best irish building of 2009

[Paul Clerkin]

So what's your nominations for the best building COMPLETED last year?

[aj]

its going to be a very short list

[dermot_trellis]

Maybe the Sean O Casey Community Centre in East Wall.. was that completed last year or 2008?

edit - seems like it was actually completed around September 2008, though not officially opened til February of 2009.

[wearnicehats]

I quite like the one at the corner of mount street and the canal

[engstu]

I quite like the one at the corner of mount street and the canal

I was just going to say the same myself! It's called "One Warrington Place"

There are a few images on Google of it and the estates agents brochure - no doubt it still remains empty!

[spoil_sport]

One Warrington Place? Really? A bog standard HJL job? [If I sound condescending... I make no apologies]

Speaking of HJL, I'm not personally nominating it, far from it, but I'm sure someone will mention it, so we might as well get it out of the way..... the new criminal courts

......and I'm sure someone will also mention that blasted convention centre... now, thats out of the way as well.

If we were to broaden it to "structures" rather then strictly buildings, then perhaps we could consider the Samuel Beckett bridge?

I'm really searching to end on a positive here... I would second the Sean O' Casey centre but unfortunately I do think that was 2008. Their Gaelaras in Derry was finished recently though I haven't seen it up close...

[GrahamH]

Haha - once One Warrington Place was mentioned I ran for cover. One could hear spoil_sport's strident footsteps from the far end of the Archiseek corridor.

Thank goodness Trinity Point hasn't been mentioned yet. Oops.

[reddy]

The two houses in Ballsbridge by Taka were lovely. Leixlip Garda Station was great too.

[wearnicehats]

One Warrington Place? Really? A bog standard HJL job? [If I sound condescending... I make no apologies]

Speaking of HJL, I'm not personally nominating it, far from it, but I'm sure someone will mention it, so we might as well get it out of the way..... the new criminal courts

......and I'm sure someone will also mention that blasted convention centre... now, thats out of the way as well.

If we were to broaden it to "structures" rather then strictly buildings, then perhaps we could consider the Samuel Beckett bridge?

I'm really searching to end on a positive here... I would second the Sean O' Casey centre but unfortunately I do think that was 2008. Their Gaelaras in Derry was finished recently though I haven't seen it up close...

I don't reallllly think you can call it bog standard. It's well articulated with a dramatic roofline (I think the overhanging roof is actually bronze). I sense an anti-commercial sentiment here - we can't give awards to box-extensions all our lives

I'm even more surprised at your mention of the convention centre - a mind bogglingly crude pimple on the arse of the quays. now if we were giving awards in the "best building that looks like a barrel of nuclear waste tipped over onto a cardboard box" category then......

[ba]

i think Derek Tynans (DTA) new social housing scheme is pretty decent, its up in Santry. Its under residential, and Santry Demense on their website. I have yet to go visit it, but for social housing it seems exceptional.

[spoil_sport]

I'm sorry wearnicehats, but it is bog standard, a barrell corner bit and a stick-y-out roof bit a great building do not make; and even if it is a little more than that, that still does not warrant a place on "best irish building of 2009"; nor did I mention any box extensions.

I also think you misunderstood my sentiments towards the convention centre; on that we are in complete agreement.

[dermot_trellis]

i think Derek Tynans (DTA) new social housing scheme is pretty decent, its up in Santry. Its under residential, and Santry Demense on their website. I have yet to go visit it, but for social housing it seems exceptional.

That looks very promising alright. The street part of it looks a bit stark but I'm sure there are some more trees on the way. It'd be nice if they'd throw up some drawings and internal views on their site.

[gunter]

another housing scheme that isn't bad is the Fatima Mansions replacement scheme, can't remember the new name.


pic from the recent artic episode.

Can't think of the architects, . . . . proabably some combination of three letters

[what?]

its all about the brick for me this year no doubt:

TAKA two houses: http://www.taka.ie/001-01.html http://www.taka.ie/002-01.html

and Timberyard by OD+T: http://www.odonnell-tuomey.ie/webpage/timberyard/timberyard_05.htm

[Paul Clerkin]

I really like the TAKA houses myself. Could live there happily.

[wearnicehats]

I'm sorry wearnicehats, but it is bog standard, a barrell corner bit and a stick-y-out roof bit a great building do not make; and even if it is a little more than that, that still does not warrant a place on "best irish building of 2009"; nor did I mention any box extensions.

I also think you misunderstood my sentiments towards the convention centre; on that we are in complete agreement.

ok just to ensure I don't disgrace myself again - example of 3 non "bog standard" offices please

[Copo]

My top three buildings:

1.An Gaelaras - BD Article

2. Timberyard - BD Article

3. Carlow Arts Centre - BD Article

[spoil_sport]

re: non bog standard offices - off the top of my head:
STW - Riverside One
Donnelly Turpin - Irish Times offices on Tara St
deBlacham Meagher - Grand Canal Quay and their own offices on St Catherine's Lane
I could go on...

There is nothing about the composition of one warrington place to sugest that it was put together with anything more than average competency.

I think Copo is onto something; I had forgotten about the Carlow Arts Centre, yes a definite contender, but not by an Irish architect, should we hold that against it?

[gunter]

Carlow Arts Centre is architecture that doesn't believe in itself.

[missarchi]

My top three buildings:
1.An Gaelaras - BD Article

It looks like a fancy prison i'm sure we all know why the mullions are so close...
The building is not cultural but the people might be i'm sure ornate precast would have been cheaper.

ornate and crime... gimme a brake

[wearnicehats]

[quote="spoil_sport"]re: non bog standard offices - off the top of my head:
STW - Riverside One
Donnelly Turpin - Irish Times offices on Tara St
deBlacham Meagher - Grand Canal Quay and their own offices on St Catherine's Lane
I could go on...

please don't - architecturally we won't agree on any of those being anything other than bog standard

STW????????????

QUOTE]

[eamon do]

Is a Poll in order ????????

[gunter]

Is a critique in order ?

[BTH]

Gaelaras in Derry, in particular the internal spaces, looks wonderful although I have minor misgivings about the yellow painted windows - the colour is a little bit reminiscent of that radioactive orange that a lot of cheap "Rationel" type windows come in. It's interesting that they are still considering whether or not to paint the whole facade red as was shown in the original renders. It's nice that John Tuomey isn't afraid of expressing his own doubts about the success or otherwise of the facade in the BD article. Personally I think the exposed concrete looks great.

Carlow Arts Centre is very admirable on a number of levels but a visit left me rather unimpressed. It's spaces and particularly it's external expression lack any humanizing qualities or concessions to context leaving it feeling quite bland and disconnected from the life of the town.

[Devin]

I can't believe somebody said they like that big corporate glass pig at Mount Street Bridge

Not this year, but this recent building, below, at Baggot Street bridge has hardly got a mention anywhere since being built. It's a good example of developing beside a protected structure, the Victorian redbrick.

It's not perfect - the top floor should have been pulled back from the chimney stack of the old building - but it's pretty good.