"Tall building plans criticised"
 

From today's indo..................

Tall building plans criticised

PLANS for two new Dublin apartment towers are targetted in the sights of the Irish Georgian Society. One is Denis O'Brien's 26-storey tower near the centre of Donnybrook village, as first reported exclusively in the Property Independent. The second is mooted as Ireland's tallest building being planned by the Office of Public Works as part of its €120m Heuston Gate between the Royal Hospital Kilmainham and Heuston Station. This 32-storey building with 197 apartments is known as the 'Tall Building'. Topped by a public viewing gallery, it will be 117 metres high, marginally shorter than the Spire.

The Knight of Glin, Sir Desmond FitzGerald, and president of the Irish Georgian Society, says that both developments are too tall relative to the low rise buildings which surround them.

"We are not opposed to high-rise or to new development. However, we are concerned that such high rise should be confined to areas such as the Docklands and not close to existing low rise homes."

The Knight also welcomed the OPW plans to rejuvenate this area of Kilmainham and include a Children's museum. His colleague in the society, Donagh Cahill, pointed out, however, that its current design was out of keeping with the city streetscape.

"If such a tall building is proposed, it should be designed as a landmark building and its design should be put out to international competition."

He was quite happy for the other buildings in the project to reach medium height.

Sir Dessie should be more concerned about the dilapidated condition of a lot of Georgian buildings rather than the views.
This is far more a cause for concern!

Personally, I don't like the thought of the tallest buildings in Dublin being private accomodation - unless I own the penthouse.
Where's Glin?

i agree with the view that the georgian society should be more concerned with saving whats left of georgian dublin, and not geting in the way of new buildings, which could end up being great additions to the city.
i am all for the idea of towers and focal points around the city and not just centred on the quays. the donnybrok and kilmainham ideas are great but a bit more detail and images would be usefull to tell just how good/bad they are going to be.
any word on whether or not the esb is going to sell their properties on the georgian mile. if anything the georgian society should be concentrating on restoring that vista but thats another story!!!

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Denny Boy [/i]
[B]Where's Glin? [/B][/QUOTE]

A stunning Co Limerick Village.

I strongly agree with The Knight that the sites for future tall building projects should be pre-selected and put out to International competition. As the DunLaiore competition has proven Ireland has the Talent to use local knowledge to produce World Class buildings.

Denny's tower for Donnybrook looks OK from Morehampton in montage based upon the trees having the benifit of a summer coat. I dread to think it's appearance from other angles.

I'm all for these towers to be built. I would love to see them built maybe closer to Liberty Hall and One George's Quay, so perhaps a high-rise "core" area could be acheived. But on the other-hand, I like how highrises are randomly placed in Dublin. You're in an area with all short buildings and suddenly theres a 15 storey one! I like that.

So, I agree that the Georgian society should stick with worrying about Georgian buildings rather than their surroundings.

"The Irish Georgian Society is Ireland's Architectural Heritage Society" - they have as valid opinion as the rest of you....

Fair enough, but i'm so sick of nothing ever exciting ever being built because of the views of a conservative minority of people who always seem to get their way.

Anything 'bold' is automatically shot down in this country. There are lots of people who would like some well designed tall buildings to be built in Dublin to break the monotony of 5 storey crap that always goes up, and no matter where the tall buildings are proposed it always seems to be in an 'unsuitable' location. It really frustrates me.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Gar [/i]
[B]Fair enough, but i'm so sick of nothing ever exciting ever being built because of the views of a conservative minority of people who always seem to get their way.

Anything 'bold' is automatically shot down in this country. There [/B][/QUOTE]

Name one 'bold' development ever proposed for Dublin, you can't because there never has been, if yellow pack tallkeeps appearing it will be shot down. You got exited about 16 stories for Liffey Valley, that is the type of 'Bold' one says to a cheeky child.

the georgian society does indeed have a valid point of view and without them, who knows what would have been lost.
as far as exciting buildings go, a 30 storey building is still pretty impressive so lets hope it goes ahead!!!

It's all crap - the georgian society would object anyway no matter the location. How could the docklands hold a tall building (it being the nominated "suitable place") when knickers were distinctly in a twist over the possiblilty of a roof (shock) being visible from Fitzwilliam St (from Spencer Dock) and thus destroying the illusion that it's still 1800?!? And as for mentioning the docklands as the suitable location... this is also crap as the docklands was planned to be rigidly low rise from day one and has pretty much been built that way. Where exactly would these buildings go other than if some 5+1 box from 1997 got demolished. The millenium tower does not count.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by d_d_dallas [/i]
[B]It's all crap - the georgian society would object anyway no matter the location. How could the docklands hold a tall building (it being the nominated "suitable place") when knickers were distinctly in a twist over the possiblilty of a roof (shock) being visible from Fitzwilliam St (from Spencer Dock) and thus destroying the illusion that it's still 1800?!? [/B][/QUOTE]

To the best of my knowledge they levelled no objection to the U2 tower, Spencer Dock got hammered by everyone from Bertie to Dermott Desmond.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by d_d_dallas [/i] [B]And as for mentioning the docklands as the suitable location... this is also crap as the docklands was planned to be rigidly low rise from day one and has pretty much been built that way. Where exactly would these buildings go other than if some 5+1 box from 1997 got demolished. The millenium tower does not count. [/B][/QUOTE]

There is still a large chunk of docklands from Spencer Dock to East Wall Road with only limited tracts having the benefit of development consent. A competetion might produce something of a standard hitherto lacking in Dublin. :D

So no objection to the U2 "tower" suddenly makes someone whiter than white?

What is the latest on the U2 tower anyway does anyone know?

Is it going to languish in the Unbuilt Ireland section of this site for ever?

I was walking around that area just the other day. Looks like the site is being prepared for construction. Boardings were being erected by builders. Although, on the other hand, there were boardings up around sites in Dublin in the '80s for years, so maybe nothing is happening yet!

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by d_d_dallas [/i]
[B]It's all crap - the georgian society would object anyway no matter the location. How could the docklands hold a tall building (it being the nominated "suitable place") when knickers were distinctly in a twist over the possiblilty of a roof (shock) being visible from Fitzwilliam St (from Spencer Dock) and thus destroying the illusion that it's still 1800?!? [/B][/QUOTE]

You appeared to be under the misaprehension that the IGS would object to anything tall on the docklands.

The Georgians have objected to things I wouldn't have, but their opinion is as valid as anyone elses.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by d_d_dallas [/i]
[B]So no objection to the U2 "tower" suddenly makes someone whiter than white? [/B][/QUOTE]

Does that mean that their name was blackened to begin with?

In my opinion it shows that they are prepared to acknoweldge quality as distinct from large scale visual wallpaper. :cool: