Most Beautiful Building in Cork?
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Phil , i agree I just find it frustrating to see poor design(modern) in cork particularly in housing and commercial sectors being produced and i worry that our developers are not allocating enough High quality public space so the city can function as a whole, rather than isolated buildings. I look forward to seeing what the Quays will look like in 5 or 10 years time when all this developemnt has calmed. Hopefully a new perspective on the city will have bee generated, and the effeort put into patrick st and paul st. will become infectous
St Marys is drool-worthy – it’s always so nice to see a departure from boring old Doric.
Weird to see Herself up there in place of classical statuary, bit like St Andrews up in Dublin.n’uff said! don’t think your answering my question still no decent suggestions for a decent public space in cork , guess there arn’t any there pitty ho hum! maybe someone should design one , now thats a good idea! suggestions for a location?
Nick. I am not sure that I get your approach to this thread. Originally you entitled the thread “Most Beautiful Building in Cork”. Then you altered the question to enquire about decent public spaces in Cork. I think that your public space question probably needs a separate thread, because when people see the original title of this thread they will automatically answer the original question. These issues are both very different and need to be treated separately. Anyway, in answer to your second question, I think that the area on front of the Opera house has a lot of potential.
Apologies phil you are correct, it does deserve a different thread, maybe i was wrong to ask such a question in the first place, having spent my life in cork i guess i should have known better….!
Just thought there might have been something i had missed, or that people might have a different perspective on this potentially great city that would convince me otherwise. Having seen the images of buildings discussed on this site ,i guess Green is the order of the day.(now how do i close this thread!?)
As far as I know you cannot close a thread (but you were probably joking about that anyway) Also, I thought the original question you asked was really interesting. I am suprised it has not generated any more replies or more discussion, paricularly from the people who regularly discuss other aspects of Cork.
what do people think of the boole library?
saw it recently in night time, for the first time in a few years, and i think its definitely up there with cork’s best buildings- a real classic in my opinion. it a strong and commanding structure, but manages to avoid undermining the particular quality of the quad. it has also aged very well (so far) and is as ‘fresh’ as it was when first opened. in addition, it functions very well and is a very effective library space. anyone?
I remember seeing this from the outside and quite liking it.
Have to agree with you about The Boole Library. Before the GLuckman Gallery was built, the library was my favourite building. Although it is dated on the inside it will undergo substantial refurbishment in the near future. It has some of the best views in Cork. Especially on Q+3, in the south west corner, there is a fantastic vista of the city.
does anyone know anything about which side of the boole library is being extended. Tommy Barker, in today’s examiner, seems to suggest it will be extended on the north side – facing the quad- is this the case? it would be a shame. surely the south side to the quarry would be preferable.
other favourite buildings
-old Cork & Limerick Savings Bank, Lapps Quay/Parnell Place
-old Lord Mayors House near Grenville Place (Mercy Hosp)
-Crawford & its extension to half moon st
-St Marys, Popes Quay
-Turners X Church
-Warehouses, Custom House Point
-College of Commerce Building (even better with its rooftop extension)
-firkin crane butter marketi love the boole and the complex of theatres and shops its definatly stood the test of time well and the space outside isnt bad either , Ucc is beginning to turn into a bit a hot bed for good stuff pitty about the blueGrey building next to it.
sorry cant get he examiner where i am, not sure where its being developed!sounds interesting though.
whats the new gallery like, havnt been home in 5 months.The now-to-go ahead extension of the boole you mentioned is to be developed to the east of the current building, not in front of it , if that’s what you feared. There really isnt a whole lot of room where it is to be built, i saw the drawing on the examiner, from outside the o rahilly building towards the library. From what i could make out it seems as if it’s to be built over the avenue towards the gates on college road, which would be a real pity if im right, as in my opinion this is the nicest entrance to the college, affording great views of the quad on the way in.the design looks pretty good, fits in well with the surroundings, the same firm has designed libraries for harvard and yale among others in the us, so we can rest assured it’ll be a quality job.should be complete around early 2007 sometime i believe. i agree with whoever complained about the “blue-grey” building next to it, thats the o rahilly building, doesnt fit in well at all, shouldnt be so bad when all those new trees mature though. That’s what the whole area from the boole to the student centre is lacking, some tree-cover, very open as it is, can be bleak on a wet day.all we can do is wait, but the signs are good for ucc!
One of the finest and most overlooked buildings in Cork is the Old County Jail near UCC.( not the one in Sundays Well)
Only the south entrance wall with a severe Doric portico survives. Designed by the Pain Bros in the early 19th. C. it is a superb use of the Classical idion to create boldness and severity.
It is one of the very few works in Ireland to reflect the pared down style of Soane or Ledoux
That last post (above) was by Ian L. of An Taisce (not Devin) – he grabbed my computer while I wasn’t looking!
Me, I love the green vitrolite shoeshop shopfront on Oliver Plunkett Street. In fact my mother’s from Cork & remembers this shop opening as a kid in the ’50s. 🙂
Originally posted by Devin
One of the finest and most overlooked buildings in Cork is the Old County Jail near UCC.( not the one in Sundays Well)Only the south entrance wall with a severe Doric portico survives. Designed by the Pain Bros in the early 19th. C. it is a superb use of the Classical idion to create boldness and severity.
It is one of the very few works in Ireland to reflect the pared down style of Soane or Ledoux
Very topical,
I had a feeling that wasn’t you Devin
Surprised no-body mentioned ‘Bishop Lucey Park’ – the “Peace Park” as a good example of open public space – small, but an important break in the rows of buildings that dominate the city centre. Cork as a whole suffers from insufficient public space. New parks will hopefully be realised at Horgan’s Quay and a significant 27-acre park along the Carrigrohane Straight. The Kinsale Road Landfill is being converted to a new public park – with sporting grounds, a wildlife park, forestry and green-spaces. I have high hopes for this endeavour.
As for squares, plazas etc – the docklands represents the best opportunity to considerately create such spaces.
One of my favourite of Cork buildings is UCC. But also the building that is presently occupied by Brown Thomas. Some of Cork’s newly built buildings are also on the favourite list. Maybe even the airport when it is built. It’s simple, but the roof makes it look elegant. And I realise that the last post to this forum (before lexington’s) was late last year, but I wasn’t registered then, so I’ll have my say now. 🙂
@lexington wrote:
Surprised no-body mentioned ‘Bishop Lucey Park’ – the “Peace Park” as a good example of open public space – small, but an important break in the rows of buildings that dominate the city centre.
Agreed, it’s a lovely spot.
Just to be pedantic about it however- Bishop Lucey Park is that park stretching from South Main Street to Grand Parade, the one which I believe you are referring to Lex. It is not and has never been officially called the Peace Park.
The peace park is that small green area at the corner of Grand Parade and South Mall which contains the Hiroshima/Nagasaki memorial and the WW2 memorial.Its just a small thing, but it really bugs me and the confusion seems to be spreading.
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