BHN Cork

[ew]

Does anyone have any details or photos of the BHN in Cork?
It's listed on skyscrapers.com as one of Irelands 8 skyscrapers :

http://www.skyscrapers.com/english/worldmap/building/0.9/100093/index.html

But I've never heard of it.
Is it any good?



By the way if you are on the site take a look at the Genex tower in Belgrade it's like trellick crossed with futurama. I'd never seen it before.
http://www.skyscrapers.com/english/worldmap/building/0.9/110978/index.html

[Blain]

I'm not really sure about this myself either. It could be the redevelopment of that old Eircom building on one of the quays, but I didn't think that had planing permission yet, much less construction begun. That was supposed to be about 9 stories high or so.

On another point, 8 "skyscrapers" in the entire country, 3 of which haven't even been built yet! Thats pretty poor by any standards. I think even Iceland has more than us! When will we drag ourselves into the 20th century, never mind the 21st?

And once again (for the 100th time) I'm not calling for height for heights sake, I just think when done well it'd add another dimension to what are some very boring cities (modern architecture-wise) in this country.

[Andrew Duffy]

That site isn't too accurate - it misses out the completed Clarion in Limerick and about a dozen or so tall buildings, such as Ballymun, the Central Bank and O'Connell Bridge House in Dublin. However, skyscrapers aren't an indication of development; Rome has very few tall buildings and is one of the longest inhabited powerful cities in the world.
The problem in Dublin is that planning for tall, or even moderately tall, buildings is made difficult because of their height alone rather than their architectural quality and context. The recent allowing of Tara St train station by An Bord Pleanala is a welcome move - the building looks good and fits well with the other tall buildings in the area.

[ew]

In fairness to the site, they use a cutoff of 12 stories (35 meters..?) which I think leaves out (most of) the buildings you've mentioned Andrew.

[Andrew Duffy]

They're all around 45m, but don't all have 12 stories. Here's the tallest buildings in Dublin for which I know the heights:

Liberty Hall, 15, 59.4m
One George's Quay Plaza, 13, 58.7m
Ballymun Towers, 15, 45.6m
Central Bank, 8, 45.4m
O' Connell Bridge House, 10, 44.2m
Hawkins House, 12, 41.5m
Irish Life Centre, 10, 38.5m

These are also tall, but I can't find the heights:

Millennium Tower, 16
Blanchardstown Tower, 10
Civic Offices, 10

There are more 35m+ buildings around the southside; Ardoyne House is 12 stories for example.

[Andrew Duffy]

Actually, has anyone been to the planning office recently? I'd like to go in someday to get exact heights from the planning applications for some of those buildings, but I don't know what succes I'd have, or what kind of fees are charged for looking up old documents.

[Andrew Duffy]

I was in Cork last week and couldn't get to the development exhibition they've got. I have a feeling BHN is the redeveloped Art Deco Silo and another building mentioned here:

http://www.corkcorp.ie/docklands/pdf/urban41_51.pdf

Here's the area now:



Of the three large buildings, the centre one has an interesting facade which is to be retained on a residential building of about 15 floors. A building opposite it of a similar height is also proposed. The other two buildings are to be demolished.