Cork – patrick street regeneration
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Architects this/ architects that….Public Spaces.. = Eh, you’d get the immpression that it always has been & is now only the purview of architects to design public spaces/ squares etc. I have to say myself that while they may be well placed to design open spaces on purely aesthetic grounds i’d be far happier to see ‘urban designers’ do the work – there is a considerable difference in the professions.
For example, urban designers may come up with much more imaginative landscaping & paving ideas or even, town planners might approach things from a different angle & think of someting that the architects might not.
My point – the ability to design a building’s interior & exterior does not neccessarily translate into a good designer of open spaces.
I’m sure the people from the Lanscape Institute (?) would agree?They look pretty good to me… I don’t get where the “cheap” and “ugly” jibes are coming from. There are many many similar examples throughout Barcelona (though none as dynamic looking as these) which work perfectly – The pavement illumination in this case comes from a vertical strip of light running up the side of the main support.
There’s been loads of noise made about the lamps in the local press – i.e. how does something that costs so much look so cheap? Initially when Beth Gali’s plans were unveiled the lamps looked like they’d work quite well. I’m optimistic about the overall plan for the street which will work. All this moaning about the lamps – and no mention about the new paving etc…
Just read that load of shite from Cork City Council. Someone’s been using their thesaurus! If anyone knows the meaning of ‘liminous’, they should let the council know because this guy is obviously being paid by the word.
I’d like to add that I am also in a state of negatorial opinion regarding those free-standing street-based luminosities.Here is a humerous account of the Patrick Street regeneration. From reading the posts on this so far, its looking like the Dubs are about as excited about this as the Corkonians were about the Spire.
Jesus why all the hostility already! I walk down Patrick every day now and I think it looks fantastic!
I also dont understand all the jibes about getting ‘urban designers’ involved? Gali’s office is one of the most inventive and reputable urban design offices in the world and has won many jobs internationally after the enormous success of their urban planning projects in Barcelona. In fact the office has only ever done about 2 or 3 buildings, the rest is all public space!
I also think the lights look great and the only problem I have with them is that maybe there is too much of the concented lighting elements. Gali’s idea behind these lights (which she has used successfully in many other projects) is that the urban space is an outdoor theatre or film set and these concentrated elements are spotlighting for the show, Thanks Shakespeare. This is used to stunning effect on the beach in Barcelona, from the marina leading up to the two Olympic village towers, (near Gehreys little splayed house sculpture). Here, the situation of being on the edge of the city isolated in spots of blinding illumination makes one feel incredibly aware ones self in the city and of the enormous expanse of ocean beyond.
However I dont think this will work as well in Cork as there is so many spotlights and diffused elements that there is no longer any element of contrasting darkness in the street which is a vital part of the idea.
I also think the paving has worked out beautifully. There is a range of about 7 different types of stone from local (Kerry red limestone) to more affordable Spanish stone. It’s refreshing to sea that Gali hasn’t used the granite blanket blitzkreg approach to repaving which has been used so brutally and insensitively in many other historic european cities. A good Irish example of this hegemony of ocularisation in urban planning is Henry street in Dublin which has the character of a morgue! And of course arriving 10 years after everyone else on the other side of that huge North sea realised this was not always a successful solution!
Does anybody have any news on how this is progressing? Any pictures maybe. Must be more advanced than Dublin’s Main Street.
Still looks like hell. Paving up all over the place. Mess.
The new streetscape down by the lee end is a disaster. Street furniture is awful and the undulations and pitfalls in the new footpath layout is a series of lawsuits waiting to happen
progressing quite well i think, moving fairly quickly and seems to be well managed in terms of disruptions etc. overall, i think it is beginning to look good and the quality of workmanship and finishings appears to be of a high standard, however, the rubbish bins are poor.
it will create a few interesting new pedestrian spaces, which are already emerging as focal points along the street. the lamps are interesting and have grown on me over time. the paving, i think, works well too
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