The Changing Face of Sligo

Interview with Seán Martin, Senior Architect, Sligo Borough Council

Seán Martin is a Senior Architect in Sligo Borough Council and has worked with Sligo Local Authorities since 1993. Seán graduated from the School of Architecture, Bolton Street, Dublin in 1984 and continued his studies at L’Ecole Especiale D’Architecture in Paris. He has also worked in private practice in Sligo, Derry, Canberra and Melbourne Australia; using it as a spring board to travels in South East Asia and America, before returning to Sligo. 

How has Sligo City changed over the years?

Sligo as a city has always been changing. A particular dramatic period of change was in the 19th century when our port, which could then be considered the equivalent of an international airport, was bringing trade, farming materials and plant, stock, coal and timber to and from Sligo. Sligo's wealth at that time was invested in fine town centre buildings such as the Town Hall, Banks, Courthouse, Model School and town houses. The Port acted as a Regional Gateway connecting Sligo to North and South America and Britain. Sligo is now designated as a ‘Gateway City’ under the National Spatial Strategy and has become the leading urban centre in the North- West. This has also led to significant change in terms of Sligo’s economy, infrastructure, enterprise and labour force. The quality of life for its citizens has also changed over the years for the better.     

With so much change around, do you think Sligo’s history and character is being lost?

No, not lost in terms of history, but certainly changed in terms of character. The core of the city centre is fundamentally 19th century in terms of the building stock with the exception of a number of strategic interventions notably at the former Silver Swan site. However, the core is adequately protected through the list of Protected Structures and the Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) as set out in the Sligo and Environs Development Plan. A number of issues have contributed to Sligo's current growth. A series of tax incentives encouraged new developments manifested in the regeneration of Rockwood Parade, Kennedy Parade, Kempten Parade and Riverside. However, the certainty generated from the Sligo & Environs Development Plan 2004-2010, the designation of Sligo as a Gateway City together with the restoration and refurbishment of key public buildings such as City Hall, Model Arts & Niland Gallery and the Courthouse have significantly contributed to the preservation of key landmarks in a time of change. These important public buildings continue to contribute to the architectural character and quality of Sligo City Centre.    

In your opinion, what issues does Sligo City have?

Any deficiencies in the area of contemporary commercial and retail developments are now being met in the Quayside Shopping Centre, Wine Street car park redevelopment and at Carraroe. Much of this change does not happen in isolation but is due to the fostering of new partnerships, many of which have been co-ordinated and developed by Sligo Local Authorities.

Another deficiency which is now being met, and is encapsulated in the changing face of Sligo, is tourism and the hospitality industry. Four significant new hotels, two of which are now completed, one under construction at Silver Swan site and one in the planning development stage at Bundoran Road will greatly contribute to the tourism growth of Sligo through proactive marketing by these hotels of Sligo and the region. Retaining the quality of the city centre and integrating balanced development remains a challenge for developers and Planning Authorities to ensure that the quality of life issues of a vibrant city centre are met. In some cases familiar local landmarks have disappeared such as the Silver Swan Hotel, however, in the changing face of Sligo this familiar hotel will be replaced by what we anticipate will be a very significant contemporary piece of architecture which will house a new hotel and form a landmark at Hyde Bridge. There is still room for improvement particularly in the area of the appearance of the city centre, the issue of litter, and the provision of areas of civic amenity. The development of park facilities at Stephen Street car park and the pedestrianisation programme will contribute to a calmed pedestrian friendly environment.    

What role has the Architects’ Department in these developments?

The Architects’ Department, based at City Hall, is one of the key advisories to the senior management of Sligo Local Authorities in relation to the built environment. It also contributes to policy formation and programme planning across all service directorates by providing professional advice and service at technical level. At operational level, in the form of construction project design and management, technical and statutory compliance, it provides advice to all department heads and specialist teams. The work of the architects’ office is diverse with a role to play in various projects such as design of new housing stock, management of design teams for particular projects, regeneration and refurbishment of existing housing stock, pre-planning advice on the architectural content of planning applications, negotiations on the provision of Part V submissions in relation to housing projects, derelict sites, Sligo Development Plan and Village and Urban Renewal programmes, Pedestrianisation, and Park Development, to name but a few.  

What plans do Sligo Local Authorities have for Sligo and its environs?

Some of the future changes anticipated by the Local Authorities will be in the area of transportation with the continued planning and development of the Western Distributor road, Eastern bridge, a Western by-pass and bridge linking to a new N15 route to Donegal, the pedestrianisation of the City centre, the planning and development of the Port area through Local Area Action Plans and the continued marketing and development of industrial and technological opportunities in the region. The continued development of quality housing in the public and private sectors and the development of new partnerships in the creation of integrated communities will continue to be pursued with the objective always of improving†quality of life issues for the people of Sligo.

Can Sligo live up to its designated status of ‘Gateway City’?

Sligo is undergoing unprecedented growth and is continuing to meet the challenges presented with Gateway status. The construction of the Inner Relief Road represents a contemporary feat of engineering and will prove to be one of the many stimuli for the continued expansion of the City. The corridor of the new Inner Relief Road will provide opportunities for new residential and commercial buildings reflecting high quality contemporary architecture on new sites generated by the Inner Relief Road and in particular in the areas of Union Street and Adelaide Street. These buildings will be important in presenting a 'new face' of Sligo to the users of the Inner Relief Road.  The 'gateway structures' planned at Carraroe represent the start of such development together with the refurbishment and redevelopment of the former Harper Campbell warehouses at Union Street in the City Centre. The changing face of Sligo represented by the scale and variety of development currently underway reflects the assertion of Sligo as the regional capital and gateway to the North West.