O’Connell Bridge House

Oh come on, when you look at it from this angle, its a dog

http://www.archeire.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/southcity/dolier_street/oconnell_bridge_house_lge.html

I used to love sitting in the spanish pasta place on D’Olier St. and imagine I was in new york… Try these… one before window renovation and one after. I think they did a good job although I liked the rythm of the old windows better. They concentrated on the verticals which worked well..

I feel OConnell Bridge House looks as well as it possibly can. The thing is it should never have been built there as it is out of place totally.
Liberty Hall on the other hand has a better location and adds to the skyline from the Ha’penny Bridge angle at least. But It could do with an overall – new windows. I dont think it should be knocked or anything like that as it is as much part of our history as any other building.

I never thought mcuh of this building… its too monolithic looking, especially for D’Olier Street. I would have been much better situated on the southside of Matt Talbot bridge (whats that quay – City?). But I suppose we must put up with what we have, its such a shame though.

I agree with the obvious difference that recladding has had. It looks much better.

There is a current recladding project going on at the top of Pearse Street – beside the GArda Station. It was an ugly concrete clad 60’s yoke… any ideas or pics as to what it will end up like. I thinks its called Joyce House.

Na …I think it is a good anchor point here, the bridge here is quite broad to sustain a high anchor point.
I’m just sorry that the make over it recently got was’nt more stylish. It has a cluttered roof. I think it could be a lot better.
The Ballast Office across the way is ridiculous…It was demolished and rebuilt in the 1980’s …only to house today the tacky frontage Carroll’s etc…It is an anachronism.
The 3 buildings here at O’Connell Bridge; they being O Connell Bridge House, the cutie Victorian like pile in the middle that housed the Man U superstore and the afore mentioned Ballast Office would be better if they were replaced by 3 contemporary stylish sister buildings. (The one in the middle could be removed and built elsewhere if it has any architectural merit) This area is a focal point for the city too …..it could become a comtemporary version of College Green.

Wasn’t the original plan to build two O’Connell Bridge houses, the other being on the site of Ballast House?
The original Ballast house was destroyed to make way for the second building but there was a public outcry and it was subsequently rebuilt.
Two O’Connell bridge houses framing the victorian building in the centre would make a great set piece coming down O’Connell Street.

O Connell Bridge House haters – don’t you think the building at least off-sets the height of Liberty Hall on the other side?
I’d probably be killed in some quarters for saying this, but I think both buildings form and interesting visual frame for the custom house when looking up the quays. Tourists taking photos from the Ha’penny bridge are usually facing that way, so the view can’t be that bad…

Sorry that the high rise issue has to come back in but it is the major issue involved in O’CBH. Standing in the centre of O’ Connell Bridge looking all around the ‘real city centre’, all one can see is the 5 storey streets stretching out in all directions, charmingly pierced with domes and cupolas of O’ Connell Street and Westmoreland Street, and the further-away spires of the city’s churches. Walking from Stephens Green, through Grafton St, College Green, Westmoreland, the Bridge and finally O’ Connell St, one does not encounter a single building that breaks the code, (the Central Bank is too set back to be noticed to any degree)

If O’ CBH was at least a taller. slenderer landmark building, fair enough, at least it would make a statement, and contrast with the surronding buildings,but it isn’t. It is too fat,stout and medium height to work, and creates the impression of being in a badly planned city. It remindes one exactly of any standard, badly planned,higgeldy piggelty British city, like the centre of Bristol.

It is the one major blight on the character of Dublin, and should be removed.

(I’m not anti-tall. A Docklands reaching for the skies would be a feature in itself for the city)

I think its close neighbours including and around Hawkins House would qualify for that gong Graham. O’Connell Brdige House is nothing when compared to the planning mess that allowed Tara Street and Hawkins Street get into such an awful state.

Yeah – to alot of people (esp those from outside the pale) – O’CBH is an integral part of Dublin. It has been around for much longer than some of us! It’s vile, hideous and misplaced – but this is planning corruption Ireland we’re talking about here. It’s a part of the skyline (why little Dublin actually has).