Favourite Dublin Train Station
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What would be your favourite train station in Dublin? Personally, I think Heuston Station is the best, as the design of the building really appeals to me.
I agree Boyler it is an architectural gem, it is well run and has good bars and cafes I am looking forward to seeing the completed job
I personally like Pearse Station alot. I love its urban context, its brickwork, and its roof structure.
There are also some funny little oddities about it that I really like. For example, there is an old Cadbury’s ad (1930s?) that was hidden behind other billboards for years, which has now been exposed. There is also a great view of it from Pearse Street (at least until the empty site is built on), where you can see a door that presently leads from the station out in to thin air!
Where the apartments are was a ramp until the early 1990’s the ramp went at least as far as Cumberland Street which would explain the context of the door
My favourite railway station in the world is Gare St. Charles in Marseille. It is high above the city with an amazing view over the city and the port. I often think of it when I see Broadstone. I’d agree that Broadstone’s not all that much to look at when compared to Heuston (which looks wonderful from the north quays), but it has a commanding position which none of the others can compare with. All the bigger pity that it’s closed to trains:(
@phil wrote:
I personally like Pearse Station alot. I love its urban context, its brickwork, and its roof structure.
There are also some funny little oddities about it that I really like. For example, there is an old Cadbury’s ad (1930s?) that was hidden behind other billboards for years, which has now been exposed. There is also a great view of it from Pearse Street (at least until the empty site is built on), where you can see a door that presently leads from the station out in to thin air!
Sadly Pearse is not fully utilised. Apart from the fact that it has the potential to operate more trains by upgrading its unused bays, there is scope for an imaginative overhaul. The area next to the main platform I always thought would make a wonderful cafe.
Harcourt Street is my favourite. I think it is a beautiful building. Heuston’s facade is too camp and overworked. There is a simple elegance and strenght in the design of Harcourt Street. Same for Broadstone too.
I am also in favour of Broadstone becoming Dublin main inter-city bus terminal to replace tiny Busaras when Luas puts is back on the rail network in 2012.
@Cute Panda wrote:
Sadly Pearse is not fully utilised. Apart from the fact that it has the potential to operate more trains by upgrading its unused bays, there is scope for an imaginative overhaul. The area next to the main platform I always thought would make a wonderful cafe.
I am not saying it is not without its functional problems. I suppose I just responed to the question asked and did not think about its problems. But now that you mention it, I suppose one of the major problems it has is the bottleneck experience of people coming off the train and down the stairs when approaching from either direction. Putting exits where the fire doors are could potentially releave this slightly, but there are probably safety reasons for them being fire doors.
the unused bays seem to often be used to store broken trains of some form. Particularly the one behind the north platform. The other one is sometimes used for Darts.
There used to be a cafe shop behind the southbound platform. It was there a few months ago when I was last in the station during its business hours.
Where exactly is Broadstone station?
I really like Pearse station as it reminds me of the elevated metro station of Bir Hakiem in Paris.
You’re standing on Parnell Street behind the ILAC, turn up Dominick Street and keep walking, cross Bolton Street and keep up Dominick Street. At the end is the end of a canal spur, and across Constitution Hill, you will see Broadstone. It’s a short walk, and well worth it.
Broadstone seems to have dropped off the radar this silly season in terms of daft proposals; in architectural terms it is quite the rough diamond and could do with being cleaned up. Would make a great bar like the Odeon did with Harcourt St; the ironic thing is that Broadstone is probably closer to the main office districts than the remote station they are attributing to the Spencer Dock area
thomond. the is an inbuilt aversion to anything, or economical. hence why a built station is left idle and a new temporary one built.
I’m not happy about the temporary station either but to dump thousands of commuters at Broadstone with a Luas connection wouldn’t serve to be any better.
I notice from this thread that no suburban stations such as Malahide or Blackrock have been nominated;
Any nominations?
Howth, particulaily from the street side, is very attractive.
I also notice no Luas stations have been nominated, can I suggest “Abbey St” for its stripped down functional charm.
Of course, the worst Luas is easy: why doesn’t Stephen’s have a central platform for entraining? (or should that be entraming?)
Thomond Park wrote:I notice from this thread that no suburban stations such as Malahide or Blackrock have been nominated]What is now Restaurant Na Mara in Dun Laoghaire. It is a beautifully proportioned building.
http://www.irish-architecture.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/dunlaoghaire/old_station.html
I also quite like Bray and Dalkey stations. The brickwork on Glenageary Station is also very nice.
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