Decentralisation and the Customs House
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My colleague Deputy Eoin Ryan is wondering what should happen to the Customs House now that the Department of the Environment is moving to Wexford. Seeing as the Customs House is such a architecturally important monument perhaps it should host a permanent exposition of Dublin architecture (good and bad) and lost (i.e. destroyed) architecture of Dublin. If you have any ideas why not get in contact or post a comment and I will pursue these with Eoin.
http://www.michaelturley.com/home/?postid=20
[email=michael@michaelturley.com:2dlahnmj]Michael Turley[/email:2dlahnmj]Decentralisation is not a good idea, i mean i heard that it would relieve Dublin of quite alot of pressure. Now 10,000 is the total number that can be moved, lets be optimistic and say 7500 actually do. That number will be replaced within three months at most with the speed Dublins pop. is growing at.
I see a visionof the Custom’s House Bar – an 18th century theme bar with C(r)apital Bars at the helm
If there is a location for an architectural museum – what better place than Gandons masterpiece
the man wasnt asking if decentralisation was a good idea or not he is looking for any comments on the possibility of having an architecture gallery in the custom house. i for one think this is a great idea since a big attraction to this city for tourists is the old architecture, we could combine this with a gallery for contemporary architecture like the ones in most major european cities. it could involve exhibitions that usually happen in the opw, aai awards, riai awards, travelling exhibitions, student theses etc.etc. i have heard rumors of the aai looking at the possibilities of setting up an architecture museum in the city, the custom house would be a great site, near to the centre, an icon of the city, serviced by the luas etc etc.
The AAI is not looking to set up an Architecture Museum, but to organise an architecture centre to allow more exhibitions…
also the architecture archive is moving to new premises next year with a permanent exhibition space (afaik)
would the AAI use an architecture centre to display current competitions? or do RIAI have the bag on that?
I have one suggestion for Eoin Ryan,
Get elected to Europe you are an honest man that did good work as a junior minister.
doesn’t the customs house have a fine edwardian interior? it’s hard to imagine that working well with a museum of architecture whiere a bigger blanker space would be needed. now, I haven’t ever been in the customs house, i could be wrong on this. it might work well as a home for various archives and the civic museum, looking cramped where it is now, and a tourist center and library, a combination of civic uses. maybe the Dublin office of the OPW could be there after they sell Stephen’s Green. the main thing would be to get people coming in and out again and through the riverside doors, its so sad looking the way it is now.
can we not give it to tony reddy? give him a three digit number to aim for as a plot ratio and watch the fun
The part behind the portico of the south front is the only surviving interior of the building, it’s a typical Gandon space – very architectural with vaulted ceilings and bold piers and niches carved from Bath stone. Some of it is still blackened from the fire.
The carved detail in here is superb as it’s not often you get to see cut stone that hasn’t been weathered by the external elements.The rest of the building is typical 1920s – a hybrid of Edwardian sophistication and early 30s styling. It would work well as an exhibition space; It’s not as if it’s a cluttered Victorian interior – but rather a more streamlined ‘old-fashionedness’
Please excuse my pathetic pettiness, but I always REALLY hate it when people call it the Customs House – especially in the media. It’s the Custom House. The only place you find the s is in the crappiest of American guide books and on TV3!
There are three uses that should be incorporated into the Custom House.
Firstly prior to it’s destruction in 1921 the Custom House was the centre of records for Ireland, it should revert to this role again. Thereby giving the Diaspora the best possible surroundings to find their anscestry.
Secondly it should become the HQ of Tourism Ireland given the high dependency we have on Built Heritage tourism it is arguably Irelands finest period building.
Thirdly as Michael pointed out it could become an Architectural Museum open to all, and possibly the management of it could be given over to the AAI to ensure that the content is of the highest possible standards
don’t forget there are other gov. depts staying in dublin – nothing to say they wont relocate or spill into this building
Correct ro_G
But no other Govt departments could extract a premium value from a special building to the same extent.
Finance is best placed in the same building as the Dail
Govt Depts? Extracting Premium Value? Ehhh. I work for one of one of our auspicous government departments (under Finance) and they don’t even have premium tea-bags, never mind an abstract notion such as premium value from a building.
I currently work in a pre-fab by the way. 🙂
For buildings McCreevy can sell, lease whatever, they will focus on them first. The ones they have sunk costs in, and can’t release such as Customs House wont be considered early as they cant generate short term cash.
True how Niave of me,
but to use one of his analogies Horses for coursesLets see if this Eoin can sort something
Ah don’t get me wrong I’d like to see it used for something good but I just can’t see it happening, and without specific public pressure to do something with it I would gamble on it becoming just more civil servant office space.
Personally. I’d like to see it used a Now and Then exhibition of Docklands Devlopments.
I think a representation of Dublin’s trading past and present (from the trading in the dock from visiting and docked ships to the financial trading in the IFSC) would be a fitting and beneficial use of the Custom House. But alas, the cynic in me sees it being poached by a department if not kept in the public debate.
I agree with ro_G,
While Temple Bar successfully reversed Urban Blight it never delivered a qualitative tourist venue.
Given the Relolution in trading acumen in this City over the last decade I think we deserve a monument to this extraordinary acheivement.
only Singapore has done more
Originally posted by Paul Clerkin
also the architecture archive is moving to new premises next year with a permanent exhibition space (afaik)What does ‘afaik’ stand for? excuse my lack of cop on, but I cannot make it out! Do you know where the Architecture Archive is moving to?
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