Re: Re: Dublin skyline

Yep…….saw that programme too. It all seems to be happening in London and Britain in general. Even their provencial cities are getting stylish makeovers. ie Gatehead Newcastle, Birmingham, etc…..Thought the same as well that we are lagging way, way behind here in Ireland in shaping the look of our towns and cities for the future. In all fairness London is emerging as the great European city with stylish new 21st landmark trappings too. Illustrious native architects such as Norman Foster, Richard Rogers etc…..leading the way. London has it all; despite the Nazi air raids which obiterated some parts of the city and most of Wren’s Cathedrals, it still has a plethora of old stock buildings and famous landmarks unique to London. Added to this today, the Gherkin, the Lord Mayor’s Office, The Eye, etc. etc…and with the new Wembley Stadium due for completion next year we are left here in Ireland truely in the shade. All we are getting with our building boom are houses and standard appartment blocks. Dublin as capital city should be leading the way for the rest of the country. New emerging Dublin is kinda basic in essence. The promise of a twisted tower in Dublin and a Leibeskind art centre or whatever, we really dont have much to look forward to. Sure is it any wonder that Cork, Galway, Limerick etc… won’t be any better as they normally follow and don’t lead. We really and truely lack ”style” when it comes to architecture!

Check out next Wednesdays programme on BBC1 ”A Short History of Skyscrapers” ….Its gonna deal with the new buildings of Asia.

(Last Wednesday’s programme aptly ending with the eerie tune of Roxy Music’s ”In each Home a Heartache” with Brian Eno on the keyboards)