SIPTU, one of Ireland's largest trade unions, is due to lodge plans with Dublin City Council today (11 February) for the development of a 'new' Liberty Hall in the heart of the city centre.

Plans for the new 20-storey tower, which will replace the existing 35-year-old building, include a new rooftop Sky Deck attraction offering panoramic views across Dublin and a heritage centre dedicated to the Irish labour movement. A theatre and a conference centre are also mooted as part of the plans, which have been drawn up by Gilroy McMahon Architects and will see office space occupy 16 storeys of the property.

Sustainable energy measures will be implemented at the new Liberty Hall, such as increased floor to ceiling height to boost daylight penetration, an external skin to reduce thermal gain and rainwater harvesting systems. Unveiling the proposals at SIPTU's centenary conference in October last year, general secretary Joe O'Flynn said: "If you consider that the building has remained largely unchanged since 1965, the limited nature of the space and how it is configured has meant that re-development is the best way forward.

"The union has an unbreakable bond with the site, occupying the location for almost 100 years. Not only this, but the site holds considerable historical significance, with Liberty Hall playing a key role in both the 1913 Lockout and the 1916 Rising."