SOM’s 130m highrise plan for North Wall Quay?

Looks like the same site which Treasury Holding have positioned the Zara Hadid proposal!?!

Look out for the Irish Glass bottle site proposal also…it seems our highrise friend from the Jury’s Ballsbridge site is lurking in the background…well something quite similar anyway:D

Disappointed and spirited at the same time. Spirited that there might be someone out there wanting to push the boat out and disappointed that the developers thought they had to go to a foreign firm AGAIN…… So much for having any faith in local talent. If this keeps up there will be no Irish Architectural Profession. What the recession hasn’t damaged will be compounded by decision to keep awarding work to larger and larger and usually foreign firms (architects) some with dubious levels of interest (and even ability) other than fame

@shadow wrote:

Disappointed and spirited at the same time. Spirited that there might be someone out there wanting to push the boat out and disappointed that the developers thought they had to go to a foreign firm AGAIN…… So much for having any faith in local talent. If this keeps up there will be no Irish Architectural Profession. What the recession hasn’t damaged will be compounded by decision to keep awarding work to larger and larger and usually foreign firms (architects) some with dubious levels of interest (and even ability) other than fame

Just to start a wee fight: but all the high rise proposals from Irish architects have ranged from dull to uber-dull. e.g. new liberty hall, conference centre hotel, watchtower, and, god help us because it’s actually being built, monte vetro. At least the foreigners, see proposal above, hadid, one ballsbridge, U2 tower (ok, original one was Irish), come up with something interesting now and then!

One swallow a summer does not make. We haven’t seen much in the way of high rise projects by Irish Architects. The tower proposal for Heuston (Paul Keogh) was quite elegant from an Irish Architect. Alto Vetro (Shay Cleary) is also elegant, (though mid rise). The Watchtower (STW) and Liberty Hall (Gilroy McMahon) are not elegant but these are not, I believe, indicative of the potential within the profession. The Tara Street tower (squat version of a KPF one) is by a Canadian firm, the SOM one is potentially very elegant but the model is lacking in the density that would exist in the real thing, and as for the U2 towers; the Hadid “sky/landscaper” was appalling and Fosters just bombastic with any “green credentials” merely window dressing, (by the way both foreign). The issue here is broader than just with both CIE (Tara Street), and ESB abusing their semi state position in promoting an environment where it is becoming impossible for local firms to contribute. This will undermine any confidence in the profession form within and without. Doubt will certainly be sown in the minds of all commissioners that Irish Architects are not capable when the evidence is certainly that given the environment, support and appropriate criticism the potential is to be world class. Unfortunately the current cultural and social and business environments provide only a hit and miss return on investment. Not something you could take to the bank.

At this stage, if the choice between local architects and foreign ones is a choice between this:

and this

There’s really no option other than to go with the foreign ones.

This SOM high rise looks beautiful, and a good size, would be a great asset to the skyline.

You’re not comparing like with like – the GMM one is a fully realised design showing the realities of a building in use – the SOM one is a transparent massing model – it would never look like that.

@shadow wrote:

One swallow a summer does not make. .

but it’ll certainly make your night

@Paul Clerkin wrote:

You’re not comparing like with like – the GMM one is a fully realised design showing the realities of a building in use – the SOM one is a transparent massing model – it would never look like that.

Looking at the GMM one, I can’t even imagine it looking anything more than mediocre even in mockups.

@Paul Clerkin wrote:

You’re not comparing like with like – the GMM one is a fully realised design showing the realities of a building in use – the SOM one is a transparent massing model – it would never look like that.

Stop trying to defend the indefensible – Irish Architects are crap. Always have been. Look at the IFSC for stunning examples of Irish architecture. A disgrace to this city.

But anyway – great design for this but once again – is this a new design – does anyone know?

That’s an old design that’s not proceeding. They just haven’t removed it from their website yet.