Microsoft Campus Redevelopment in Sandyford

Is 32 storeys related to anything. A Magic Number?

@lexington wrote:

Hot on the heels of Harry Crosbie’s ‘Point Village’ plan designed by STW and including a 32-storey tower for Dublin’s Docklands, Mark II Partnership are lodging plans for 847 residential units, a new office complex, retail and recreational facilities on the former Microsoft Campus in Sandyford – a series of blocks are proposed on site ranging as high as 15-storeys with the tallest structure standing at 55m.

Is this the old Microsoft office site on Blackthorn Road? I think they had several sites around Leopardstown and Sandyford.

Will people want to live in an industrial estate? Many buildings in this area are still just big industrial boxes originally built for manufacturing in the 80s. There are large leftover bits of scrubland between the buildings. I guess if all these gaps were filled and most buildings got to 6-8 floors, there could be tens of thousands of people living there. The area has severe traffic problems despite the huge quantity of road improvements and I doubt the luas could cope with much more load. Next phase of the luas is to join it two more office parks (carickmines and cherrywood). How will the passengers fit on the trams?

@lexington wrote:

It’s perhaps the number developers best feel they can get away with, the threshold of the acceptable. And I do think the Heuston Gate project has a lot got to do with that. Personally, none of the proposed 32-storey structures for Dublin do anything in the slightest for me – including Mr. Crosbie’s Point plan.

I have to agree about the Point Village tower…. it doesnt look particularly striking (although I am working from the sketch in today’s IT). Unfortunatelky we have to depend on the DDDA for planning permission and they havent been overly impressive in providing a high design standard to date. This will be an important building so a high standard is vital.

@Frank Taylor wrote:

Next phase of the luas is to join it two more office parks (carickmines and cherrywood). How will the passengers fit on the trams?

I’ve seen the plans and walked the route not only does it demolish an important protected structure and destroy the setting of a Nationally important protected structure but it also has almost as much on road routing as the red line.

The route chosen by the RPA can never be converted to metro spec and the increased loadings will make Luas useless from Dundrum in because there will be no capacity. Furthermore the central link up will slow the overall route up even more and restrict the number of trams that can run still further.

The solution you ask?

Reinstate the full Harcourt Street to Shangannagh alignment and convert it to Metro between Shangannagh and Ranelagh where it would go underground to Liffey Junction at Phibsboro and integrate with the DART network.

@lexington wrote:

It’s perhaps the number developers best feel they can get away with, the threshold of the acceptable. And I do think the Heuston Gate project has a lot got to do with that. Personally, none of the proposed 32-storey structures for Dublin do anything in the slightest for me – including Mr. Crosbie’s Point plan.

It’s odd. If the threshold is say 32 storeys why was the Southbank Tower cancelled? I can’t help but wonder if the same thing is going to happen to Heuston Gate.

Lexington, how do you mean the “former” Microsoft campus in Sandyford – when did they move?

What protected structure is on the route?

The one that Ger Hannon of the RPA called the owner of eight months ago to inform that it was to be demolished to facilitate the Luas take the longest possible route. If questioning ask about the elevated bridge that does a u-turn around a landmark office building and two other office blocks.

Platform 11 will be releasing the details in Mid September