Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council
Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council
Swords Masterplan - Fingal County Council
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Building Orientation<br />
THE RETAIL/COMMERCIAL CORE<br />
The buildings within Main Street offer many active frontages to the public realm<br />
with most accommodating shops and commercial activity at ground floor level.<br />
Gaps in the building line offer access and views into laneways which are a<br />
distinctive local feature. Again these are frequently fronted by ground floor active<br />
uses. These include River Mall, Colmcille Court to the west of Main Street and<br />
<strong>Swords</strong> Town Centre Mall, Mainscourt and The Plaza to the east of Main Street.<br />
To the backlands, west of the Main Street the rear gardens, yards surface car<br />
parks and high walls that front the river walk contributes to an inactive frontage<br />
with poor natural surveillance.<br />
Active frontages to be promoted<br />
Inactive frontages to be avoided<br />
S W O R D S M A S T E R P L A N<br />
CIVIC/COMMUNITY CORE<br />
Within this character area buildings are generally set in rows facing the street.<br />
Some properties have medium-large front gardens with high walls creating sections<br />
of blank frontages. In other areas open plan front gardens ensure active frontages.<br />
COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL<br />
The formal street layout of this character area with buildings perpendicular to the<br />
street creates a strong frontage and building line to North Street. In some areas<br />
the use of high fences and walls contributes to an inactive street frontage. This is<br />
particularly evident on the side street immediately north of the Carnegie Court<br />
Hotel approaching Seatown Villas.<br />
1 1 9<br />
Building Heights and Massing<br />
THE RETAIL/COMMERCIAL CORE<br />
The majority of the western edge of the Main Street has developed at a low-rise<br />
scale, predominantly featuring two-storey terraced buildings. The individual<br />
buildings contain a variation in their heights from ground to eaves. This is<br />
realised by changes in the angle of the roof pitch and the internal floor to ceiling<br />
heights. The roofscape and variation in the scale and massing of buildings<br />
provides a richness of character along the western edge of the Main street.<br />
To the eastern edge of the Main Street there are numerous recent modern infill<br />
buildings of 3 to 5 storeys, which create a denser feel to this side of the town. The<br />
taller buildings here such as the <strong>County</strong> Hall relate well to the wider Main Street.<br />
Seatown Road: Buildings front the street with open setbacks The western edge of the Main Street predominantly featuring two-storey terraced buildings<br />
North Street: The use of high fences and walls contributes to an inactive street frontage The eastern edge of the Main Street featuring buildings from three to five storeys