Debenhams building as you’ve never seen it before

A video made by a daring team of YouTubers has offered a rare peek inside of one of Cork’s most iconic, yet currently unused, buildings.

The 20 minute video, created by British YouTubers Urbandoned, takes viewers on an eerie tour of the Debenhams building on Patrick’s Street in Cork city.

Built in the 1920s, the former Roches Stores building served as a commercial focal point for Cork city until April 2021 when UK retailer Debenhams announced the closure of all of its Irish stores resulting in the loss of 2,000 jobs. The building has sat unused since.

Following the closure, former employees picketed for over a year demanding a fair redundancy package.

Speaking to the Cork Independent, Urbandoned team member Alistair said that entering the building “wasn’t easy” but stressed that he and his colleagues take care not to damage property during their expeditions.

“It wasn't a physical process, it just took a long time to find a way in,” he said.

“We were going to go back to get some extra footage and they had already locked the door only an hour after we'd left,” he added.

The video shows vast open spaces that less than three years ago were filled with shoppers and stalls. In the background, an alarm can be heard throughout the video.

Alistair said every building he and his team explore has its own unique characteristics. In the case of Debenhams Cork, he said the fact that he and his team could hear shoppers in the adjoining Merchant’s Quay Shopping Centre gave the site an “apocalyptic” feel.

“You can hear the sound of shoppers passing through. It’s like echoes of the past,” continues Alistair.

“It's a very modern type of exploration. There's quite a lot of adrenaline and excitement.

“Because of the pandemic, you see all these department stores and shopping centres starting to close and it's quite a strange new dimension of exploration.

“For me personally, I like to document somewhere that has a familiarity with the people.

“We haven't really seen buildings like that before that are so big and grand and had been so popular when they were open,” he adds.

Regarding the building itself, Alistair says he was struck by its grandeur and retro feel.

“Debenhams specifically has Art Deco features in the main atrium, little nice banister touches,” he explains.

“Even the canteen, which had all the power on inside, was very ‘60s, you don't see many of them anymore.”

Urbandoned have been active for over four years, capturing and exploring abandoned structures, primarily in the United Kingdom. To see more of their adventures, visiturbandonedteam.com. The Debenhams Cork video can be found on the Urbandoned YouTube channel. They can also be found on X, Facebook, and Instagram.