Industries were integral in the formation of towns and cities, creating employment, boosting economies, and generating a sense of culture within the heart of communities. Have we somehow forgotten the role that manufacturing industries played during Ireland’s industrialisation? As technology improves, profit margins increase and construction booms?
How do we approach preservation and what do we do to retain twentieth century modernist structures as part of our industrial heritage?
I looked specifically at the Distillers’ Bottling Plant, Cork, which is currently under the threat of extinction. This proposal is to advocate for the reuse of the building to preserve the historical presence it holds on the site and given the characteristics of the industrial nature, it lends itself to be adaptable to suit the given program currently proposed, while safeguarding the existing.