civic offices, dublin

i live practically next door to this.

as some who is not a regular user of the building, but the space around it:

the green park area (was) nice, although the construction for the past year blocking the walk between the buildings has ruined much of the sense of open-ness that space provides and instead created a large superblock that one has to walk around. haven’t ever seen construction going on once — the space appears permanently blocked just to provide a parking space.

the building only opens up to the quays, and feels to be just showing its back to every else. on the end of essex street, for instance, there was a newstand that folded — contrary to what you would expect for the space around a huge office building with thousands of workers who (one would assume) got hungry for snacks, juice, and sodas. People go in and out of the building and to the bus stop, or to their cars downstairs. There’s no interaction with the surrounding area.

It’s very pretty, and draws lots of tourists eyes. The plants visible from outside through the glass atrium look extremely pleasant.

Our heat is provided as excess/recirculated air from the city building — this is a good service to offer. There’s been period interruptions, however, when maintenance wihtih the building was done without local residents being notified or informed in advance.

This ‘air/heat recycling’ has been going on for years elsewhere in Europe and is a welcome development in Ireland.

The atrium space inside is stunning, particularly how it contrasts with the initial low-ceilinged entrance area off the quay – the acres of polished granite is just so predictable however.

The other atrium that links the Scott Tallon Walker phase with the original part is also impressive, I like the way you can see the sheer scale of Stephenson’s ‘bunkers’ from inside.

I think it would be a nice office environment, as offices go – it is right up there. But rarely does private office private sector investment, go in for these atriums, openess and sunlight. I mean, how would on go about filling a building that size with small private companies? Or even one big company? I mean DELL is the biggest in Ireland with 3,000+ workers, of which a lot are administrative – but they are spread out over 3 different centres around the whole country – east coast to west coast. And possibly with offices in Britian too. I must see West Point or City West or whatever it is called sometime. But I think, ideally the Wood Quay type of Architecture should be a nice office building for workers to work in. Obviously maybe not Central Debeer, but not unlike that concept in some ways.

I worked in an office once which operated out of a house on its own grounds, right out in the suburbs, beside a big shopping centre. I mean, everyone in the whole place began to fell like it was Gorky park, or some strange Stalinistic nut-house 1930s mental institution for shock treatment, we were all condemed just to rot inside! I have also worked in open plan factories with thousands of other workers, and that can be problematic with ID badges, security checks, cigarette breaks, lack of communication to supervisors, or no supervision…

So I guess, either extreme isn’t really acceptable is it? From my own experience of just walking around the Wood Quay building, I would imagine it is terrible from the later point of view. That there is no proper supervision, it feels like you are just some ID Badge, with a person attached to it. And I would think there is almost no sense of being part of a team, of having an identity, other than the one, some god-awful Human Resources gob-shite gives you. Look at any of the DELL ‘award winning office buildings’, and you will get the picture. Nice to look at, but bad from a point of view of humanity.

JMHO, Brian O’ Hanlon.

The openess and transparency maybe, but would you wish to work there? What happens when you get attacked straight out of left of field by some new manager/HR type, who thinks he owns the f***** place! They do exist and gravitate towards big buildings like that. However, on the other end of the scale, the dark mental institution out in the dark groves of old mature trees (insert Hannibal music here) doesn’t really afford the worker much protection from abuse either.

A film I loved was the Stallone latest movie called D-TOX, set in this remote 1950s bunker, used to d-toxify police men and women, who had become alchoholics. What a place to work! 🙂

I think that Central Debeer by Hertzberger, or Salk by Kahn, are perhaps open environments, but also communal. Very difficult balance to strike. I think the Wood Quay building brought too much ‘World COM’ or ‘DOT.COM-ness’ Office-Park-ness into the centre of Dublin, posing as a public institution. You expect it to have a CEO, like in the movies of Bio-tech, Mission Impossible 2, or something. Like developing super flu viruses, so they can sell the antidote. 🙂 LOL!

Talking about D-TOX and strange places to work etc, check out the ‘Space for Civic rituals/4D’ here at this E-Folio. Indeed the idea of strange buildings in strange places for people to work or study or learn etc, is one that arises in many architectural competitions. Check out the guys design, for a public Library too. Quite an inventive approach to a public institution.

Are you you much into those kinds of projects Reener?

Fair point about the salt and pepper alright. And I also noticed the clutter of that atrium these days. But SW101 has also mentioned that important point, in how a building will exist long after the architects are gone. People will generally impose themselves upon the space, how it works etc. I am reminded of places like Dun Laoire County Council, a totally adapted type of building to the exising street block internal courtyard, or Heuston Station renovation… you can possibly think of others too.

This is the kind of discussion that made Frank famous in the late 1980s and early 1990s I think.

Although, his ideas about Dublin are quite sophisticated now.