High Rise Building

what is the story with montevetro? is this 18 storey building going ahead for real?

Though I’m glad to see Ireland taking a confident step in demostrating it’s new being – vis-a-vis – preparing to take on board high-rise development – I would concur the proposals for Dublin (like Heuston Gate and 28-storey residential at the South Circular Road Players Wills site) are hardly worth writing home about – although they could perhaps have been worse. Urban sprawl is unsightly and damaging to Ireland’s naturally beautiful environment – no more so is this evident than in Dublin. High-rise is a possible aid to such a problem. However, when dealing w/ such prominent structures – I believe it is vital to enforce strong, dynamic architecturally aesthetic value.

Furthermore, in assessing the list of current high-rise projects for Dublin, I worry that the country’s capital will suffer the same fate as cities such as Moscow and London – where (in London up until recently) there was no ‘cluster’ planning. High-rise were found in no particular group and spread distastefully across the city scape often ruining neighbourhood characters by bringing them to look the same as that other neighbourhood with a high-rise 2 miles away – such communities were diseased with half-assed monotonous blocks.

Dublin is a great city and I would hate to see it plough down that route. In an ideal world, it would be desirable to see high-rise perhaps more concentrated in the Dublin Docklands Area specifically. Creating an identifiable, unique and ‘tidy’ individual locale. By far the best high-rise proposal Dublin ever had, in my opinion, was the Dunloe Ewart development planned for SJR Quay, designed by OMS (see below)

-> Though the high-rise plans for Cork city – in my view – are hardly the most architecturally astounding, they are generally tasteful and concentrated in the docklands area (w/ the exception of Cork County Hall). City Planners have identified a specific locations where high-rise development is acceptable and focussed. A strong emphasis has being sought on design w/ each proposal required to submit a ‘Design Study & Assessment Report’ justifying the aesthetics. The city centre and its suburbs are generally height protected (w/ an allowance being made for the Victoria Cross area in light of the Cork County Hall’s presence). Projects for Eglinton Street (17-storeys), Water Street (19), Horgan’s Quay (possibly up to 14-storeys) and Kennedy Quay (possible capacity of between 15 and 20-storeys) – all reflect this.

Refurbished Cork County Hall.

Water Street Development

@d_d_dallas wrote:

Diaspora,
it hardly matters what goes in on Military Rd at this stage – the St John’s Rd pile of crap got ABP go-ahead…

Personally I don’t have a huge problem with a historical structure having a tall modern neighbour, but I haven’t seen a proper montage to decide if this should be the neightbour!

I’m not so sure Dallas,

I am certainly no fan of the Military Rd scheme and definitely go along with the planning inspectors report on that one. I really agree with the point made by a lot of people on these two schemes that they should have been assessed as one scheme given the cross ownership and development timetables, as happened in the case of Smithfield. Which in my opinion is starting to look really well.

The Eircom scheme is certainly too close to the Royal Hospital and of poor design quality but as bad as it is it will not dominate the Royal Hospital as much as this proposal will.

In most cases I don’t have a problem with tall structures, particularly docklands warehouses being overshadowed by taller offices as I think both add a sence of quality to the other. I certainly have no problem with the Spire as it offers a pivotal landmark for the entire City and was easily the best option from a very mixed bag of entries.

But in this case the only images released have been unclear as to the materials being used and have been taken from the least helpful angles. The original model for this scheme displayed buildings at the top of Stephens Lane (The back of the Hospital) but critically none of the Royal Hospital, that is an admission in my opinion that it will have significant negative impacts.

The trick as Lexington has said is to choose locations where significant negative impacts are least likely on significant National Monuments such as the Royal Hospital, but rather to select areas with existing tall buildings such as the Western Road in Cork, or adjoining large 1920’s grain silo’s where the skyline could do with a little tweaking.

@Nick wrote:

Buldozing the guinesss warehouse would wrong, ever heard of restoration?

No they should be knocked – they’re crap with 70s/80s brick – certainly not worth restoring. Something of high quality should be built on Victoria Quay instead of Guinness’long brick wall

@GregF wrote:

As Rory said these warehoses and wall that stretch a fair distance along the quays are quite mundane and featureless. The wall as already stated is late 20th century and the warehouses are mere galvanised tin roofed sheds, probably from around the same time too. The only feature along here that may be worth preserving is an old Victorian or later styles house. Usher’s Island here could be better utilized. I don’t think you have seen this area Nick of late.

Unfortunately we are unlikely to see any redevelopment of this area as it is apparently required for operational use. When Diageo did their sums last year it was a case of focusing on Park Royal or James’ Gate, the land at Park Royal was worth more so Dublin retained the production process. It is only a pity that Guiness couldn’t have acquired more land on the Basin St side to expand production there when land prices were modest by todays standards and free up some river frontage for rejuvination.

I agree with the sentiments expressed by Nick as a good general rule of thumb, but on closure examination there really is nothing that must be preserved at the expense of a regeneration. It really is a pity as the area South of the Liffey between Heuston and Merchants Quay needs work more than most.

In response to the Ushers Island thread, there is a major redevelopment planned on Bridgefoot St by the City Council the exact details are available from the Civic Offices on Wood Quay.

The Provost’s House captured in ice behind looks even better.
What a lovely ad – anyone who manages to make the Custom House floodlighting look good is worthy of praise – dare I say the Loop Line looks rather good too…
Just highly jealous Belfast gets the big orchestral strike-up – that’s what Dublin gets for having no decent vistas 🙂
Cork is subtly included too if you look closely. The little swan-neck lampost to the side of the gates in the closing shots adds a charming touch to the closing shot too.
It is totally fantastical of course though – since when do rural Irish pubs have original sash windows? 😀

Just one so far. The gateway buildings are eight stories, but that doesn’t really count. Since the office park seems to have gone belly-up, there may be some new designs in the future. I hope it’s not just residential though, otherwise all we’re doing is making the same mistakes again.

@alpha wrote:

i wonder has the erection work on the 16 storey quay lodge and the 18 storey montevetro started yet?

Thats a good question, I’d check out http://www.ddda.ie there will probably be details there or you could ring them?

I remember when that building (the lodge) was sold about 2-3 years ago; it was guided at 650,000

There’s been little movement construction-wise on Alto Vetro other than the house is demolished and hoardings are up announcing the scheme – been like that for a while now.

Yeah if you were busy you missed nothing. I missed it anyway – only from falling asleep watching though.