The Edge, the guitarist of Irish rock band U2, has defended the proposed revamp of one of Dublin’s landmark hotels.

The Press Association reported that Norman Foster’s redesign of the Clarence Hotel, which The Edge and his bandmate Bono have owned since 1996, faced criticism from heritage groups who wish conserve the 19th century building.

Speaking outside a planning board hearing into the 150m euro (£100m) redevelopment, The Edge, real name David Howell Evans, was reported as saying: “We feel that while it’s very important to preserve the fabric of the period parts of the city, you’ve got to weigh up the benefits of what would be an incredible coup for Dublin City – a Norman Foster building.

“I feel that outweighs the sacrifice of parts of what are relatively ordinary period buildings.”

Foster’s proposal for the 49-bedroom hotel includes the construction of a new building with a glass dome, increasing the capacity to 140 bedrooms.

“If it is something that is not being used, if it’s something that is lying dormant, that’s basically a dead building, a missing tooth in the smile of the Liffey frontage,” said The Edge. “We want to reconstitute and bring life back to the city across that quay front, and I think that’s the best way to do it.”