetically attractive outcome and one which will stand the test of time, something she sees trending, as alongside the vogue for Scandinavian design, she cites the emergence of Japanese and Belgian design which, she says, “are all about longevity”.

She explains: “You don’t have to employ an architect for the whole job.

“Just buy an hour of an architect’s time and get advice and ideas. But if you decide to use an architect, you’re going to get the best bathroom, lighting, builders, damp-proofing, because they know all of these. People don’t understand how passionate they are.

“There’s a tendency to Pinterest your house,” she adds, “and people neglect to do the basics. We have a responsibility to design for life, not just for now, buying something to throw away.”