Re: Cut them!!!!!!!

I am amazed with some of the comments that have appeared on this subject. The radio is full of ranting over a few bloody trees that have nothing to do with good urban design – they may suit monotonous suburban Dublin, but surely not what still is one of the greatest streets in Europe.

Until quite recently, some of the great buildings on the street were obscured by these overwhelming and hideous plane trees. Just admiring Clerys the other day from the other side of O’Connell Street, it was hard to imagine that this great building was hidden from view unless you went closer – thus diminishing the effect it has on the streets entirity. The imposing elegance could not be rightly admired less than two years ago. Now its integral beauty is there for all to see. Where you have good architecture, you should not try and hide it. Where you haven’t, cover it in Ivy.

Can you imagine what O’Connell Street would look like if its remaining stock of magnificent and powerful buildings could be visualised in its entirity without being broken by awkward London Planes? The most stirring images of O’Connell Street in the past are of a powerful street without trees. Hence most of these popular pictures are of Lower O’Connell Street – The trees of Upper O’Connell Street would distort any powerful images that the architecture could muster.

Finally, is anyone going up to the GPO tomorrow to vent their anger to Marian over, not only this debacle, but the painfully slow progress that is being made in O’Connell Street???? The Spike may be ready by January, but what of the Burger King’s, the Ann Summers, the arcades, the Dr Quirkeys, etc, etc, etc…………… the woeful office blocks, the hopeless lighting, shopfronts, mingers that run amok, filthy pubs…….oh I feeeeeel sick.

The corpo need balls if they are to take on the problems facing O’Connell Street – and respond to criticism, not just accept it. 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

Oh, and I am not an architect………..