New Developments in Galway City

@Seanselon wrote:

This project is likely to go ahead, perhaps not as we see it presented in the plans to date, but it will happen and probably within the stated timeframe too.

i admire your optimism, but experience suggests otherwise.

Has anyone seen any plans for the proposed giant Fountain in Galway Bay?:eek:

Great idea, would look great if combined with plenty of lighting for nighttime displays.

Though this made me laugh –

he proposal, made by two men including a city-based dentist

I really hope they get planning for the fountain. Thats the kind of unique and original thinking we need in Ireland at the moment.

That fountains mad. Would be nice to see it built, but it seems a tad unlikely that it will happen. I reckon that the running costs of a fountain pumping water 1000 feet into the sky would be fairly high.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Fahd%27s_Fountain

This requires ten full time staff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_d%27Eau

This runs on 2400 volt electrictiy so I imagine the Galway fountain would consume huge amounts of electricity

Is that Dubai-like island part of the plan? That causway could cause problems with sea currents and build some kind of bull Island type buildup

@Jammyd wrote:

anyone know when the knocknacarra town centre is opening looks nearly finished??

If Dunnes are part of it (which I *think* they are), it looks set to be open on/by 25 September (next Tuesday).

Two links here:

http://www.rte.ie/business/2007/0918/dunnes.html?rss

http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/?jp=MHCWIDMHKFID&rss=rss2

Noticed this today:

http://www.galwaynews.ie/1382-3bn-development-under-threat

Who’s genius idea was it to put oil tanks in the middle of a city anyway…? :rolleyes:

The proposal for a fountain in Galway.
Not being an architect i read with great interest the variety of comments on the proposal for the fountain and thought i might add a few comments to clarify the proposal i put forward for the fountain.
1 the causeway into galway bay already exsists – mutton island could be used as a pre-existing causeway.
2 no survey has been carried out to confirm that this would be the best place for the the fountain to be sited
3 the fountain project is merely a proposal – no costing has been done- the idea is simply that – a concept put forward as an artist statement –
5 how much would it cost – well how high do you want it
4 the mechanics and design of the fountain have yet to be determined.

we envisgaed this concept are merely researched had it been done before – yes it has and it has been successfully ran for 20 years in jeddah

how much power would it consume – ( see 5 ) – it owuld also be possible to limit the power consumption by limiting the total time that the fountain was “turned on” – possibly using a half hour cycle – on and off for a limited duration each day say 10.00 till dusk – with occassional night time use with illumination only for special occassions.

We envisaged using computer controls linked to wind speed and direction to limit the mist factor so not to jeopardise pedestrians or local traffic – also siting the fountain far enough into the bay would control this factor .

the balance of capital and running costs of such a project would be balanced against the income it would generate to the buisnesses of the city – inevitably there would be benefit to exsisting local buisnesses – tourism – and generation of new buisnesses directly to the tourist facility
we also envisaged the possiblity of a Gaway bay ? fountain visitor facility — this could possibly be along the liknes of the Cliffs of Moher concept? and linked to a tourist site seeing boatrip around the fountain and the bay –
no such trips currently exist.

Running costs – this could be assessed in greater depth comparing the upkeep and maintenance to that of the Jeddah project.-

Certainly as an art project it would provide a focus to the Bay- an entrance to the proposed harbour and a symbol for Galway and the west of Ireland . – apart from the power required the main resource ( water ) is already there and i presume the environmental impact would be related to the power consumption only.

in summary – im a dentist not an architect – but if there is enough weight of opinion that this is a good idea and is realisable – we will be able to approach the funding agencies with greater effect.

so thank you for your comments so far and if anyone has any further thoughts it would be much appreciated –
my diect email is drpmoore@eircom.net

i don’t think we should knock it. gimmicky it may be but a work of art nonetheless. if you get funding for it Paul then go for it. Arts council might be interested. oh! and i would probably site it closer to the docks rather than mutton island… it just means that when your on the spanish arch on a lovely summer day you will be abler to get a good view. i think mutton island would be too far away.

on other matters.. then big develpment on the tuam road built by Glenman… i was excited when it first started to go up but the finished ( or close to finised_ saw it about a month ago ) article is really disappointing.
the dunnes in ballybrit looks (ahem) interesting. i reserve judgement on it until it’s finished.

I don’t know about the practicalities of the place but in my opinion it has to qualify as possibly the ugliest, most unwelcoming developments of it’s type that I’ve ever seen. A collection of bog standard silver boxes would be more visually pleasing than what we’ve ended up with. And the worst thing is that it’s obvious a huge amount of design, fine detailing and expense has been gone to to make it. I really think the black stained timber was a huge mistake and the signage is perhaps the tackiest i’ve ever seen – the huge yellow BRIARHILL is truly vile – even the typeface is awful.
Anyway rant over – I do appreciate that a lot of architectural thought and effort has gone into the building but the end result to my eyes is a bit of a disaster…