Smart penthouse with city views

This teak windowed penthouse designed by de Blacam and Meagher was feted in international architectural journals when it was constructed in 2000. Its construction heralded a stylish new type of city living in the capital.

Entertainment entrepreneur Harry Crosbie bought the apartment in 2002 and used it as a place for visiting rock stars to party undisturbed when playing his Vicar Street and Point venues. The landmark property, which has a double-height turret, is the only residential unit in this corner building.

More recently it has been an office space for advertising agency Mindshare, and the layout has been altered. A glass walled mezzanine was added which detracts from the drama of the original room but adds valuable private space. Substantial amounts of visible cabling was installed and now needs to be removed.

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Open plan

A striking feature in the open-plan livingroom is the corner teak window and seat where you can watch the tourists come and go at nearby Christchurch Cathedral.

In the less lofty part of the room there is a sittingroom area with an open fire, offering an introspective alternative to the outward looking window area.

The kitchen is situated upstairs and is accessed by an open tread staircase that bisects the ground floor. The stainless steel design runs the length of the room. Looking at it now, it’s very much of its time and new owners will probably update.

Terraces

From here a set of steps lead out to the apartment’s second terrace, a large sun bleached deck where you can see the Dublin Mountains, the copper domes of the Iveagh Buildings and a host of other Dublin landmarks, including the line that forms outside Burdock’s chip shop on Werberg Street. The decking looks like it has been well used and needs repairing if not complete replacement.

A glass box room off the kitchen could be used as a third bedroom or a very scenic home office. It could also be removed and the narrow gantry library area, designed by the architects, reinstated.

The 216sq m (2,325sq ft) penthouse has two bedrooms, both small when compared to the scale of the living and outdoor spaces. Each has a shower en suite bathroom.

The property is asking €725,000 through agents Colliers and compares favourably with apartments of similar sizes in the Docklands. It has a C2 Ber rating.

It’s worth noting that this is a walk-up apartment, and it is being sold without parking.