Convention centre

[Rory W]

Where the hotel that didn't get planning was?

[paul h]

Yep, not too reliable i suppose:D

[luxor]

I pass the area quite regulary but have only been down there a few times and my god what a truly depressing place it is,the people behind this regeneration project should be shot.Its a national embarrassment.

[Peter Fitz]

Might be over stating things a bit there luxor, but your entitled to your opinion !

[shanekeane]

Might be over stating things a bit there luxor, but your entitled to your opinion !

I couldn't agree more with luxor. The whole thing is the most horrendous development I've ever seen, and I'm from Limerick! Total lack of imagination, lack of colour, lack of atmosphere. It's a combination of the totally conservative view of building in this country, the complete vulgarity of those seeking profit, and the complete drabness of the Dublin climate, which was not taken into account when designing these grey buildings.

[dan_d]

The orginal render on the PWC building was white, wasn't it??I've seen impressions of it like that.It's desperately depressing and slightly monolithic, with it's current shade of grey.And the grey granite in the landscaping.And the grey (looking) building behind it.Matches the grey sky and the murky grey liffey....!!!

[johnglas]

You could always try some of that wonderful red-purple sandstone and silver-blue limestone (complete with fossils) from CORK (!) for cladding buildings in Dublin. Am I being provocative?

[SunnyDub]

"working for profit, how vulgar", what do you work for?!

[shanekeane]

people working for profit don't care if they walk all over the public realm with their despicable money driven visions of our land, where every square metre of landscape is nothing but a profit opportunity. that's why we have retail parks all over the place. one of the reasons we have planning laws is that these people aren't given unadulterated control over how our country will look in the future, because they're nothing but a bunch of parochial nouveau riche jackasses without a scintilla of aesthetic sensibility. given the ridiculous, record breakingly harsh planning laws in this country, how did all this shit get built? apparently only interesting proposals are the ones that get banned.

[ake]

In fairness the docklands is a disgrace.

Just look at this, a stone's throw up the river from the CC on the opposite bank;

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urban sprawl? density? commuter? traffic? transport? encroaching suburbs?

Wasn't there some sort of talk about some of these things a while back?

oh and the PWC was white in the render on their hoarding;

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it was a tad dirty by the time i took that pic!

[johnglas]

ake: could you parse the first picture you posted and tell me exactly what is wrong with it? Looks like a perfectly decent and modulated inner-city residential development to me. If you want to cram everyone in Kowloon-style you're living on the wrong continent (possibly even universe).

[johnny21]

If anybody is interested the view of the auditorium!!!:p

[Satrastar]

It's been said numerous times that the design of the National Conference Centre makes reference to the Gasometer.

Is there any truth to this?

[gunter]

The makings of an urban myth there I think!


I've no idea how this picture came out, there's obviously some fool-proof setting on my camera for near dark situations.

[alonso]

kinda reminds me of the scene in Star Wars where a load of droids are lined up for selection by Luke Skywalker - all we need is a camp well-spoken 12-15 storey building to the left of R2D2 there and we have it...

[rob mc]

I'm sorry for this but doesn't the covention centre look very unconventional!?

[johnny21]

The sisk website have recently added a webcam to view the progress of the ncc. Heres the link!! http://www.sisk.ie/sisk/sisk/www/default.asp?magpage=25&id=575§or_id=1&wid=2 Also added a birds eye pic of the site taken from sisks website!!:D

[lostexpectation]

does anybody simple not like it, it looks so awkard

[johnny21]

does anybody simple not like it, it looks so awkard

Dont konw yet. I wait until the building is complete before i make judgement!!! :confused:

[spoil_sport]

Well, lostexpectation, we all know where I stand on this monstrocity by now.

"Dont konw yet. I wait until the building is complete before i make judgement!!!"

Ah come on now, its as good as.... sure, that little bit of cladding at the back will make all the difference... or maybe the whole structure at the moment is just temporary hoarding and the real building is inside, and it's all just a really bad joke... no? too much to ask?

short of a massive localised earthquake that completely demolishes it, I really can't see anything improving over the next few weeks and months.

[notjim]

Isn't it surprising that the cylinder isn't glassed across the top; perhaps the whole cylinder isn't articulated on the inside. Is the roof going to be used as a function area?

[Rory W]

It's been said numerous times that the design of the National Conference Centre makes reference to the Gasometer.

Is there any truth to this?

I think it makes more reference to the Gasholder which used to be sited opposite on Sir John Rogersons Quay more than the Gasometer in googleland (as it's now know)

[GregF]

I think it makes more reference to the Gasholder which used to be sited opposite on Sir John Rogersons Quay more than the Gasometer in googleland (as it's now know)

Aye indeed, and anyone notice too the glass cylinder atop of the building across the river. Although this building was built long before the NCC was even started I'm sure this was a reference to it.

[Paul Clerkin]

But Greg the NCC design has been kicking around for ages now... when was the oral hearing? 2000?

[spoil_sport]

I think any perceived reference to context is coincidental, and highly dubious. Your reading too much into it now. The NCC was designed long before the Scots yoke, and I dare say entirely oblivioius to anything within a 100 mile radius, and while I'm not a Scots fan, riverside 1 is infinitely more sophisticated. I know I sound like a broken record now, and a few people are probably getting a little bit pissed off now, but this thing really is awful...