request for clarification U2 tower
- This topic has 28 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 22 years, 10 months ago by
.
- Posts
this is the text of a letter we have sent to
ddda, because we suspect that the winner’s project don’t respect the competition rules.STUDIO ACITO AND PARTNERS – Matera – Italy
Dublin Docklands Development Authority
RE: Request for clarification regarding the Architectural Competition for a Landmark Tower/U2 studio
8 October, 2003
We are writing to request clarification regarding the information published on the official web site for the competition.
On the basis of the published designs, we wish to express our serious doubts that the winning project meets the obligatory specifications, set out in the invitation to submit proposals, regarding the maximum height of the building and the dimensions of the plan. According to our calculations, it is not possible for a single tower (maximum permitted height: 60m) to provide the specified number of square metres (min. 9,500m, max. 12,500) whilst maintaining the obligatory distances and standards.
We would also like to enquire as to whether our project has been included in the exhibition, and if this is not the case, the reason why it has been excluded.
In view of the spirit of professionalism with which we approached the competition and the energy we devoted to our submission, we feel entitled to a full and detailed explanation.
We look forward to your response.
are you sure that buildings in the shape of a giant harp wern’t against the rules??
Yes, we are sure!
Let us know what kind of response you get. It is unfortunate that entrants such as yourself feel that you need to take this kind of action.
Acito.
I very much doubt that you will get any meaningful response from the DDDAThey have so much other shit flying around at the moment that they are scampering to keep up.
Sure the rules said 60m max height
there were lots of questions bout the floor areas and max height and ratios at teh start of the competition.
In the end if they had picked you as the winner, then got out the scale rule and said well actually this one looks like its 20mm above the 60m limit.
Pick another one instead
you would have the right to be pissed off.
as it is there are much larger questions.
But if you have agood lawyer maybe you can get them on this small technicality
but good on you for writing to them
Sorry for your trouble, guys, but it’s really hard to feel sorry for sore losers. Don’t be so literal – this was a concept competition – it’s slapped all over the competition invitation and even the jury said they were picking a CONCEPT that could be developed. Judging from the exhibition that’s on view in Dublin this week, the jury had their work cut out picking even 100 entries for exhibition. Most entries are woe-jess!
The list of who’s in and not in the exhibition is posted on another thread on this site. If you’ve ever entered a competition before, you know damn well that indvidual explanations for why you didn’t win are never provided to losers. Grow up. Get a life. I wouldn’t have picked your hackneyed, harpy scheme either.
And pepe, my simian friend, the rules did NOT say max 60m height. The problem with young tyros is that they never read the brief properly.
yeah the quality of work in the exhibition was pityful. i went down there last sunday and didnt know whether to laugh or cry. either the judges were drunk or only children bothered to enter the competition.
im sorry i didnt make a stab at it myself now.
there were a maximum of 4 projects worthy of exhibiting in that gallery (a nice one from luxembourg). i felt embaressed for irish architecture when i noticed some forigners beside me (even though most of the entries weren’t irish). im sure there are many projects in the gallery on archeire that are of a far higher standard than most of those exhibited.some of the entries form england would fail in first year of college for being too pedestrian, america seems to be stuck in the 1980s and as for some of the italian ones, hasnt anyone told them postmodernism and neoclassicism have been sleeping with the fishes for decades now? both of a+d wjicarts entries made me want to spit (why were offices allowed to enter more than once?)
its either poor judging or poor quality of architecture. either way, poor show.
end of rant.
are we not all simians? (genetically)
the problem with young “tyros” as you put it.
Is not that they dont read the brief.Is that they read it and:
either feel that it is so banally restrictive in both its functional and physical elements and the presentation requirements that its not worth adhering to in anyway.
and thus are disqualified.
or that they dont really give a fuck but read it anyway.
but then maybe six months later could not quote the brief word for word
and are not referring to it in relation to their own work but to someone elses (acito or whichever “winner” they are reffering to)
i really dont think its a matter of anyone being a sore loser.
its a matter of wanting to know what the fuck happened in that lcked room.
and as what? said regarding the exhibition
sounds like they just sat around ate the free buffet then picked a hundred random entries
and this might well have been what happened.
sure we hope that there was some impassioned debate and infact there was (With regard to the disqualification) of the “original winner” but there has been no publsihed report or account of the proceedings
no one is willing to comment on it.
and as such
people who invested their time effort and money are liable to get pissed off with the ignorance or incompetence of the DDDA and therfore have the right to reply. Or at the very least instigate a discussion.
as for the use of obscure wordings “tyro” i have this to say to you.
when did you first hear this word?
did you look it up in your thesaurus.
and heres a couple for you that might enlighten you
ceaseless odium
bathetic black sheep
to acito and partners,
respectfully, i think your scheme was omitted from the exhibition because it was woefully inadequate in terms of exploration of the brief, and expression of a suitable and strong concept to develop the site.
Being candid for a moment, what the hell were you thinking? Only Peter Chomowicz managed to make more a messy building. At least some entries were honest about their intentions to ridicule this project (De Matos Storey Ryan)
Stop whinging
Originally posted by sw101
to acito and partners,respectfully, i think your scheme was omitted from the exhibition because it was woefully inadequate in terms of exploration of the brief, and expression of a suitable and strong concept to develop the site.
Being candid for a moment, what the hell were you thinking? Only Peter Chomowicz managed to make more a messy building. At least some entries were honest about their intentions to ridicule this project (De Matos Storey Ryan)
Stop whinging
Originally posted by what?
are you sure that buildings in the shape of a giant harp wern’t against the rules??I don’t think it is right to critisise people in such a way on these boards. That is not your role and it is easy to do while hiding behind a username. Your critisism is not even productive and is laced with contempt.
youre damn right its laced with contempt,
and it does have a productive role; to crush any misconceptions that a tower built in the shape of a harp, to represent ireland, is anything more than a childish insult to both a developed and intelligent architecture, and the people of ireland.
im sorry for using acito+partners as an example as the building did have other merits (ie enviromental strategies), but people have to try harder than this childish literal, and to be subjective, downright ugly architecture.
if you visited the exhibition i think you will agree that the standard was pretty poor for an internationally significant competition.
my god…
most of the people on this message board are disgusted at the way this competition was run, dissgusted at the way the ddda refuse to cooperate, disgusted at the lack of some kind of inquiry, and disgusted at the image this debacle portrays of ireland to foreign architects.
then, a foreign architect who has entered the competition has the balls to write to the ddda and post his opposition here, and then lo and behold! all our pathetic little irish scavengers come out of the woodwork and launch into an attack on the quality of his design! it doesn’t matter if you don’t like it, what matters is that the decision-making process is transparent and open to the public in the form of the minutes of the jury meeting.
oh, and you’re right, a harp doesn’t represent ireland- it’s much to modern and advanced…. i would suggest maybe a stone axe, or a plough…
Originally posted by cajual
my god…most of the people on this message board are disgusted at the way this competition was run, dissgusted at the way the ddda refuse to cooperate, disgusted at the lack of some kind of inquiry, and disgusted at the image this debacle portrays of ireland to foreign architects.
then, a foreign architect who has entered the competition has the balls to write to the ddda and post his opposition here, and then lo and behold! all our pathetic little irish scavengers come out of the woodwork and launch into an attack on the quality of his design! it doesn’t matter if you don’t like it, what matters is that the decision-making process is transparent and open to the public in the form of the minutes of the jury meeting.
I concur.
This is not the place to openly criticise peoples work
this is not about acito’s design
or any of the other designs.this is about the biggest fuck up of a competition (possibly in the whole history of architecture)
even the florentine organisers of the competition for the duomo had to be convinced that brunelleshi’s dome would not collapse on their heads
and that doesnt even come close to the levels of ridiulousness surrounding this one.
This is what the DDDA sounds like to me
gehry who said gehry ….shut the fuckup
PWHC who said PWHC ….shut the fuckup
Brother in Law who said Brother in Law ….shut the fuckup
Original winner who said Original winner ….shut the fuckup
3W who said 3W ….shut the fuckupacito were not asking you for comments on their design they were merely saying that as a practice in italy they are aware of the shitstorm and are asking for some answers
not to slur any irish members of theis forum.
but if you really had some balls the RAIA and the DDDA would have been shut down by now.
Or at least they would have both made statements and would be investigating the whole shebang.
as it is
you sit quietly until you feel strong enough to level anonymous criticism on someone who is not the problem but part of the solution.
if every competitor.
winner or commendation or otherwie were to threaten the DDDA with a lawsuit over their time invested and the EURO 100 entry fee.
If they all joined together then the DDDA would at least have to settle up or go into court and reveal all that was wrong with the competition.as such
they sit back and laugh off individual pleas for information.
so its not just up to the irish guys.
but you are all better placed than a lot of people to help do something.
get onto the RAIA and demand an enquiry
but dont start slinging mud towards people who are just trying to get to the truth
otherwise you are worse than the ddda
and as far as criticism goes.
where are your wholefully significant designs?
how did you characterise the whole of intelligent irish culture?a potato
a pint of guinness
a big U and big 2?lets see
post it up
This is not the place to openly criticise peoples work
this is a discussion forum on architecture where people express their opinions on matters relating to architecture.
as a member of this forum system i reserve the right to express my opinion on any matter, as long as it relates to architecture.
maybe acito+partners wernt asking for an opinion on their work, but i find it extremely difficult not to criticise work of this nature. how, in this day and age can someone justify a harp-shaped tower as a credible proposition for a landmark building in ireland. it is the most ridiculous, childish and culturally ignorant architectural concept i have come accross in a long time. its like some ironic joke put up by el architino.
as regards posting up my own work, i have explained before that this would result in losing my anonymity and freedom of opinion on this site, due to the small architectural community in dublin. if you are hinting that im just some half wit who likes to piss people off by thrashing their projects i can tell you that i hold a fist class honours degree in architecture and have had various successes in architectural competition. if you choose not to believe this it is of no consequence to me.
thats enough arrogance for now.
EL ARCHITINO does not make jokes and is never ironic, however if he respects anything it is arrogance.
Is that ”EL ARCHITINO” ……..the prodigiouspsychoprogeny of Salvador Dali’s mentalitomortidolibido in unnatural florescent lighting!……….. Begorrah!
Originally posted by pepe
This is not the place to openly criticise peoples workYes, it is. Look up the word criticism.
but if you really had some balls the RAIA and the DDDA would have been shut down by now.
[snip]
get onto the RAIA and demand an enquiry
No idea who the RAIA are supposed to be, but the RIAI had nothing to do with the competition. No Thing. Nothing.
and as far as criticism goes.
where are your wholefully significant designs?
how did you characterise the whole of intelligent irish culture?Wholefully ain’t a word. The role of the critic is not to produce the work.
The comments on acito’s entry may have been unsolicited, but such is the nature of public architectural discourse. Get over it.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
