central bank dame street development

[bob]

has anybody else heard about the banks proposal to fence in the whole plaza at dame street. mr sam stephenson will be responsible for the inevitably stylish fence which is intended to prevent through-passage from dame street to crown alley and the bridge. apparently the employees of the bank are too afraid of meeting strangers on the steps of the bank when they come outside. this is truly a crime and must not go ahead. this is a hugely popular gathering space and to block it up like that would stand against everything that has been acheived in the area in recent years. sod the bank and their sterile environment.

[Shane Clarke]

I'm in complete agreement. Inadequate though it is the central bank is sited in the only effective city plaza that we have in Dublin. Perhaps we can add Smithfield in the near future but to fence the central bank sounds farcical.

[nodit]

there is hording up already.....surely this can't be happening?

[CR]

This is indeed a disgrace. Why can't they hire a few guards to keep tourists off the steps. If they absolutely must fence it off, they should at least leave access to the vital Crown Alley/Dame Street axis.

I knew nothing of this until I saw the hoarding and then read this forum, so it appears that this plan was pushed through in an underhand way, so typical of the planners in this country.

[Shane]

Sea, ach mas ionann leis an bPiazza Navona e/ Smithfield, iontach cosu/il leis an bPiazza di Spagna e/ an Central Bank plaza. Aontaim libh, coir gan sprioc i/ an clai/ seo/.

Ever seen the Piazza di Spagna ? - the similarities in terms of social mixing are very similar to the Central Bank plaza. It's closing off as a gathering place is a tremendous shame. As a meeting and gathering place it evolved in the same way as Trinity Gates and Cleary's Clock.

Shane

[John White]

Er.. Piazza Navona is in a slightly different League to Smithfield as is Spagna to The Central Bank Plaza but I get your point!

It is a great area for social mixing - a Place de Igor Stravinsky [beside the Pompidou centre]type of Meeting place.

All that's missing is public access to the top of the building for a view of Dublin. A bit like the top of the Spanish Steps really.

Instead of Mee-hall's St. Peter's Dome you might see Rathmines Cathedral!

[snag]

Its terrible if it is closed off, but it is also terrible that it became such a meeting place at all, given its grimness....the two Temple Bar squares just aren't big enough, and while meeting house square looks okay, it isn't really accessible.....there really are very few pleasant places to sit outside in the city centre..the Millenium fountain....Central Bank must be among the most popular but they are both a bit gross.

[Shane]

John

I was plagiarising someone else. The developer of Chief O'Neills compared Smithfied square to the Piazza Navona as it is supposed to be equal in size to it, although I don't know if that is true.

Shane

[john white]

Sorry Shane.

I'm not well up on the current current architectural comedies being played out daily. I never could have made a connection there unless I was on drugs or something.

I wonder what Piazza Navona looked like up until the 15th century? It was probably a muddy field full of rubbish surrounded by crumbling antique ruins.

Rome was a very unpleasant place back then.

J

[Eddie]

The Central Bank development is not as bad as I'd first feared reading this topic.
See http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/1999/0617/hom20.htm
for details.

[MG]

You can now see the railings from the upper deck of the double deckers - look quite well actually. But I would suppose they would seeing as they're costing a million.

[Rory W]

They are not extinguishing the right of way through to Crown Alley and it looks like they are only fenching off the steps.

Rory W