Look at de state of Cork, like!

@kite wrote:

I almost missed Lex’s brief comments in posting 1704 where he advises that
‘OCP have plans on Custom House Quay’s PoC warehousing which they
successfully purchased 2 months ago for over 6.75m euros’
Surprising that if all that happened 2 months ago on this site we haven’t
heard a word or seen OCP’s plans, thought the media circus would be in full
swing by now.
Are there any more details or proposed plans available?

You’d have to look back a few pages. Should be easy to find – lots of aerial shots of the Custom House Quay!

I think the current proposal was to knock the Bonded Warehouses only (the yellow buildings), and build a 15ish story building at the “tip” of the site. You’re right though, I haven’t seen much mention of it. No doubt it faces a rocky road through planning (as opposed to..?)

@kite wrote:

I almost missed Lex’s brief comments in posting 1704 where he advises that
‘OCP have plans on Custom House Quay’s PoC warehousing which they
successfully purchased 2 months ago for over 6.75m euros’
Surprising that if all that happened 2 months ago on this site we haven’t
heard a word or seen OCP’s plans, thought the media circus would be in full
swing by now.
Are there any more details or proposed plans available?

Thing Ive noticed about this website is that the topics mentioned are sometimes very much in advance or just before an announcement or right in line with an annoucement. Ive followed reports in the local media after something goes up on the site and they often but not always seem to run along the lines that have been posted on this website page. I supose thats a recognition to the accuracy of the site. Often I find if a project isnt mentioned straight away it is mentioned later on. I was trying to write a little article for the UCC student newspaper last year based on something I read on this thread and when I contacted the relevant sources they denied denied denied and one guy even laugh at me saying where did you hear that??? Then 2 months later it turned out to be true! I think some timelines may get mixed up but generally the info is pretty good. But i think Corks media do a pretty good job themselves as well even if some figures are overinflated. (One girl in the Examiner wrote that City quarter was 300 million euro and then another reprot said it was 100 million but sure evryone makes mistakes and I still think its pretty good).

By the way I see demolition is beginning on the old front of the Grand parade hotel on the Frinailla site there, progress finally??? :confused:

Also what does anyone else think of the EPR building in London posted up this page? I think its looks pretty cool!

Is there any better images of that available Lexington? It looks slightly ridiculous to me at present (not your image, but the project itself. I am just hoping that a better quality image might reprieve it)

@ewankennedy wrote:

Also what does anyone else think of the EPR building in London posted up this page? I think its looks pretty cool!

Not so sure it is going to be so nice in the flesh, but I am waiting until it is finished to make up my mind fully

Anyone got any thoughts on the vertical colour banding of 6 (?) Lapps Quay (that’s the newest one)? Don’t quite know what colour to call it – I guess teracotta would be about the closest – but it just seems so out of place on a reasonably contemporary design.

As for Paul Kenny’s RC development ’tis a pity that it’s off-centre due to having to protect some of the existing buildings. Just imagine what it could look like without them!! This is a strange one – I like the new design, and I like the aesthetic of the old buildings. However I don’t think they work well together in this execution. Mind you, the proposed Eastern elevation doesn’t appear to be too ground-breaking – could just as easily be one of the sides from the new City Quarter.

I wonder what we’re all going to think in a decade or so when ‘glass & steel’ becomes old hat

@lexington wrote:

I think I may have remarked on some of the architectural firms I like in Cork/Ireland – I may update that list soon – but as for the UK?

There are a number of UK-based firms I find most interesting. The abundance of practices based across the Channel are far to numerous to be familiar in their numerical entirety – however one firm I would very much like to see employed, perhaps in a landmark docklands development, simply based on their design history is EPR Architects. If it was my choice, EPR mixed with Antonio Gaudi would probably produce my kind of project :p .

Obviously Foster & Partners (on occasion – as far as I’m concerned, Foster comes out with either a gem [Swiss Re Building] or a dodgy affair [eg. Scottish Gas HQ]), Niall McLaughlin (sometimes) and a few of the other noteworthy names are also of interest – but EPR are probably one of the lesser recognised, but equally dynamic practices based in the UK. However, I do believe it would be up to the developer to ask the firm to push themselves when it comes to design. M3 Architects are another interesting bunch – vehemently modern however.

Below are images of an interesting EPR project at Cardinal Place in London. Probably not everyone’s taste – but at least its willing to explore options beyond the standard 90 degrees.

I like the extensive and eco-friendly use of greenery – fully-fledged gardens are actually incorporated into office and retails spaces. Some of EPR’s residential stuff is a lot less worth raving about however.

EPR Architects]Foster & Partners[/URL]; M3 Architects

Interesting that you should ask that ewankennedy – however, I do believe Ireland and Cork has quite a lot of talent on its own when given the right push and the freedom to do so. Recent flairs by Coughlan de Keyser, Wilson Architecture and Patrick A. Cashman & Associates have shown that for example. But I believe we should still keep pushing the architectural boundaries – especially in Cork now that we have the opportunity to do so, and in many cases, developers with the money to provide such. Clontarf Street perhaps provides one of the most interesting forms – however I would like to see us keep pushing more and more and improve on each proposal. There will always be a few blue notes it would seem – i.e. the Capitol, Victoria Mills etc – but the trick is to outnumber x with y. EPR may be interesting, but their architecture is still not near where I would ultimately like to see our Cork’s future buildings going – that is why I noted EPR blended with Gaudi as an example. Detail and art to architecture. Colour, shape, curve and beauty. I think with the right encouragement, guidance and allowance – our own architects may be able to achieve this.

This complex look s cool! (probably helped to by the good rendered image)

is it true that a 32 storey building was granted permission at hueston in dublin?

As promised, I would update you on the revised plans for Howard Holdings’ planned hotel and retail development on the former Thomas Crosbie Holdings lands at and around No.16 Lavitts Quay. The site had once been destined to home the new Irish Examiner and Evening Echo press offices before a deal was struck with Howard Holdings to occupy 27,000sq ft at their new City Quarter office development on Lapps Quay. As part of the deal, Howard Holdings acquired the TCH lands on Lavitts Quay with the intention of developing a 20m euro, 125-bedroom, 7-storey hotel on the site for Choice Hotels, a new Comfort Inn – with some retail space and a new coffee shop in a refurbished No.16 Lavitts Quay premises, a protected structure, scheduled to be incorporated into the development. Carrying over from the TCH office plans, architects Reddy O’Riordan Staehli were enlisted to design the hotel. A proposal was submitted just before Christmas of 2004 – the application received 5 submission/objections, largely criticising the design and bulk of the development. An argument I largely agree with. Michael Lynch, planner, requested Significant Further Information on the development. Today, Howard Holdings submitted those new plans.

The hotel remains 7-storeys but has seen its parapet reduced to a height fractionally higher than neighbouring 21 Lavitts Quay (the OCP development designed by Patrick A. Cashman & Associates), the bedroom number has been reduced to 114 from 125 – this number was specificed by Choice Hotels as being the minimum viability level it can afford the development. Parking access has been revised also. The site space has been significantly utilised to embrace the spatial area more efficiently – as requested – and greater visual access has been afforded hotel guests. Better material finishings have also been applied. No.16 (a protected structure) has been much better incorporated and looks a great deal better in its refurbished state (as seen in the images) than its existing near derelict state.

Below are 3 images – the 1st = the original application, the 2nd and 3rd = the new design from different angles.

1.

2. 3.

I’m still not impressed.

Opinions?

aarrgghh it’s that feckin terracotta colour again – do Cork Builders Providers have an offer on or something? Seriously though I guess it would have to be pretty good to hold it’s own against it’s new striking neighbour, but even allowing for that it’s pretty lazy.

hmmm, barbie’s new dream-house. charming.

:confused: With the final day for submissions being today, regarding DAT Partnerships striking 9-storey office proposal for Clontarf Street, designed by Coughlan de Keyser – only 1 submission has been lodged, that of An Taisce’s Kevin Hurley. The building has been generally met with positive comment thus far – but fingers will be crossed on the July 7th 2005 decision date (the same due date as OFC’s Eglinton Street development). Though every developer claims his/her/their development will be landmark, given its location and design, Centre Point as the IE informs it will be named, can genuinely claim such status.

I’ll let you know if anything comes of that HSE information. The info was sourced from an involved party within the HSE – and he stresses that it is only at an early consideration period. No plans are firmly on the table, however, if it does proceed, the HSE would be looking to negotiate property rights with any prospective developer as part of the deal. Knowing how the HSE/SHB work (and I do) we could be waiting many a year before we hear anything for sure!!! :rolleyes: However, it could make a nice deal for some developer.

An image of the lattice design is viewable in this week’s edition of Inside Cork. The current application will have to be resubmitted as it has been marked Invalid by CCC. It’s an interesting, but perhaps a bit of a mad idea.

😮 Michael McNamara & Company Construction continues its aggressive assault on the Cork market with the commencement of construction on UCC’s 32m euro, 60,000sq ft extension of the Boole Library (which includes refurbishments to the existing Q-1 & Q library levels). McNamara’s also have work on-going at Phase 2 of Cork Airport Business Park and a number of other city projects lined up over the future. The new Postgraduate Research extension of the Boole Library was designed by US-based SBRA (Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott) Architects in conjunction with Wilson Architecture. The project will take 2 years to complete and will be ready for the 2007 Academic term (October 2007). McNamara intend to have 2 tower cranes on-site within the coming months.