Dublin: it isn’t that ugly

Just noticed this thread. I spent 3 years away from Dublin and am impressed by parts of the city. If you walk from Harcourt Luas stop towards the city you get a great view of Lesson street as it makes a slight right sweep. When there are no cars around you can just imagine been back in the 1800s with the tram tracks and old buildings. St Stephens green is still a great place and Grafton street is the ok even if it is just a commerical district. The traffic ruins the college green area around Trinity as people watch for cars rather than look around at what could be a really beautiful junction.
O’Connell street is magnificient with the new Spire and walking South it is a great foreground for the imposing four courts. Take the cars away and bring back the old buses and you are back in the 60’s. I think O’Connell street now may contend to have one of the best main streets in Europe but this could only happen when it becomes less commercialised. I also was confused as to why there was no dedicated bike lane on it. Cycled down it the other day but couldn’t quite enjoy the experience as didn’t want the number 10 behind me to hit me.
Unfortunately the North side of Dublin has not improved much despite its close proximity to the city centre. Its has become more multicultural but i would love to see the old-red brick buildings been restored. I think it will happen but may take 10 years.

As a whole it is a joy to walk thru the city to work but if the traffic can be somewhat contained it would be much more a pleasant experience.

i’d adapt the chav-away spray used in parts of britain to eliminate skangers. skang-away, maybe.

nope – chav-away spray sounds like the way to go.

does anyone know what’s going on in blanchardstown shopping centre?? there is a lot of construction what are they building?

thanks

well ive been to blanch recently and looks like they’re making some really wide, though not tall, buildings. i dont know wat they are mayb offices? i guess only time will tell.

It’s largely neoclassical, but with Baroque elements, including the broken arched pediments not often seen by the public as they’re located inside the complex, as well as on the exterior walls of the sides of the building down the long passages.
It is under the right-hand one of these that the Taoiseach’s car pulls up as far as I know.

The screened facade part is quite Baroque in nature in that it is perhaps excessively/exaggeratedly decorated, and powerful in design; Power’s figures atop generating a particularly Baroque skyline.

It’s interesting how this building doesn’t seem to have won the affections of most people – perhaps an indication of the Baroque influences in its architecture, not to mention the early emergence of modern elements such as the clean chunky lines of the parapet that almost look like cast concrete.

I’ve never been a fan of the elevated pediment on the central block of the building:

…but otherwise I like the scheme overall. The view through the screen wall with railings in front is very striking – no doubt a lot of pain and effort went into designing that so the screen element and the central block inside hung well together from that important street perspective.

You probably know that much of the street elevation is derived from the Custom House, notably the twin column formations with windows in the centre, and the heavy dentiled cornice – not to mention the Tuscan order employed obviously 🙂

The ad is of Eamon Dunphy suited up as a gladiator for his Newstalk show.
There’s another one – the Incredible Hook – with George Hook smashing up the Westlink toll bridge.

I think Dublin has some really good Architecture but the one thing I’d love to change is the attitude of the general public to architecture and monuments. I don’t think the Irish believe the investment is worthwhile, not like Paris where the people have an almost inate love of it. If I could change one thing it would be that. You need only listen to all the anti-spire talk, whether you like it or not I still think investments like that are important and worthwhile but since all the public did was complain I don’t think it will be easy to secure more in the future.