New pillar!

[Shane]

Fógraíodh ag an mean-lae inniú go bhfuil colún nua roghnaithe ag Bardas Atha Cliath. Is coireog é, déanta ó chruach dhosmálta agus 150m ar airde !

Má tá pictiur dena cuid agat, a Paul, an bhfeadfá á chur ar an laitheán seo ?

meaning…

The new pillar for Dublin was announced today. A cone of stainless steel, 150 metres high !!

[Paul Clerkin]

We have added the adjudicators report, architect's statements and information and illustrations of the monument to OnSite Ireland.



<A HREF="http://www.archeire.com/onsite/spike/index.html">Report</A>

[John White]

Er... it's not so much conical in APPEARANCE but more pf a spike or pole? How are they going to clean it? Remember the Louvre pyramid and 'the time in the slime'?

If it looks different to all those video surveilance poles going up all over Dublin already it should be pretty amazing. The foundation will be something else!

john

[fiachra]

yeah, the foundations are something else. It's a shame they cannot be seen. All that good work ...

[Pat]

Looks like a giant hypodermic.....

[John White]

Oh God.. you're right!
How about a methadone clinic under it?

O'Connell street - Drugs Central. I suppose it IS an accurate reflection of Dublin. Just look at the poverty, despair and sad hopelessness 200 yards from O'Connell street. Not mentioning any names but if you've ever taken a stroll round the streets adjoining and parallel it's an eye opener. Even Temple Bar at lunch-time is full of the living dead.

Does anyone think it's a bit sad also that the contract went to an outside of Ireland firm?

john

[Hugh Pearman]

Can it be built? Well, Ian Ritchie has done a lot of work on new and rather fine pylons for Electricite de France. I suspect his engineering is sound.

I rather like it - it's got over the problem of the bulk of the old Nelson's pillar. But what will the air traffic controllers think?

[Joseph]

Go and see the small exhibition of Ian Ritchie's proposed spine at the Corporation Buildings, Wood Quay, Dublin, if you can. It's beautifully detailed and will, I believe, be a beautiful monument. The comments on weather it has a meaning or resonance with Dublin and Ireland is interesting and troubling.. My only question is why the great height? Twice the height of Nelson's Pillar would have been fine (allowing for its slenderness,
proportions and modern possibilities) but three times?? Why?

[Charlie]

Its really bizarre. Every time I look at a photo of it I think of hundred reasons why I think its a disater and yet within a few minutes of further looking, it seems to endear itself to me. Can't wait to see the real thing!

I agree that it's a shame that the winning entry was foreign - a bit like old Nelson!

[MG]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the construction process more so than the finished product.... the assembly of the pieces should be interesting to see

[Sam]

I see that some people have been given leave to appeal the decision to build the spike in the High Court. This is rather unfortunate in my opinion.

[sarah]

I don't think it's a shame that the contract went outside the country. On the contrary, it's time that Ireland went international. Every other European capital has some building or monument which was created by a renowned foreign architect/sculptor/artist. To this end, I am really looking forward to our proposed Calatrava bridge over the Liffey. I really hope that Dublin Corporation have the courage of their convictions and let competition winners build their concepts in the spirit that they were created rather than forcing them to tone down their proposals to suit the Irish sensibilities. Context is the most misused excuse for bad architecture. Let our new monuments just be themselves unashamed of their originality.