Great Modern Architecture!
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If Ireland hasn´t found its way to modern Architectur, be happy. Is only “International Style” good Architecture? Is International Style a Style at all? Why should irish Architects copy british, german or french Architects? Shall Ireland look like England, Germany or France? No! What a horrible thought; at last would Dublin look like Berlin or London or Paris, and all together would look like Corbusiers Drawings. Ireland has enough own Culture, it should be able to develop its own Architecture.
If Ireland hasn´t found its way to modern Architectur, be happy. Is only “International Style” good Architecture? Is International Style a Style at all? Why should irish Architects copy british, german or french Architects? Shall Ireland look like England, Germany or France? No! What a horrible thought; at last would Dublin look like Berlin or London or Paris, and all together would look like Corbusiers Drawings. Ireland has enough own Culture, it should be able to develop its own Architecture. And by the way, Busaras is not the best building in Dublin, at least as I remember. It seems even ugly compared to Scott´s´own House “Geragh”.
An analogy for Irish architects nowadays could be : A carpenter sent to repair the engine of a jumbo jet!!…architects may boo-hoo but in fairness your credibility is well and truly in doubt if you continue to build ***** buildings with ***** materials! Attention must be paid to the surrounding environment and the people using these spaces.Planners beware I could be very insulting.If you sent drugged antelopes on a mission to create cycle paths ( the few that do exist ) how can you be responsible for any greater project?
I agree we shouldn’t copy England, germany, france and USA. But where do you think we should start developing our own cultures architecture. Most of this countries examples of fine architecture over the last few centuries is classical which was built by or as a response to foreign rule in this country, and mostly by foreign designers. so surly this cant be a precedence. Before this we has the Norse, Vikings, invade and bring the culture and customs as well as building style. All major style can be accredited to foreign influences. surly even Christianity is alien to this land and must be seen as an international style. Even the Celts and beaker people probably the first settlers in this country brought there own traditions, to our country. so does anyone have any ideas what should inspire or inform Irish
architecture? Or what should we refer to, if anything when designing in this country?.
i have my own ideas and I am sure so does everybody else so lets start discussing them its time the built enviroment was given back to “na pobál”[This message has been edited by Mrs. M. J. Lister (edited 06 December 1999).]
RE: Scott’s Geragh
I’ve admired that building for years and years and wished I owned it. What a location!
But to be honest – I don’t think it a particularly brilliant piece of architecture really. Scott designed it in a morning or whatever. As Michelangelo remarked on Vasari’s 100 day frescos in the Vatican “Hmmm…Looks like it”.
Yes, I like Geragh too. I’d love to own it but it doesn’t measure up to the invention, beauty of form, ornament of his Busarus.
John
The reason why there are so few modern buildings of architectural merit in Ireland is because the Dublin Planning Authority Act 1989 stipulates that major developments in the city must either be built of brick and have a clocktower or have big garish green windows like the IFSC. The DDDA will happily tell anyone about this and judging by the Grand Canal Plaza they intend to adhere to the act.
I couldn’t agree more with Mrs. M. J. Lister. I am sure we all have our own ideas. The fact that we are a relatively small island nation means that we are influenced by the countries surrounding us or ruling us as the case may be. It is all too easy to stick to the traditional, my only problem with that being, that we are not sticking very well to it. Which is the point I believe Ali was making with regard to the quality of material being used in buildings these days. Which in turn relates back to the point that Moranb (18 Sept) made about developers and planning needing to be proactive etc… So we are not doing anything new these days. We are just doing a bad job of regurgitating old styles in a scaled down economical manner.
I had the good fortune in the last two weeks to visit Dublin, Cork, Birr & Galway. While I love the feel of the Architecture in Dublin, I always feel there is almost too much of an English influence, in terms of brick for example. Cork also has some of the same feel, although again it is a beautiful city architecturally (I hope the Cork people realise this… a pound shop in a beautiful building, sometimes I wonder). Birr seems timeless or to be more exact it seem as if the clock stopped a hundred years ago, it is a wonderful place with a great sense of timelessness, but again the English influence is present. So to get to my point, Galway is in some ways beautiful and in other ways horrible, but of all the four places it has the least sense of English influence. So it seems true that Georgian buildings only exist east of the Shannon. May be we should look to the Quay St. High St. Cross St. corner for influence on how Ireland should look, I know the influences here are probably not Irish, but there is the case of becoming “more Irish that the Irish themselves”. I am not saying we should copy this, but there are elements that I believe are definitively Irish.
I know it is not something that has been discussed here before, but it is one of my pet hates so I will mention it and see what the reaction is; The Three Bedroom Semidetached Home. Can we stop building them, Ireland would be a much better place without them. I will say no more for now. Looking forward to your comments..gt
Yes… ban Bungalow Bliss
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