Creating DÍON 01: An Icon Reimagined

Some buildings hold a story you can feel before you even walk through the door. One Central Plaza, once home to the Central Bank of Ireland, is one of them. Rising above Dame Street and Temple Bar, this striking structure has been part of Dublin’s skyline since the late 1970s. Designed by architect Sam Stephenson, it’s a rare example of Brutalist architecture in Ireland; bold, geometric, unapologetically modern for its time. Back then, it divided opinion. Today, it’s impossible to imagine the city without it.

A Landmark Reimagined

When the Central Bank moved out in 2017, the building’s future hung in the balance. But like the city around it, it was never meant to stay still for long. Developers Hines and Peterson Group saw potential in its concrete bones, not to replace what was there, but to reimagine it. Their vision was to turn the once-guarded plaza into a vibrant destination, opening it up to the city once more with restaurants, offices, terraces and a rooftop unlike any other. Today, Central Plaza is a symbol of renewal. A place where history meets new energy, and at the very top, DÍON completes the story.

Above It All

Our rooftop home crowns the building’s transformation: two glass levels wrapped around 360° views of Dublin, where the skyline becomes part of the experience. From here, you can trace the curve of the Liffey, the spire of Trinity, and the hum of Temple Bar below. The same city that once debated this building’s boldness now gathers beneath it to dine, to drink, to celebrate.

The Spirit of the Place

Dubliners know this spot well. They’ve watched it through every chapter, from concrete to Champagne. That’s what makes it special: it’s a place with memory, given new life. At DÍON, we honour that. Our name means “roof” — a nod to both protection and perspective. It’s where you rise above the noise without losing your connection to the city below.

A Building Like No Other

There’s also a touch of engineering poetry in all this. One Central Plaza is Ireland’s only suspended-structure building, its floors were built at ground level, then lifted into place around two concrete cores. A feat of design that feels almost cinematic when you know the story. For us, that detail says everything: elevated from the ground up.

Heritage, Reimagined

This building’s evolution mirrors our own ethos, to take something familiar and give it a new perspective. We didn’t want to erase its history; we wanted to build upon it. Now, the once-closed plaza hums with life. Office-goers, visitors, and locals share the space daily. The rooftop has become a new gathering point, a celebration of Dublin’s layers, seen from above.

Then and Now

We love looking back at old photographs of the Central Bank, the same tower, the same angles, just a different chapter. And now, as the city continues to grow around it, DÍON feels like the next verse in the same story. Experience this incredible building for yourself and see its amazing history reimagined