DDDA / Docklands Miscellany

[Paul Clerkin]

other views

[EIA340600]

ffs.omg.wtf. Unoriginal, dull, depressing nonsense.

[StephenC]

I agree. Sorry Harry, wrong call here

[wearnicehats]

is this the wheel that recently departed Belfast after 3 years?? If so, I went on it once and the (long distance) view was pretty good height wise

[igy]

A Wheel of that size, at that price would work fine somewhere like tha back of Jervis shopping centre, Merrion Square, somewhere around Christchurch, etc, but there's not a whole lot to see down at The Point except vacant derelict lots and the port. It would have an admittedly quite nice view of the dublin skyline / mountains / Landsdowne Road, but the immediate vicinity of The Point has nothing going for it.

Essentially the problem is that the wheel was placed there to entice people to spend time down around The Point, whereas in Belfast it was smack in the city centre, and was an attraction in its own right, with a large audience already nearby.

[The Denouncer]

Around the time of St. Patricks festival I went up the wheel they had at Merrion Square and I have to say the views were pretty impressive. Perfect place for it.

[fergalr]

So has this put the kibosh on DCC's plan to erect one by the Custom House? The city would look extremely weird with two ferris wheels within a mile of one another.

[tommyt]

So has this put the kibosh on DCC's plan to erect one by the Custom House? The city would look extremely weird with two ferris wheels within a mile of one another.

To be pedantic, I recall that being a DDDA tender/proposal.- Anyhoo I would imagine you are correct.

[fergalr]

To be pedantic, I recall that being a DDDA tender/proposal.- Anyhoo I would imagine you are correct.

Cheers, Crosbie. A cheap looking Ferris Wheel in the middle of nowhere, erected between the fringe of an unfinished city quarter and hundreds of acres of port. Oh, the landmarks!!

Such vision...

[Devin]

The canal sides around the Future Systems bridge have been left like a building site / wasteland. Not much of a setting for an 'iconic new Docklands bridge by signature architects', is it?

Did I read in the Sunday recently papers recently that the planned linear park along here - http://ireland.archiseek.com/news/2008/000219.html - would be knocked on the head? .... crazy. The NRA are spending hundreds of millions driving motorways through the country which will be useless in a few years time, yet an urban park - so important to the mental and physical health of city dwellers - can't be completed.

[StephenC]

I was told on a recent visit to the Convention Centre that a scaled down landscaping scheme would be installed on this stretch of the canal in July and August, in advance of the opening of the Centre for business in September. Not much sign of that.

However the originally envisaged design was shelved. Expect it to be a while before this park scheme is realised.

I have to say the whole public domain about the Convention Centre is VERY disappointing. I mean pour concrete! here! terrible.

[Devin]

I was told on a recent visit to the Convention Centre that a scaled down landscaping scheme would be installed on this stretch of the canal

Good .... hope the Agence Ter one can be done at some time, tho.

[cgcsb]

same story with chocolate factory park. Disgraceful.

[Yixian]

Urghh really disappointing, this whole area is just amounting to nothing. Maybe as the Docklands near to opening there will be the will and the money to really get this kind of thing sorted asap because as it stands there's still going to be nothing to do, see and no reason to be in the Docklands unless you work there.

[hutton]

Up close, the capsules on the Dublin wheel read to the effect of 'great city attractions', or some such uber bland title not particularly Dublin. Original it'll not be found guilty of. Still i guess its better to see an attraction open, than close - such as with Smithfield tower.

Re the bridge and its setting, the award given a year ago is looking rather premature
this http://two.archiseek.com/2009/dublin-bridge-wins-european-award/

[markpb]

Up close, the capsules on the Dublin wheel read to the effect of 'great city attractions', or some such uber bland title not particularly Dublin.

It's probably World Tourist Attractions, the name of the company that owns and operates the wheel?

[onq]

So has this put the kibosh on DCC's plan to erect one by the Custom House? The city would look extremely weird with two ferris wheels within a mile of one another.

Oh, I dunno.

Add another two and we could get really this country motoring again...

(ducks)

ONQ.

[onq]

Cheers, Crosbie. A cheap looking Ferris Wheel in the middle of nowhere, erected between the fringe of an unfinished city quarter and hundreds of acres of port. Oh, the landmarks!!

Such vision...

It'll fit right in with the winner of the Point Depot competition - The Parlour.

Basically this was a wall of containers to frame the space the STW tower now won't be built on.

Someone needs to tell Harry to stick to the path he is treading to improve the area, backing the convention centre and the theatre was perfect, but proletarian references beside a new STW sun blind and a beautiful old store building - not so good.

People want to be proud of their area in the inner city, not see it become a version of Bray seafront or the Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures.

And when the tower finally does get built, I hope it'll look better than the graph paper exercise they included with The Parlour brief.

Wouldn't you just keel over and expire if someone at STW rediscovered the arch?

Is this such a design challenge for neo-rationalists and modernists?

ONQ.

[Devin]

Cheers, Crosbie. A cheap looking Ferris Wheel in the middle of nowhere, erected between the fringe of an unfinished city quarter and hundreds of acres of port. Oh, the landmarks!!

Such vision...

Well in fairness to Harry he had wanted to do something of a more original bent with the giant man .. tours of the human innards. But he says he wasn't allowed do it in this interview - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0626/1224273339256.html

[mcdanish]

Was wondering with the half built " Anglo Building " recently having received approval to be completed by An Bord Pleanala what is the likelyhood that this will happen. Seen it recently and it looked like some stabiliser like equipment had been removed, possibly in anticipation of new work to start??Anyone with some info on this?

[shweeney]

work is progressing (seemingly very slowly) on the lower reaches of spencer dock quays - anyone know what the actual finished design will be assuming its not the design that won the competition?

[Telchak]

work is progressing (seemingly very slowly) on the lower reaches of spencer dock quays

Some pics I took couple of days ago (:

[thebig C]

Thanks for the pics Telchak. There seems to be a bit of a spurt in completing works along the canal bank of late.

As an aside, I noticed a couple of weeks ago, the rear of the conference centre (with huge blank expansive wall) has now been landscaped into a small and constantly shaded park. It is actually reasonably nice with a pagoda and hatural flagstones....but....it does feel fairly permanent! I guess the Hotel is now a distant memory!?

C

[Telchak]

I have some pics of that too





Sorry that these ones are more for photography purposes than showcasing the park :P :L

[MG]

A rather "different" project for the Docklands - which I haven't seen before.
http://archiseek.com/2011/2008-unbuilt- ... docklands/