Cork, Mahon point, etc, etc.
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Could it be that CIE were worried that the noise from bus and rail together would cause problems getting high value for the remainder of the Horgan’s Quay site?
If a developer were to offer a development on HQ that integrated say an fully or partly underground bus station (local and regional) with a walkway to the platform which Mallow-Cobh-Midleton used, and asked to purchase the PP site, and got City Council and meeja on side, it would be hard to say no?
@Radioactiveman wrote:
Hi everyone,
I’m new to this site and not an architect, but interested in urban design and planning.
What do people think of the new Mahon point shopping centre in Cork? I got the bus down there at the weekend and nearly got run over by all the cars. They seemed to have forgotten the pedestrians when they were designing this thing….Don’t worry the current problem is that the traffic lights have been disabled (and so have the pedestrian crossing buttons) members of the gardai are being seen to direct traffic. understandably traffic is their primary concern and it is difficult enough to direct without allowing pedestrians to cross.
However I see difficultues even once the lights are turned on.
The pedestrian walkway which those alighting from the bus use crosses over an internal traffic lane, at peak times this slows down internal traffic flow as cars stop and start, lights/walkway would solve this IMHO.
The back (South) elevation of the Bus Station actually looks nicer than the front (North)
The back looks complete, solid, the buses park at 30 degrees.
But the front is almost unchanged except for rhe “sails” canopy which is ok but the old multicolour glassbrick concrete slab canopy is still underneath it extending from the building, this remainder combined with the single glazed old windows on the front lets the building down on that elevation.@raster wrote:
Don’t worry the current problem is that the traffic lights have been disabled (and so have the pedestrian crossing buttons) members of the gardai are being seen to direct traffic. understandably traffic is their primary concern and it is difficult enough to direct without allowing pedestrians to cross.
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So, we shouldn’t worry that nobody gives a toss, once the wonderful people in their lovely shiny cars get there in time. Don’t worry about us pedestrian peasants, we’ll try not to bother the motorists while we dodge the people carriers. Its just a pity Mahon Point doesnt allow the wonderful people to peruse the shops from the comfort of the car…missed opportunity there.
Looking at the Anglesea St Garda station on the news last night, I started thinking that the building looked a bit grim. It’s a bit like a cube with a balcony added on for a dictator to address crodws.
The Anglesea street garda station would look ok if it wasn’t for the incrediably drab pebble-dash finish that was used on it. It would look far better if it were to be faced with stone.
That pebble-dash finish will look absolutely terrible in a few decades time as it starts to deteroriate and gather moss!
Re: Merchants Quay
That centre has to be one of the ugliest buildings in Ireland. I don’t know what was there before but it completely destroyed that entire quay. If it were to be refurbished it would be really nice if they did something about creating more access from the quay itself and at the very least added attractive shop fronts. The red brick finish just looks cheap, tacky and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the city at all.
As for the Quay on the other side. What can you say!? It is a complete and total mess. The back of the metropole is beyond hideous. None of the buildings in Cork, not even the UCC science bulding even come close to the ugliness of that. What makes it even worse is the fact that it’s one of the most prominant positions in the entire city. That entire quay needs urgent re-development.
It could be a fantastic shopping area and a nice extension to the patrick’s street project. If merchants quay was given a rather drastic face lift and a wide pedestrian bridge added half way along they quay.. i.e. at the existing entrance to the shopping centre. The opposite quay could be redeveopled… add some boardwalks, nice landscaping etc.. property prices would shoot up and the mess of tumble down buildings would soon disappear!
Dunnes Stores (North Main Street) and associated Car park..
Again, another absolutely disgusting monstrosity… Who ever gave this planning permission ? The Paul Street Shopping Centre Carpark is pretty bad, but at least it’s now covered up by the developments on the quay side. The Dunnes Stores carpark just looks absolutely terrible.
As for Mahon Point’s traffic problems… give them a little while, the CCC for some inexplicable reason has yet to programme the traffic light system.
They’ve put in a very sophisticated and expensive looking system of high level and low level traffic lights but as yet they’re all still flashing orange!
For traffic coming from the Douglas side of the south ring this means that they have no priority when coming on to the intersection at the end of the off-ramp / slipway and it’s creating very long and even dangerous tail backs back out onto the southlink.The traffic coming from the East side out of the tunnel is moving quite well.
Thos lights SHOULD be on and working at this stage it’s completely nuts that they arn’t…. I wouldn’t be supprised if it has caused several accidents as it’s forcing people to negociate crossing several lanes of traffic.
The recent idiotic tunnel accident hasn’t helped matters either.
Btw: regarding the tunnel : wouldn’t it make a lot of sense to install a large metal structure the same height as the tunnel several meters before the entrance? I know they have automatic over-height detection systems and warnings but surely it would make some sence to hit a large metal pole rather than smash up hundreds of thousands of euro worth of electrical gear on the tunnel ceiling !?
Also re: Mahon Point – Retail mix.
I don’t think the mix of shops is that bad to be quite honest. It’s very focused on clothes retail obviously but I don’t agree that it’s targeting an exclusively female market. The centre has by FAR the best selection of menswear in Cork. The city centre’s absolutely terrible for menswear.
Mahon Point menswear retailers: Zara, Next, Best, Lacoste, Debenhams, River Island, French Connection / FCUK etc.. (these are just off the top of my head).
It would be cool to see a few non-clothing stores open up in the centre e.g. maybe electronics/computers etc.. although I get the impression that we’ll see a “big box” electrical retailer in the retail park. e.g. one of the UK ones.. There’s a supprising lack of a large Curry’s in Cork.
Is Harvey-Norman (Australian retailer opened in Dublin) likely to open here? Little island? Mahon?
The owners of MQ (First Acive et al) have plans for a redevelopment of Merchants Quay Shopping Centre – but I am unaware as to their stage at the moment. It is a response by the fund-owners to compete with the near-by Academy Street development which is due to see an application lodged by OCP this Summer. Whether or not MQ goes ahead with this or not, I don’t know. As much that I know, the plan will see an overhaul of the quay frontage – which will fall in line with a possible quay improvement by CCC in the coming future. This may see quayside stalls, boardwalks, cafes etc (mere assumption). An additional floor will be added for increased retail space – something M&S have indicated they would favour (possibly for their own expansion purposes). The multi-storey will, in a joint initiative with owners, Roches Stores, be revamped, extended and some of the existing structure given over for additional retail space and a communal green area. The Patrick’s Street frontage will be remodelled and incoporate the additional floor overhead. I haven’t seen any plans – this is all word of mouth – but it makes sense as MQ will have to refurbish if it is to compete against at least 3 major new city centre retail developments which are already threatening to take existing MQ tenants from the centre (e.g. Gasoline & Adams). I for one, would favour the balance and the much needed aesthetic revamp. MQ is only recently after refurbishing its interior to celebrate its 15th anniversary and Cork’s reign as Capital of Culture.
Everyone should welcome any moves to improve Merchants Quay, both the shopping centre and the streetscape itself.
I’m not sure i agree with MRX’s disparaging remarks about UCC Science building. It’s a creature of it’s time and as such isn’t that bad. The lecture theatres (before they were ‘remodelled’ were the best in college for their job). Compare them the the boole basement- too hot, and sound quality appalling. The labs are spacious, bright and well maintained. Outside it has an imposing facade but it’s no worse than many buildings of its time.
Leasve the science building alone- its not that bad, really!Well, the inside of the Science building’s not too bad given its age. But you have to agree it’s hardly what you’d might call attractive looking from outside.
The new lecture theatres look nice but are unfortunately suffer from very impractical seating the desks are extremely high and uncomfortable.
My favourite lecture room in college is the lecture room in the old geography building…
I must admit that I was very impressed by the students centre 🙂
UCC’s recent buildings have generally been really nice.
I’d love to see the Boole Library get a bit of an interior face lift though. It’s becoming increasingly drab and dated, or perhaps I’m just getting too used to it 🙂
Some elements of the Boole will be refurbished as part of the 32m euro post-grade library extension – primary work due to start this June 2005.
@MrX wrote:
The interior doesn’t really need massive upgrading it just needs a minor tweaking!
is the bookshop still there (waterstones???)
No it’s long gone.
There’s a new bookshop (John Smith & Co) located on the ground and lower ground floor of the Student Centre where the Café used to be before the extension. Quite a lot more spacious than the old Waterstones outlet in the boole basement. The entire Boole Basement is now a much enhanced open-access computer centre.
Also, the two banks are gone from the Boole. AIB is no longer on campus (but it did open a new branch on college road) and Bank of Ireland has exclusive on-campus access with a new plush branch in the student centre. They also have exclusive rights to place ATMs on campus. As far as I know UCC let the banks bid against eachother to gain access to the campus. They’re all quite keen to sign up 3rd level students.
In my view the new student centre is a bit strange.
Its a nice looking building and fits in fine with the overall plan. The problem is it must be the most expensive coffee shop in the country. Its two floors of coffee shop and a bank. Thats it. Call that a student centre??
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