Former sorting office delivers €285,000 New York-style loft on Cork city quay

Apartments at Bridge House on St Patrick's Quay are right around the corner from the buzzing Victorian Quarter and near Kent Station

End-of-terrace Bridge House is at the corner of Brian Boru St and Patrick's Quay

Patrick's Quay, Cork city
€285,000
Size	93 sq m (1001 sq ft)
Bedrooms	1
Bathrooms	1
BER	D2

BRIDGE House on St Patrick’s Quay in Cork city surfaced in the media recently when virtual images of what a new neighbourhood Premier Inn might look like appeared in this newspaper.

Planners, who sent the proposal back to the drawing board, were concerned that the hotel — a replacement for the Leisureplex entertainment complex — would rise above the roof of the former An Post sorting office, now known as Bridge House. It would create an “awkward composition” they said, at odds with the surrounding historic environment which includes the Victorian buildings of nearby MacCurtain St and the landmark Trinity Church at the bottom of Summerhill North. The Whitbread group, owners of the Premier Inn brand, were asked to engage a conservation architect and to come back with a revised plan.

New buildings are being added as you head east out of the city

This episode tells us that Bridge House is in good company in terms of buildings of architectural merit. They include the Victorian Quarter and new additions on the nearby, under-rejuvenation quays.

Bridge House itself is a good example of a job well done when it comes to turning a protected structure used for commercial purposes into highly palatable living accommodation in a truly urban setting. As Áine McLoughlin points out, the apartments it houses are “totally different to any other apartments on the market”. Ms McLoughlin of AML Property Services is handling the sale of 93 sq m Apt 1 and she says the rooms are voluminous, with double-height ceilings, while timber flooring and exposed brickwork add warmth and character. 

The double bedroom is mezzanine-style and the overall effect is New York-style loft.

Bridge House, built c 1905, retains a pair of carriage arches in its façade, where presumably post was delivered and collected in the early 20th century.

 Those arches are now heavily glazed and one is a window in Apt 1 so natural light is at a premium, particularly in the open plan living/ dining/ kitchen area at ground floor level.

The distinctive redbrick building is included in the national database of architectural heritage, and was “apparently truncated” when Brian Boru St was created in 1910. Truncated or not, it has a good position on St Patrick’s Quay: corner site, end-of-terrace, south-facing, overlooking the River Lee.

Ms McLoughlin says those looking include single people — young and older — as well as young couples and international buyers in search of accommodation for college-going kids in the city.

“It doesn’t seem to bother people that there’s no parking. What they are looking for is city centre living and at Bridge House, everything is on your doorstep. MacCurtain St, which is buzzing, is just around the corner,” the agent says.

Appliances and furniture are included in the sale.

VERDICT: It's already under offer at the asking, so interested parties need to move post-haste.