Reply To: Tallest Building in Ireland?

@Boyler wrote:

With all this tall buildings being considered to be built, won’t Cork and Dublin look like American cities if they are allowed to be constructed?

Well you’re enthusuatic I’ll give you that ]a.[/B] the loss of greenery/countryside to urban development b. the rising population and c. the cost of land.

However, in Dublin, with the exception of the flutey Grand Canal report on high-rise, Dublin doesn’t have any clear-cut defined policy which is shared between the 3 councils on high-rise developments. In part result, we are seen tall structures highly dispersed and incoherrent in places such as Sandyford, Cherry Orchard, Blanchardstown, Tallaght etc etc. In the interests of proper planning, I do believe that highrise developments are important, but need to be centralised or focus on a particular area or areas – such as the docklands. In this way, one manages to protect vulnerable areas to gross overdevelopment and provide at the same time, an aesthetic merit to the layout and order of the city. The 26-storey tower for Donnybrook for example was a disastrous location for such a tall-structure. But, hand-in-hand with the development of high-rise, a strong emphasis must be placed on aesthetics and design quality – and how that will lend itself to a designated area. Treasury’s Barrow Street development, by Tony Reddy & Co., although in the docklands area (which is positive) is quite frankly a brutally ugly attempt at design and contributes zilch to the Dublin skyline.

In Cork, I believe high-rise will be ever neccessary in the coming years as the green outskirts and countryside recreation areas are swallowed by on-going development. I would rather see high-rise concentrated within the city in an effort to protect the small and ever-dimishing city greenspace. Fortunately, Cork City Council have designated areas for such development, that is, along and around the Docklands, and at the 4 city ‘Gateways’ (Victoria Cross to the West, Tivoli to the East, Eglinton Street to the South and Blackpool to the North). The existing city centre is a protected low-rise area with ceilings of 9-storeys imposed. There is no restrictions on height for docklands high-rise in Cork as projects will be judged on merit, however, the desired height otherwise is around 6-storeys.