Convention centre

[Jas]

New view of the riverside elevation of the proposed Convention Centre at Spencer Dock

[J Lobb]

Viva Laaaas Vegaaaasssss!

What is that THING to the right of the picture? Contextual architecture or what? Yeehaarrrr!!!!

[Paul Clerkin]

There is more than just the centre - there are offices and hotels and apartments.

[des]

oh, really? i suppose it's all o.k. then.

[BTH]

What posessed the developers of this project to go for Kevin Roche as architect. His work down the years has been at best patchy and his large scale work of the 80's and 90's has been disgustingly commercial, often lapsing into totally ridiculous po-mo pastiche. The perspective view is bad enough but the elevation is enough to make me sick. The nescessary density should be housed in elegant, extremely tall towers, designed to the highest standard, leaving the maximum public space at the riverside. Such a scheme would be a spectacular asset to the city, not a horrendous blot on the landscape as the current prospect of stumpy, lumpen slabs would certainly be. And the convention centre itself... One jazzy gimmick, ie the tilted glass drum, does not lead to a successful building. The other elevations are unspeakably dull. Something has to be done to stop this entire monstrosity from being built.

[BTH]

Any Ideas as to who should be asked to design this scheme?? I wonder how some of our own, like O'Donnell-Twomey or Shay Cleary would handle such a scale of building. I think even Scott Tallon Walker would do a better job than what is being proposed.

[This message has been edited by BTH (edited 12 March 1999).]

[J Lobb]

There was an interesting article about the development today's Irish Times by Paul Keogh, which raised a few very pertinent issues until it rather unfortunately descended into yet another plug for the architects comprising Group 91.

That aside, it is true that the issue of the longer-term development of the area looks like it's being overlooked, with short term profit motives dictating how the area is to be developed.

If built, the most positive thing that could be said about the architectural language of this development is that it would perfectly reflect the values of the society which produced it.

[Jas]

Yeah, i saw the article. I didn't think there was anything new in it - it contained all the usual posturing that this 'select' group of architects have been peddling for years.

As to the suggestion that STW be involved, I'm glad BTH said 'even Scott Tallon Walker would do a better job than what is being proposed'... the thoughs of STW getting another chance to roll out the same design in another city venur is scary - look at the Smurfit Building at Lincoln Place, Wood Quay, the Engineering Building in UCD - the same bland motifs and use of materials. Granted the inside of the Wood Quay building is quite impressive but the overwhelming sense is one of banality and safety in design.

[Jas]

I see now that it has been sent back to the developers for reworking....

[bohemian84]

i like the plan. i just think spencer dock is the wrong place. it should be further away from the city center, but more easily connected transit wise.

[johnn white]

Y'know the bit on the right of the the front elevation looks a lot like that Ulster Bank heap by the City Arts Centre.

J

[Jas]

Actually the more you see of it, the worse it looks:

[Jas]

It's just so alien, so american

[owl]

Rumour has it Kevin Roche will be on The Late Late Show this Friday.

[MG]

This could be interesting... is it going to be a fawning interview or is he being set up with a hostile panel?

[MG]

Or at least a panel that can debate architecture?

[Hugh Pearman]

Ah yes. The desperate deployment of a Platonic form - here the cylinder - in an attempt to achieve the big urban gesture. I.M. Pei is rather better at this sort of thing.

Actually the tilted glass cylinder engaged with an orthogonal form is no bad idea, and I'm not aware of such an example anywhere else (please enlighten me, everyone). Just a bit of a shame that - to go by the published images - the cylinder is the only possibly good thing about an otherwise largely illiterate and over-scaled building.

Would that tilted glass drum be facing due south, by the way? If so, I suspect they will either have to lose that transparency, or roast.

[Paul Clerkin]

Its facing directly south!

[Peter Fitz]

As far as I know, the only building that has had its design finalised is the Conference Centre, the other buildings have not yet been looked at in any depth save height and space. I am hoping for something a lot more interesting than the rubbish in the above picture.

[This message has been edited by Peter FitzPatrick (edited 22 February 2000).]

[MG]

Houston, we have a problem

[CTR]

I like it. Alien to Dublin it currently is, but it is situated in a area that can take it. Yes it will change Dublin. Is change so terrible? Can't people wait to see finalised plans with full textures before dismissing the whole thing. The NCC building is unusual and would make a lovely addition to the north quays.

Im sick to death of people saying that a development must relate to its surroundings. Thats crap, in most [and this] cases.

The alternative to this project will surely be a bland low-rise scheme along the lines of the current IFSC buildings which totally under-utilise the limited space in Dublin. In a prosperous city, we need to maximise areas like the docks for development. Not that I advocate giving carte blanche to developers. I think the reduction in floor space and overall bulk of the Spencer Dock project has improved its scale immensely.

I don't understand the local residents who seem to just want social housing, and low rise offices to perpetuate the boring hole that most of that area is.

Lets keep Dublin west of the Customs House low rise but allow a new, vibrant character to develop in the currently monotonous docks district, that acts as a foil to all the history and old world charm of the city centre. Look at La Défense in Paris for example.

[Jas]

Spencer Dock's architect, Mr Roche, was to have appeared on RTÉ's Late Late Show tomorrow but he pulled out after learning that many of the third-party objectors would also be present.

[GLucas]

I have a half hunch that the scheme is going to be thrown out. reading the newspapers, the anti-development side seem to have good expert witnesses and their homework done. I reckon Dermot Desmond will tilt the balance in their favour.

[GLucas]

I have a half hunch that the scheme is going to be thrown out. reading the newspapers, the anti-development side seem to have good expert witnesses and their homework done. I reckon Dermot Desmond will tilt the balance in their favour.

[DA]

It may be ugly but it is not overly huge in the greater scheme of things