In Reply to: re: worst detsigned new building in castlebar competition posted by town planner sally on February 15, 2010 at 21:08:09:

I think you will find that I did not use the word spencer or spenser - neither street nor poet. Your pedantry in this respect may be directed at the wrong poster?

I agree completely that the building was a wreck when it was let go. But it's design was still an excellent example of art deco in Castlebar - one of the few buildings of any merit really. Whether it was looked after properly is a separate issue. Rats run around the Colosseum in Rome too but it's still an architectural gem.

The Imperial is a listed building too (for just one part) but just look at the route it is on at the moment. Look at the way the old library has been treated too with broken windows and its signage just ripped off of it. It will have rats running around it in no time and I'm sure it too will crumble when the wrecking ball hits it if something is not done to maintain it.

Unfortunately Castlebar is a total dump as far is architecture is concerned - we live in a real backwater land I'm afraid. And it's getting worse as buildings like the Imperial are run into the ground under the weight of the recession. Never mind that there have been many much worse recessions since Davitt's time and it has survived thus far. At what stage does an architectural gem become a death trap? I would give it a year or two at the most under the current regime.

Also if you read what I read you will note that I am not criticising the new building in place of the cinema as it does pay some deference to the old building. Likewise the white building across the road is 'interesting'. But we live in wasteland I'm afraid. Just wait until all those McMansions dropped onto Castlebar over the past 10 years have rusting 10-year old SUVs sitting on the potholes outside them.