D’Olier & Westmoreland St.
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The most recent addition being more of these ghastly yokes.
While unregulated private operators merely contribute to the mayhem at one of the narrowest points on the street.
On the western side, a drainage channel runs right down the centre of the most congested pavement in the city, a death-trap for pedestrians as anyone who has tripped in it will know, while turning into a river of water to negotiate when it rains, and overall making for an uncomfortable experience in trying to avoid in what is an already challenging pedestrian area.
While further space is consumed with bicycle parking along the kerb!
Not to mention the ranks of bus stops and hoards of waiting patrons blocking the footpath. These were taken at a quiet time of the day.
And more mindless clutter and lack of coordination at the bridge corner.
Contributing to the hostile pedestrian/vehicle divide are these decrepit railings mounted along the sides of the pavements.
While at O’Connell Bridge the attention to detail is ever-refreshing.
And the road surface generally is also appalling.
One of the biggest problems with Westmoreland Street, and its most dangerous, is the lack of pedestrian crossing provision at its centre – thousands of pedestrians every day make the treacherous journey across from one side of Fleet Street to the other. Call it indiscipline, or call it inability to plan, or even take note on the part of authorities.
Thankfully this crossing is largely made impossible during morning and much of the afternoon and evening, when Westmoreland Street transforms itself into one of the city’s unofficial bus depots.
It makes for a very hostile experience with such narrow pavements and a monumental wall of buses lining the thoroughfare. Being clamped in in shadow on the busy narrow western pavement is not a pleasant experience.
It’s just unreal at times.
And of course many of these buses are serving the hundreds of additional people that are further congesting the pavement while waiting at their stops.
Meanwhile the trusty rank of London planes are, as ever, concealing some of the finest buildings on the street.
As for the farce of high summer…
While the rest of the windswept thoroughfare (when the buses eventually pull off) is left cold, barren and unforgiving.
Without question, the most shocking indictment of DCC’s attitude towards Westmoreland Street is the fact that the entire length of the thoroughfare is illuminated with the grand total of three single sodium floodlights. A fourth one is redundant, concealed behind the trees. The street is to all intents and purpose shrouded in darkness after nightfall. There is barely a scrap of public lighting on the thoroughfare, with the majority of the 1970’s floodlights completely out of action. In fact, if none were operating at all, there’s little doubt they’d be left as such regardless. The majority of the street now relies on the pools of light provided by its convenience stores – it’s no wonder they’re increasingly resorting to this crude practice across the city.
And as for the properties themselves – well, where to begin. The notion that this street has been an Architectural Conservation Area for five years now is simply laughable.
Tawdry, tacky signage, shopfronts and retail/service uses predominate the whole way down the street, many of which certainly post-date 2002.
Everywhere you look it’s Tackorama Central, with most of the offenders hosted on fine protected structures.
Look at the state of some of the last surviving Wide Streets Commission buildings.
And as long as these ground floor uses predominate, there’s no way the upper elevations are ever going to be restored to their original condition. Equally, because they don’t relate to the upper floors as they once did as residences, there’s no street access to the upper floors either.
Only a few properties have seperate access.
Even where stores move away from cheap reproduction and pastiche, they still make use of harsh expansive glazing, exposing all their cheap internal fit-outs to the street.
And as for the worst offender of all, the Londis on the corner of O’Connell Bridge, one of the most prominent buildings in the country, is allowed get away with the most unbelievably inappropriate window displays and store presentation.
It is scandalous that the image of the city and country at large is permitted to be tarnished with such crass promotion – for as long as can be remembered this corner has been like this. Now I’m not a prude by any means, but it’s nothing short of embarrassing to see these ranks of alcohol stacked to collapsing point as the window display of the most prominent store in the country, right beside O’Connell Bridge. As usual, DCC have full control over this if they saw fit to intervene.
And this Londis also breaks nearly every rule in the SAPC book:
“The signage relating to any commercial ground floor use should be contained within the fascia board of the shopfront.”
“Lettering or logos should not be affixed directly to the glazing of any shop or business windows.”
“All sign displays inside the shop should be kept back a minimum distance of 300 mm. from the glazing.”
“Goods or advertisement structures should not be displayed on the public footpath or at the entrance to the shop.”
“Projecting signs will not generally be permitted as a profusion of such signs in a confined area can lead to visual clutter in the streetscape.”
“Not more than one projecting sign should be displayed on a building”
“Signs should depict a pictorial feature or symbol illustrating the trade or business being undertaken and should be as transparent as possible.”
I mean, what is the point? What is the point? And the flowery language regarding strict monitoring and planning enforcement would just make you laugh – it’d actually quite an entertaining read were it not so embarrassing. And of course the same can be applied to most premises the entire length of Westmoreland and O’Connell streets. Guinness have also just opened a tacky store on Westmoreland Street in the past few weeks, having applied for permisson for another typically crude shopfront – they were refused permission, but heck they threw it up anyway. What does this say about how retailers now view DCC? It’s no wonder they hold them in such low esteem – they need only look outside their front door.
And then we have the ICS building across the road (the design in itself a blatent breach of regulations in the mid-1980s) – when is anything going to happen with this?
The down-at-heel environment must surely be one of the contributing factors to the lack of progress with this property.
More hideous frontages further down – all patently illegal on a host of planning levels.
The delightful Queen Anne building also mauled by a myriad of uses and their attendant signage.
What the heck are DCC up to?! And the longer all of this is left, the more there is to clean up when improvement works eventually start in 2038, at which point they’ll then start going on about “oh well it takes time for the public domain works to have a knock-on effect on properties”. And we can see how that enlightened policy is taking off on O’Connell Street…
Of course it’s very easy to be negative about things, and obviously we can’t expect major regenerative works prior to Luas, but really there is almost no redeeming features whatever to Westmoreland Street of a modern character – it clings desperately to its historic features as a sole aspect of appeal in what has otherwise become a municipal rubbish tip in the centre of the capital. In many ways it’s now worse than O’Connell Street was, because that at least was a destination of sorts, that could be blocked out of the mind, avoided, or dismissed as a planning disaster. But dismal Westmoreland Street lacks that identity, assuming the character of the wider city instead, and as such badly reflects it in its appalling condition. One can almost sense the incredulity of tourists as they enter from the College Green end – what an anticlimax after the gracious mellowed setting of the Lords portico, to walk into such a disaster zone – greeted first incidentally, with this.
Even the retail unit of Bank of Ireland on the corner has been allowed degenerate.
It’s difficult to believe that this was once one of the finest and most innovative streets anywhere in Europe at the turn of 1800, along with its D’Olier Street counterpart. It is also difficult to understand how the most impressive piece of street planning in the Georgian city was mauled by the 1980’s mansard roof addition and destruction of WSC facades. The reinstatement of this composition ought to be encouraged as a one-off correction of a major scar on the city.
But there is simply no excuse for the condition that Westmoreland Street has degenerated into of late – the parts over which DCC has control. Luas is no justification whatever for what has been allowed happen on this thoroughfare: it’s irrelevant. The parallel with Government’s brushing off of planning and transportation disasters with our ‘unparalleled, unprecedented success’ is uncanny. Blame it on the Luas! Indeed.
Well Graham…..The GOOD news is that Bus Atha Cliath`s next major new trunk route the 141 ( Swords to Kenilworth Sq) will shortly be trundling out of it`s garage.
The original intention for this 10 minute headway route was for it to utilize Gardiner St as its cross-city aspect.However somebody appeared to take fright and as a result 12 additional buses per hour (6 each way) will be headin along O Connell St very soon.
There are plans afoot to construct a reviewing stand outside Dublin Bus HQ (Number 59) where senior company executives will review the fleet each day and from which a noon-day gun will be fired as well as the 23.30 Last Bus signal each night.
I understand the company`s provisions manager has been spotted browsing through the selection of Russian Army Officers clothing in the Georges St arcade in an attempt to put a little glamour into the process…. 😮
Not to worry,it`ll be grand when the O Connell St by-pass is finished…! 🙂
Spot on critique Graham. I’m a regular user of the street for a few years now so I took to the practice of looking beyond the street whenever walking along it to the wonderful view of O’Connell street or the Lords entrance, I thus forgot how bad the street is, especially that amusement arcade or whatever it is on the west side. I’m glad to see you mentioned the trees in front of the buildings. Trees are a total illogicality in cities!! What is the point in decorating buildings if they’re behind leaves!!?? Portland, brick, glass, corinthian columns, sash windows..if you can’t actually see them why have them? A large section of the north quays are invisible behind leaves, naturally, mostly the sections with the decent buildings, like the Four Courts (!) Did you mention how dangerous it is walking on the east side where that un marked turn off for buses and taxis is- practically every time I cross it someone has to run for it.
state of the street is a complete joke.. the payment across o connoll bridge is a mess.. the tar is horrible.
@sw101 wrote:
you’re famous, graham
I presume the quote from ‘Wank, Adams, Slavin’ is a typo? Unreal is right 😀
Doubt it 🙂
A nursing home in my local paper was recently referred to, in quotation marks which just added to the fun of it all. as “The Bitches”. After the tree, you’ll understand.
@sw101 wrote:
you’re famous, graham
Ah, highrisers got the better deal. All mine needs is a ‘like’ and a questioning tone; with a toss of the hair it’s straight from the Miriam O’Callaghan phrasebook.
‘Irish Times’ iconic clock leaves D’Olier Street
Frank McDonald, Environment EditorThe Irish Times clock was finally removed from D’Olier Street in Dublin yesterday and is to be re-erected on the gable end of the company’s new premises on Tara Street.
The clock, which dates from the early 1900s, was originally erected on the old Irish Times building on Westmoreland Street and then relocated to D’Olier Street after the front office was relocated there in the 1970s.
Planning permission had to be sought from Dublin City Council to remove the clock as it was part of a terrace of protected buildings dating from the first decade of the 19th century, designed by the Wide Streets Commissioners.
The city council also needed to give its consent as landlord to the re-erection of the clock on the new Irish Times premises, where it is to be placed at second-floor level on the Townsend Street frontage of the seven-storey building.
The clock will be prominently located on the basalt panels of the building, secured to its reinforced concrete structure.
It will also be situated at a high enough elevation to ensure that it would not be hit by a truck or double-decker bus.
MaolÃosa Ó Floinn of architects Henry J Lyons and Partners said the cast ironwork of the clock – which he described as having “iconic value” – would need to be refurbished before being erected at its new location in the coming months.
In the meantime, he said work would proceed on the installation of a digital “ticker-tape scroll” at first-floor level on the Tara Street frontage of the building.
This will carry breaking news from Irish Times website, ireland.com.
The former Irish Times premises in D’Olier Street and Fleet Street was acquired last year by developers P Elliott and Company for €29 million.
It is likely to be renovated for a mix of offices and apartments with shops at street level.
@publicrealm wrote:
I presume the quote from ‘Wank, Adams, Slavin’ is a typo?
It’s a real company, complete with god-awful architect’s web site
http://www.go2wasa.com/
triumph of form over function@Frank Taylor wrote:
It’s a real company, complete with god-awful architect’s web site
http://www.go2wasa.com/
triumph of form over functionWow. A pretty pious practice. Wouldn’t last long in the Irish market.
The Indo had a piece yesterday on a new BID (Business Improvement District) to take effect over the next 12 months from Grafton Street to O’Connell Street. Perhaps many of the serious issues highlighted above can be solved with a few flower baskets. Then again maybe private businesses will be able to see the situation clearer than DCC can and actually take some action.
Good for showing all the beer cans in the Londis window, Grah – a disgrace!
But while I abhor the current dire state of Westmoreland Street, I don’t believe there’s any point in seeking improvements ‘til the whole Luas situation kicks in … the City Council would be wasting their time chasing after improvements in this area at the moment (except for unauth. devts.).As bad as the Londis cans are, some people may remember that, up until about 10 years ago, there was an Abrakebabra occupying that corner. Things could only improve ……
This was the proposed Guiness shopfront Gra mentioned (1st picture below), refused in Feb this year because:
1. The proposed development, by reason of its design, material and prominent location, would be seriously injurious to the character and amenities of this sensitive streetscape, which is a designated Architectural Conservation Area and would conflict with the policies and objectives set out in the Dublin City Development Plan, 2005-2011, and the O’ Connell Street Architectural Conservation Area, in respect of shopfront design. Accordingly the proposed development would adversely affect the Architectural Conservation Area of O’ Connell Street and would thus be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
(Ref. 6480/06)As soon as it was refused, they stuck up an equally bad version (2nd picture below), and it remains there now … What does it say about the city when an ugly shopfront emblazoned with ‘Guinness’ – almost a byword for Dublin – can be illegally stuck up right in the centre?
(A complaint to Planning Enforcement was made at the time.)
@Devin wrote:
Good for showing all the beer cans in the Londis window, Grah – a disgrace!
(A complaint to Planning Enforcement was made at the time.)
hmm its doens’t look so bad to me, I guess the guinness colours/logo look sorta classic
what does the original shop front look like, would something closer to that be what you are looking for
Yes we’re lucky that it’s at least monochrome.
This development, lostexpectation has to be viewed in the context of Westmoreland Street being an Architectural Conservation Area, and also in the context of being one of the first planned and unified retail streets in the city – at the very least modern-day developments, contemporary or otherwise, should be sympathetic to the original ideal of modestly contributing to a greater whole, regardless of design.
Both shopfront proposals above just scream maximum impact and all-consuming greed, not just because its an historic street, but by any standards its not the ideal of any principal thoroughfare to have retailers competing for the most garish impact on the streetscape. The design of these shopfronts is also blank, expansive and ‘applied’ in appearance; they neither integrate with nor visually support the upper floors of their buildings.
It’s just a typical one-size-fits-all approach: vaguely crisp and modrin – it’ll do grand :rolleyes:
The aim of Westmoreland (and D’Olier) Streets from here on in is to consolidate shopfront design into a varied, but standardised module, that in scale and proportion matches each neighbouring unit. This Guinness store is an applling trend to set – to apply this logic elsewhere, we’d permit Spar and Centra and Lifestyle Sports to have similar expansive advertising plates marching down the throughfare. Eh, no thanks.
The mounted floodlighting is also totally unnecessary, and logos are not permitted in an area of planning control. So yeah – every rule in the book broken really. That’s why it’s been erected.
lostexpectation,
It’s the scale of the fascia mainly. The ground floors of the Westmoreland Street buildings are quite high – more like one & a half storeys (the reason afaik being that they originally had a mezzanine level inside). The original shopfronts were broken up to reflect this. But nowadays some of the poorer shopfronts on the street, like the Guinness one & a Spar opposite, take advantage of this one-&-a-half-storey height and slap on a huge fascia.
But I know what you mean about the Guinness lettering. It’s classic.
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