The Davenport Hotel

To update Dublin’s iconic Davenport Hotel, MDO fused traditional architectural features with contemporary lighting, joinery, and furniture.

​Originally constructed in the 17th century, and mentioned in James Joyce’s Ulysses, the Davenport Hotel was brought back to life after a fire in the early 1990s destroyed everything except the lobby and ornate façade.

MDO’s refurbishment of The President’s Bar has created a Dublin institution beloved of politicians and business people for its discreet atmosphere.

The new design creates a club-like interior of dark blues and burnished golds. To inform the interior design process, 3D BIM models and CGIs were used to discuss new layouts and finishes with the client in advance of construction.

The hotel bedrooms feature palettes and finishes with rich tones and textures, accentuated by artificial light from lamps.

​Full width sheers and curtains add a sense of luxury, while exaggerating the size of the building’s existing small windows. A new blackout fabric is used to allow for a lighter thickness to the full-length curtains, while white marble tiles in the bathroom enhance the suite’s opulence.

3D BIM models of the lower ground floor function rooms were developed throughout the design process, allowing the client to consider multiple configurations for the function room before construction. This advanced material was also included in marketing brochures, ensuring advanced sales and bookings of the space even before completion.

​The resulting spaces continue the theme of traditional luxury. Wall paneling, beveled mirrors, and bronze bars combine with bespoke carpets and curtains to create an ideal space for weddings or conferences. Meanwhile, natural light combines with bespoke bronze lighting and oyster silk shades to create strong, dramatic visual moods.