Dublin’s Ugliest Building
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@deza wrote:
I’m going to be greedy here and choose ugly buildings!!
Personally I think that the Quays west of O’Connell bridge on both sides of the liffey should be mostly levelled. On the Northside everything up to and beyond the four courts should be destroyed and rebuilt as something more befitting a city and not that of a provential town. They are an embarrassment to an otherwise architecturally impressive city. Of the Southside quays I’d destroy practically everything. This area has no achitectural merit what so ever. The buildings are bland and falling to pieces and when you compare this area with say college green or O’Connell street they have a decidedly provencial feel to them.
And before the “Dublin’s the capital of a small country” and “buildings should reflect that” brigade start banging on, Dublin with a third of the population of the Republic of Ireland is completely different and in many ways alien to the rest of the country in temrs of its urbanity. Belfast isn’t even half the size and locals refer to it as a big place. I think a lot of this attitude is a throw back to Dev’s identification of urbanity as being alien to the Irish ethos and thus explains the need some people feel to play down this unigue urban identity.
Well said. I am refering to the last paragraph.
@Graham Hickey wrote:
Yep – the cladding is in an appalling condition now too.
Actually thats not the Aer Lingus Head Office Building (HOB) but I think is (or was) known as the Technical Building or something like that. The HOB is the buidling directly in front of you as you exit the main car park in front the original Airport Hotel. If I remember correctly the Technical Builsing was refurbished sometime in the 90s so the cladding here obviously has not stood the test of time terribly well.
Thanks for that Veronnex – I recongise the distinction now. The Head Office is definitely the worse of the two, and is much larger I think. Truly one of the worst buildings ever built in the State – and for the national airline of all institutions :rolleyes:
That wouldn’t have been tolerated in the 1930s.@StephenC wrote:
Here are some contributions: The Capel Building – Dublin’s latest planning horror
The Laughter Lounge – haha very funny
The Ivy Exchange – check out the latest dross on Parnell StreetBad and all as these buildings are, I see them more as missed opportunities rather than ugly buildings per se.
I have been endlessly critical of the redevelopment of Parnell Street, but mainly in the sense that it could have been something special considering it has been redone practically from end to end.
Even the worst of all these buildings, the apartment complex next to the Parnell Ilac entrance, isn’t a patch on something like Hawkins House or Apollo House.
The Capel Building would, as said before, be better suited to an out-of-town business park and the Laughter Lounge is just plain boring. Same goes for the Ivy Exchange.@Punchbowl wrote:
More ‘interesting’ than ugly?
Certainly not ugly. I’ve a great fondness for that whole Lombard Street West area (that is it, no?), much of which is based on the ‘variations on a theme’ feel of the different streets. The original buildings were subtly different, and many of them have been further altered with such features as this bay window. I wouldn’t usually argue from this point of view, but in the case of Portobello and environs I think it’s a cornerstone of the character of the area. (Though I could do with less PVC and aluminium, obviously. 🙂 )
If that’s your ‘hood, Punchbowl, you’re a lucky old so-and-so.I think the new apartment block on Ormond quay , It is so ugly and rigid , with the usual red brick and post modern type block of shite.
the building has the most ridiculous match boxs balconies , Taht gives me the impression they were superglued on .
It makes me shiver and stare away from view!Its ruining the area, Some might like it but , just look at it twice and see the other older red brick apartements that are fairly modern, You’ll notice the new apartements just don’t fit in? any support on my views????
the older buildings have a bit of base and orginality to the buildings,(although are a bit on the boring side too) and seem to blend in , while that heap of crap.
While that new red brick development is out of the butt, its totally unnacepteble , given the site and location!
to let the developers get away with building that building.
my overall impression in a shortned sence , isA typical bliing bling site, trying to build a bling bling building and failed with high expactations! and reminds me of a cheap building.
Sorry for the use of hard language.
Has anyone mentioned the huge statoil garage on the South Quays, surrounded by a block of apartments – think it’s called Viking Harbour or something?
Ugggh, shudder. Suppose when it went up in the 80s that ‘classic’ yellow roof was the only ray of sunshine in the area, if it’s any excuse…
Where/what is this notorious Capel St building everyone always mentions – I’ve even gone out of way on two occasions while in the area to have a look! Where is it?!
the one I’m thinking about is just across the river from the Statoil garage and on Ormond quay I think,
Its only after popping up in the last few monthsAaah yes! i mused, stroking my chin – the old garage canopy disguised as a ray of sun shine trick – Genius! Definately a product of the most desperate of desperate times. And what about the 4 mock georgian blocks on Gardiner St. that seem to, almost, somehow magically hover above their underground carparks – who knew those Georgians could have inspired such brilliance.
The Capel St building is a new 5/6 storey pile on the corner with Mary’s Abbey (I think that’s what is being talked about), just beside the luas line, it’s brown, which has some interesting connutations!
Dave, is it not a bit further up near the Calatrava Bridge.
There is a new one that has ads for Bargaintown in the empty retail units at the bottom and I’m wondering if that’s what you’re talking about. Again, I wouldn’t consider it a bad building – just another missed opportunity along the quays. The one I’m thinking of is actually of far higher standard than many of the existing apartment blocks.
I can’t recall any new developments on Ormond Quay except for the extension to the Morrison Hotel.Kefu , thats the one at bargaintown,
I can’t beleive you aprove that building beside Bargaintown, ahhhh its boring compared to some new apartements and taking into account high profile quay site 😡
Sorry it just another bland development.
I don’t approve of it at all and agree with most of what you said. It’s bland but it’s not terrible and is certainly a lot better than its neighbours on Ellis Quay.
This all goes back to the post I made on the last page. I see all of these bland – but not strictly ugly – developments as terrible missed opportunities.
It will probably be another fifty years before we get another crack at the Quays after making such a mess of it this time.
The same goes for the likes of Parnell Street and Mountjoy Square.
Most unfortunately, we’re seeing the exact same thing happening on Capel Street, which in many ways is my favourite street in Dublin.
If people think the Capel Building is bad, the new development diagonally across from it is actually much worse. However, none of them stand comparison with the abominations inflicted on the city in the 1960s.I agree totally
And the problem is like you said they will be back to the drawing boards , where the “slums of the future” that were built and then will be knocked and started again from scratch.
The question is do we learn from these mistakes, and alllow developers build cheap apartements wherever they think is neccessary. This trend and scake of this is alarming,
adding on or two floors when not on the plan
building developments that enhance and don’t have any resemblave to the area,
crammed up on top of one another.
quality of these apartement blocks in some areas are absaloutely degrading.and so on….
planners and arcitects and more thought through developments should not allow monopolising developers take there spot.
Is it this building?
Have to say I like it 🙂
The elevations are very flat alright, and the brick too expansive in some places – but the material is kinda cool I think in that colour…
Saying that the red brick book-ends are a ridiculous contrivance – ‘oh how amusing, brick comes in this colour too’ :rolleyes:Is this the site that I think Stephen C described before as having a decent collection of ‘no nonsense Victorians’ ?
That site has been derelict for years. it used to depress me. i like thiat building too. But knock down Statoil please!
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