The Spike

I think I’ll camp out on O’Connell Street that weekend….

Get fjp and his camera there too

Did Anne Graham say why its a taken so bloody long to get this far? Did she mention how long the rest of the street redesign will take?

Originally posted by Rory W
Get fjp and his camera there too

Why? are my photos not good enough? 😀

I want up that crane. I really do. Despite the fact that my Liberty Hall shots are causing me great pain to stitch together (and we’re making a movie too – god bless DV cams and iBooks).

Sounds great though. I must try and scab a better camera. And hats off to Paul, at least his photos are actually organised!!! (and he has a forum, and a proper search function, usefull accurate information, etc etc etc)

fjp

Must get up Liberty Hall again, my photos from the top were taken in 1995 so the city looks a little different.

Jeez, me and my big mouth

Paul,

Are your photos from Liberty online? I wouldn’t mind a look…

fjp

(good old 1995)

Graham you obviously haven’t been to Beruit, the bombed out bits really are very bombed out, the restored bits are really lovely and the bits that weren’t affected are a warren.

That’s a point which architects don’t seem to consider of how buildings appearances age with time and how they will stand up to the weather and the elements.
Much more bright sexy shiny glass needed in contemporary buildings here…….hold the red brick and pebble dash.

You’re right Greg in one regard, Irish towns and cities tend to long universally grim in the rain. Even the great buildings of Ireland with their stone facades look very foreboding in the rain. Sitting here this morning overlooking the Kings Inns and its so depressing looking in the rain. Its something to do with how the stonework goes almost black when wet. The brick squares of the georgian city are less depressing in the rain. There’s something about more modern buildings that they seem less gloomy on a wet day….

I find Irish towns and cities look best in that sharp Autumnal/Wintry sun when it’s bright but still very shadowy. Partic the quays in Dublin.

I find they look best in that gorgeous summer sunshine we get on May 23!

But does’nt everything look good in the Sunshine!

……..well bar an Irish Summer

OOOh, no. All cities look best at night. That way, you can’t see the muck, the best bits are lit up, and the grim bits fade into the gloom.

The floodlit Spike will be a wonder. I’m assuming they are lighting it, now?

May not be able to light it now due to government cutbacks….will be lit for when it is first opened and for Xmas too but after that, darkness will reign upon the land…….may not have the money to replace the bulb.

Anyone know where i can get info on new spike for dublin. Currently doing a project on it and need all help i can get.

Here is info from the architects:
http://www.archeire.com/onsite/spike/index.html

Also search in our news archives here:
http://www.archeire.com/news/archives.cgi?f=keyword&keywords=spike

When is the date for this actually going up?

Any ideas?

Should start next week. Completion is highly weather dependent – if the wind gets up, work is impossible, as assembly tolerances between ‘can’ sections are so tight.

I’m taking photographs every day from the same spot over the next few weeks as I’m only around the corner….

First one this morning
http://www.archeire.com/onsite/spike_construction/index.html

See the photograph of a section in yesterday’s Sunday Times?

According to the Indo, the first section is going up ‘in the next few days’. In the Sunday Times pic it certainly looks as shiny as they promised – hope it doesn’t end up being obliterated by graffiti!

yeah graham…wierd that you need a crane to put up another crane……………bit like a crane reaction

Mr. Ritchie is a prime candidate for Pseud’s Corner. Writing bad poetry and describing his work as sculpture. Red alert! Red alert!

Fortunately he is saved from himself by being a damn fine architect. I’ve yet to see a bad building by him. Let’s wait and see, but the Spire could well be magnificent.

Interesting photos of the Spire’s foundation

http://www.qmcgroup.com/qmcinternational.htm

I had a look down O’Connell St last night whilst waiting for a Nitelink, and the crane was already twice the height of the buildings. It looks really ominous in the dark, and I was well annoyed I didn’t have my camera.

And it seems I can’t get anywhere near the place due to my current work location, and will probably end up with no useful photos at all.

hmm

fjp

fjp the pace of change is so slow you’d have to camp there…. I’m only living around the corner so its easy…

Just a thought..

How have DubCC et al planned for the possibilities of someone raming the spike with a car/it being vandalised by grafitti (highly likely)/it being urinated on (even more likely!)?

It probably will have all three done to it in weeks..

Originally posted by Andrew Duffy
I had a look down O’Connell St last night whilst waiting for a Nitelink, and the crane was already twice the height of the buildings. It looks really ominous in the dark, and I was well annoyed I didn’t have my camera.

This is the crane from Parnell Street… thats the Carlton in the foreground

http://www.archeire.com/onsite/spike_construction/9.html

I’m not sure what I’m looking at here – there seems to be two cranes and they don’t look sturdy enough to go 120 metres-plus…

its still on the ground… the main pivot is behind the builings in the bottom right corner….that will pull all the remainder off the ground…

Here’s a bunch more photos. I got excited by the idea of a frickin’ huge crane and hopped on a ten bus.

These are just in a directory, so there are no thumbnails. Click the image name and it loads.

http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com/fjp/photos/spike/

And that crane is HUGE.

fjp

as cranes go it’s lovely. any crane-o-philes might also be tempted by a rather large erection beside The Square in Tallaght.

Forgive me if this question has been asked previously but when is the completion date on the Spire?

Launch date for unveiling of the Spike in Dublin still up in the air
By Kitty Holland

Nobody seems to know when the spire for Dublin’s O’Connell Street will be finally unveiled.

Already over a year behind schedule, we were told in April that it would be ready by September. Still, however, the capital is “spikeless”, and no one is quite sure when the “Monument of Light”, as it is officially known, will see some light.

According to the project engineer on the spire, Mr Michael O’Neill: “It is hard to predict when it will be finished.”

A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said yesterday evening that the company had been advised by Dublin City Council that construction would begin this weekend, with an official unveiling planned for December 8th. However, a problem has arisen with embellishing the stainless steel exterior of the spire with the intended design.

The spire is currently in six sections at Radley Engineering in Dungarvan, Co Waterford. Mr O’Neill explained that the design, said to be “reflective of what’s happening to the rocks beneath O’Connell Street”, had to be shot-peened (bombarded with metal shot) on to the spire’s surface.

At the moment the engineers are endeavouring to shot-peen the design on to the first 10-metre-high section.

The engineers’ chosen method was to put a layer of masking material over the surface of the spire to protect the metal, explained Mr O’Neill. The metal is then heated to the optimum temperature for the process. However, when the engineers shoot the tiny balls of metal at the surface, to create the dulled-effect design, the masking material is slipping.

“We are going to spend the rest of the week cracking the problem,” said Mr O’Neill. The process is being supervised by architect Mr Robin Cross of Ian Ritchie architects in London.

Asked what would happen if the problem was not resolved by the end of the week, Mr O’Neill said it was important that the engineers took as long they needed.

“They are going to stay with it until they get it right,” he said. “The design element of the project was always going to be the hardest. The cutting, the welding, the bolting together is all very straightforward.

“It has to be perfect, as the sections have be transported to the site ready. There is no way they can go back to Waterford for small changes once they have been brought to Dublin.”

Gardaí in Dungarvan said they had been given no notice of when the first two sections would leave the Radley Engineering works. According to Mr O’Neill, the sections would be escorted through each county by that county’s gardaí on a tarpaulin-covered lorry. They would be brought to the outskirts of Dublin and held there until given clearance by the Dublin gardaí for the final journey to O’Connell Street, said Mr O’Neill.

“It will probably be brought in sometime between midnight and 1.30 a.m. and tucked in behind the hoarding already up there in O’Connell Street.”

Mr O’Neill estimates that the entire spire will be erected over a period of 12 to 14 days once the final assembly begins.

He said there would be 10 to 15-minute traffic stoppages on O’Connell Street each morning and evening as the enormous crane, already in place, rises from and returns to its “sleeping” position in the morning. This process involved the crane swinging out over the street and could, said Mr O’Neill, be such a distraction to motorists as to be dangerous.

When finally in place, the Monument of Light will be 120 metres high – about the same height as RTÉ’s main transmission mast in Donnybrook.

The RTE mast really puts it into perspective…

I can see the crane from Harold’s Cross. It’s leaning down at the moment, so there’s no point in taking a photo.

I hadn’t thought of it, but I just ran upstairs to the top story of this Georgian house on Baggot Street. And there’s the crane, stooped but visible in the distance.

In a way the spike’s just going to be a giant thingy that says “Here is the middle of Dublin”. Nice…

fjp

Saw on the Irish Times letters page recently that some member of the general public suggested calling the Spike …..’An Cleadamh Solais’……the Sword of Light.

Sword of Light was a suggestion by the National Graves Association, who preserve graves, monuments to those who died for Ireland. I thought it was a fittingly elegant name for an elegant monument.

PS – Does anyone know what the Eiffel Tower was called before they decided to honour Gustave Eiffel.

The crane was fully extended for a while this afternoon, its back in the sleeping position now.

Hmm Sword of Light… sounds like a name it might have been given in 1966. I think we’ve had enough of all that, thank you.

Kefu, it seems always to have been called the Eiffel tower, because it was Gustave Eiffel’s engineering company that came up with the idea.

It was for the World’s Fair of 1889, which commemorated the centenary of the French Revolution. So it is a monument.

More particularly it celebrated French science and industry. Names of scientists are engraved on it somewhere.

so, if I can see the crane from my balcony, does that mean I’ll likely be able to see the spike as well?

No. The Spike will ocasionally go out of phase with daylight when viewed from certain parts of the city. This means that even if you can now see the crane, you might only see an inverted area of sky in the space that the spike will occupy.

This is similiar to the “white-out” effect sometimes experienced by pilots above snow filled landscapes.

🙂

fjp

Actually I noticed the same effect with the Trump Tower in New York – not sure if any of you are familiar with it. But if you look up to the top of it – it reflects the sky perfectly and looks like a cage frame in the sky. An amazing effect

I actually just made that up, although the Trump thing does sounds cool. I will observe when I hopefully go there this summer.

fjp

fjp, you are a wag and a seer and possibly a reincarnation of Flann O’Brien. Out of phase with daylight? Inverted area of sky? Such absurdist sentiments deserve to be true.

Weird but true fact: shortly after the completion of the Eiffel Tower, optically strange climatic conditions meant that an inverted image of the tower appeared in the misty skies above it.

can anyone tell me what stage it’s at now? ok, perhaps i’m a little impatient… i’m not in ireland so i have been following progress on archeire and am looking forward to seeing it at christmas… Is the crane completely up? have they started on the actual spike yet? can we see anything at all?

nothing really… the wind is keeping the crane in the grounded position afaik

Is that all that’s delaying it or are they still having problems with the details in Dungarvan?

What is the height difference between the
poolbeg towers in ringsend and the sword of
light (or whatever they are calling it!).
I presume the spike is smaller?

According to http://www.esb.ie the chimney stacks are 680ft (207m) I think the spire will be 120m

With all the talk of the height of the spike, do you not feel we’re slipping into the mentality that bigger is better and that’s what counts.
I’d rather not know any of the statistics about the spike at all and just take it as I see it.

Is there any movement down at the site these days?

Its just that I drive into town every day from swords and I can see the poolbeg towers a few times on the way (weather permitting). so I was wondering if I will be able to see the spire.

I am looking forward to seeing it up. I think it will look brilliant and will add to the city despite what most Dubliners are saying. But most people are up for a good moan these days given half a chance. They have answers and an enlightened opinion on everything!

Actually, I think bigger is better when it comes to building a monument that’s for the whole city.
The more visible it is from afar, the more different contexts you can see it in.
Like the Eiffel tower, that slips in and out of view all over the city, contsantly reminding you that you are in Paris.
The World Trade Centre was an even better example, creating a sense of place as it rose up, sometimes unexpectedly, in the distance from within the different boroughs.
And tall strutures help you find your way around.
OK, I admit it, I just want to be able to see it from my flat…

I agree. Tall and notable structures stratigically placed add a sense of easily finding locations within a city. They also add variation to the skyline.
Dubin of old had this too in the form of the church spires and domes stretching into the sky. Somehow this concept has been lost today with our planners, making for a horizontal and rather drab city.

who knows maybe people will say it is’nt tall enough in years to come!
I was impressed with canary warff in london. I was staying in southgate which is north of london about six miles or something and you could see the red light on top of the building very clearly at night. It gave a good sense of where the centre of london was in relation to were i was staying. maybe the spike will do the same?

Could anyone post the Irish Times article from this morning re: Friday the 13th and the Spire? The full version without the damn login.

Thanks

on a similar note, will the Spire have a red flashing light on top, to ensure the odd low flying helicopter does not puncture itself on it?

Yes the top 6 or 8 feet is a aircraft beacon and according to Shane O’Toole beautifully detailed. I have emailed Ian Ritchie architects re a photograph of it, but they haven’t responded.

I will be away this weekend, so will probably miss the erection of the first couple of sections. I trust Paul and fjp will be there with their respective cameras?

The pillar may at first have been an unneccesary intrusion on the street, but once you establish a monument of that size on such a central site, it becomes part of the landscape, whether its aesthetics are questionable or not.
The pillar said, “this is the centre of Dublin”, and was treated as such by the people. It was before my time, but I’ve always seen the site as a gap just from seeing the old pictures and from my parents going on about it.
By comparison, I don’t think anyone could call Liberty Hall good architecture either on its own merits or whether it’s right for its location, but Dublin wouldn’t be Dublin without it.

Yeah, except I’m flying to Chicago on Saturday afternoon.

jeez paul, lay it all on me then!!! 🙂

Has anyone any idea of what time they’ll be kicking off at??

fjp

now fjp, the trick is to get the Spire all in one shot from a very close vantage point.
I suggest standing on increasing numbers of milk crates to taking pictures at different fjp elevations until you are at least at eye level with the top of the Spire and then stitching them together in photoshop when you get home.
Shots taken from Westmoreland or D’Olier Street will instantly be dismissed as the works of amateurs 😉

Looks like there will be no start to the Spire tomorrow!

From today’s Irish Times….

Design difficulties delay Spire again
By Kitty Holland

The erection of the Spire in Dublin has been delayed again amid fears that it may end up looking like a barber’s pole.

Mr Michael O’Neill, project engineer, dismissed reports that assembly of the monument would begin on Friday.

“There won’t be any activity before the weekend,” he said. He hoped things would begin to happen next week. “But we’ve got to get the finish right first.”

Mr O’Neill said two weeks ago, amid problems with the application of a protective masking material, it was “hard to predict” when the Spire would be ready for shipping to Dublin.

The protective masking material, necessary while the design is being applied to the surface, has now been successfully applied.However, there is now a problem because of a lack of consistency in the design application.

When the tiny beads of metal are shot at the stainless steel surface to polish and embellish it, in an engineering process known as shot-peening, “the design is having a tendency to stripe”, said Mr O’Neill.

“It’s making the design look a bit like a barber’s pole,” he said. “It has to be a consistent finish and getting that right takes a bit of time.

“It is only time, though, and it has to be right. If we got it wrong, if it looks ugly, no one would forgive us.”

Asked what was causing the inconsistency, he said there were “a hundred-and-one permutations” of factors that could be causing it, including “the pressure of the application, the nozzles, the shroud around the nozzles”.

The Spire, which is under construction at Radley Engineering in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, is in six sections. The first 10-metre section will be the first to have the design shot-peened on to the surface.

Experts in shot-peening from the Metal Improvement Company in London have arrived in Waterford to help apply the design, said Mr O’Neill.

At present, engineers were practising the application on waste metal.

“Once we get it right and start applying it, it will be a matter of two or three days to complete the application.

“I would reckon we would have news by the end of the week, on when it’s ready to come up to Dublin.”

Gardaí in Dungarvan say they still have not been given notice of when the first two sections will leave Radley Engineering works. According to Mr O’Neill, the sections will be escorted through each county by that county’s gardaí on a tarpaulin-covered lorry.

They will be brought to the outskirts of Dublin and held there until given clearance by the Dublin gardaí for the final journey to O’Connell Street, said Mr O’Neill.

Another cock up…. Can anything be done properly and on time in this bloddy country?This whole spike debacle has become a farce, to name one farce on a whole list of them, Stadium Ireland, NDP, Luas etc…..

FYI:

The NAtional Development Plan Website is down since Nov. 11. for “maintenance” thus are all projects scrapped?!!!!

Yes, this country is the pits. No Spike, no stadium, and not to mention hospitals. I am REALLY angry.:mad: 😡 😡 😡

presumably a lot of you work in construction……….hold ups like this happen all the time……as the guy in the article said, it has to be done right……..we can’t have waited this long just for a barber shop pole to errected

Agreed, best to get it right rather than make a bags of it, we’ve wated 4 years a few days more wont be the end of the world.

“If a thing is worth doing its worth doing right” – I’ve always believed in this motto

The Pole in the Hole, anyone?

Loyal orange lodge! Sorry, Laugh out loud!!

What aboot the Spear of Destiny?!?

The Stiffy by the Liffey is the official one, is it not?

Stiffy by the Liffey??? That’s just filthy…

Although perhaps that “pole in the hole” one was filthy as well…

Can’t we just go with the common or garden “spike” for now?? It’s less pretentious that the “spire”, and yet slightly respectful of what shall be the big shiney one.

And if we don’t take it seriously, who will???

fjp

I look forward to when they add the Giant Olive to it, before dropping the whole thing into the world’s largest Martini! ;->

Respectful name for the Spike?
I think after three years of a delay, news that they’re making a hames of putting celtic stripes onto it in Waterford, and watching the country’s biggest crane languishing in what threatens to become a permanent building site on our main street, we’re entitled to take it less than seriously.
And ‘pole in the hole’ wasn’t meant to be rude. Honest.

Perhaps take the actual Spike seriously, but rectally purify any politicians responsible for delays with 120 metres of stainless pain…

Hurray – it’s filth day!!!

Only eleven more days to get your Christmas shot-peening done.

(I’m really, really sorry I said that)

Terrible, terrible joke. Tee hee.

This just gets better and better….

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=57044094&p=57x448xx

at this rate, we’ll have the twin towers reconstructed before you manage to get your spike up.

(i suppose this old town needs some viagra).

Our politicians have to be the biggest pack of retards ever…

anyone know where design info for the spire such as wind loads may be available. need it 4 a project im doing at the moment.

Will tomorrow see the first section in place!!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/1216/spike.html

su
weet

No sign of it this morning…
Delays in packing it up meant it’s only got as far as Portlaois. First section (of 6?) should be here tomorrow morning.

News this morning quoted city council as saying it would go up ‘early in the New Year’.
Crane seems to be fully extended, but not visible from street level at Dorset Street…

I think it’s “completed by1st or 2nd week in January”.

I heard that “the stump” will be there for christmas though.

Here’s the crane from the top floor of a Lower Baggot Street Georgian.

Don’t forget – this is from far away (and that’s why it looks so small).

I might try and nip down at lunch (state of apathy pending).

fjp

Is this a recent picture? Last I saw of the crane it was in an “A” shape. Is this the same crane extended? Just fascinated by cranes…..not very healthy really.

Actually, if anybody knows the full construction process, (including crane particulars!) I would be interested in doing a flash animation to demonstrate the entire process.

that’s the crane from about midday today (17th).

Here it is again up close:

click here!!!

You’ll see directory contents (my spike directory). Today’s files are crane-021217-1.jpg (and 2 and 3 as well)

fjp

now THAT is a crane… must be costin’ ’em a fortune now that it will be sitting there doing nothing over the christmas…

travelled up and down the M50 several times today, could easily see the crane, far higher than anything else on the city skyline (except for the poolbeg towers of course) heard too that the base would be up for christmas guess we’ll just have to wait and see !

First section is in O’Connell Street and should be up by this afternoon. Hooray

Can the section be seen on O’Connell Street or it it hidden away already??? And for those who haven’t been down there in person, even the height of the crane creates a new precence on the street that’s very impressive, so the spike itself (wait for it sceptics) might actually be very good!!!!

If that section’s visible I might hop a ten again at lunch. I’d also be happy to upload anyone else’s photos onto the web for people to see (photos would remain their property and not be displayed on my site – just in a blank addressed directory).

fjp

Aye the section could be seen lying aside this morning ……..but covered in tarpaulin.

Heard (!) the first section being lowered into place at around 9am on Gerry Ryan. Hopefully RTE TV was there to record the moment for posterity. Pity they had to choose rush hour for what should have been a real event – I live nearby, but had to be in work.
As for the cost of keeping the crane on site, the cost of the contract is apparently fixed.

The first section is in place – the ‘Breaking News’ section of the Irish Times ( http://www.ireland.com ) have a picture available

Passed that way this morning, and the first section was vertical, but not yet in its slot. Shame I didn’t think to bring a digicam!

It’s only about as tall as the GPO so far, so you won’t see it unless you go down there.

Does anyone else think the crane would have been a better monument if they just left it there?

James

heres a pic from this morning…

Getting quite excited about the SPike just now.
I am travelling into town to have a look in the next while, Id bring my digicam but for the fact that the battry takes three hours to charge to any decent level of usefulness!

Im sure FJP or some other will take a decent photo anyhow!

Im sure that a lot of the cynics in Dublin will be won over by the sheer scale of the finished project and when the protective wrapping is removed it will be quite a sight, glimmering in the rare Dublin sunlight.

C.

I would have been there, but honmestly didn’t know they were putting it up this morning. Of course, I never listen to any Irish radion or news stations, so perhaps I’m partyl to blame myself…

Anyhoo, there’s a bunch of fast shots added into my “spike” directory. They’re down the bottom, called spike-021218-XX” (seven shots – including “mad mary” dancing in her new location).

Quality’s a bit dodge, so apologies:

click here to see them, then just click the image name

fjp

Excellent photos! Would you mind if I stole one for my website?

I notice (from the other side of town) that the crane seems to be lowered to its “kneeling” position again.

Anyone know when the next piece is arriving?

James

Ian Ritchie on Today FM…….now

I have to laugh ……read on the Irish Times today the comments of the Irish natives about the Spike………
Miss Helen Ryan from Edenderry says the funds could have been better spent on the homeless. Someone should tell her that that great mythological figure Jesus once said that the poor will always be with us ….believe me but I have first hand knowledge of the ‘dependancy’ …’everyone owes me’ culture that exist here in Ireland. She recommended something more suitable in it’s place like a statue of Eamonn De Valera one of Ireland’s greats.
Mr John Lawlor says the Spire never impressed him….he says it’s supposed to represent the country in the 21st century but he is not so sure.

However……Ms Asta Kelly originally from Germany but living in Ireland for the last 30 years said the project was very daring and would be admired around the world. I think it is fantastic . It is a great piece of art.

Very obvious to see then that the Irish general public are thick when it comes to the visual arts and architecture…..that they are pessimistic and ignorant….. where as the German lady was more optimistic and open minded.
Sums up Irish society and so much for our over rated education system.

its so thin, i never appreciated how thin it was going to be. wow. its going to be great.

I agree, it will look amazing when finished.

But my first choice would have been for something a bit like Nelson’s column at the bottom, but branching out into a flying saucer-like rotating restaurant at the top. Wouldn’t have been that hard to do, would it?

James

An erection with a reflection, to be sure to be sure. Have they started making key rings & t-shirts of this yet or would Dublin City Council have some copyright on that? If they did the spike would probably be self financing, even profitable.

An excellent idea! You’d want to be careful about putting your keys in your pocket, though… could have painful consequences!

James

I’m sure the Ann Summers shop nearby already sells some replicas.

Hee hee …….good one Andrew

I’m so looking forward to returning to see this. Interesting telling Canadians about the spike “and it has no purpose?” “no” “cooool”

That’s the attitude!

See there’s 2 more sections arrived. One will be going up in the next couple of hours.

This is so cool, you’ll love it Paul.

I’ll nip down at lunch again. Photos up by three.

fjp

Originally posted by Andrew Duffy
I’m sure the Ann Summers shop nearby already sells some replicas.

rofl. 😀

I’m a little late, but everyone in the office just went home – couldn’t get in.

For those who haven’t seen it – it’s frickin’ gorgeous (this section is not under plastic). The steel looks extremely “creamy”, and words like “silky” and “smoothacious” could also apply. What’s more, it looked good even on a typical crappy wet Irish afternoon (which is really something). Colour-wise it’s not what I expected. I thought it would be more of a typical stainless steel colour, but it gives a very different impression (due to size I suppose) that’s most impressive. It even matches the colour of the GPO stone – ie, it actually fits in very very nicely in every respect.

The new images in my spike directory (down the bottom) are fairly accurate in terms of colour, so it should give those far away folks an idea…

Or has everyone gone away for Christmas???

anyhoo, click here for another nineteen spike photos fresh from photoshop

And a Happy Christmas to Each and Every One of You.

fjp

Thanks fjp,

I look forward to seeing it “in the flesh” so to speak, when I get back to Dublin on 3rd Jan. Do you reckon it will be complete by then?

Happy Christmas to all

Des

I was down there yesterday, and I must say it looks good!

I don’t know where piece number 3 had got to by that stage, because I didn’t see the truck in the photos around at that stage.

It’s interesting that the two arrived together. I wonder why they aren’t able to get the next one up before Christmas.

James

where did u take the last picture from fjp. remiends me of prague when i departed from it on the train (surrounded by a ring of filthy flats)

I presume you mean this photo here.

It’s the view from Dundrum. A photo taken through binoculars (dodgy, but better than nothing). But yeah, Ballymun looks like its got the horizon covered, although this is very narrow angle of image.

fjp

cheers,
Very clever idea with the ole bi-noc-ulars btw.

so, i’m aware of the light at the top, but am I correct in inferring that the spike will _not_ be flood-lit at night?

It will be lit from inside. The top third has perferations to let light out.

James

afaik the lower sections are to be gently light by floodlights mounted on surrounding buildings …

. . . and uplit from the chamber below, through a narrow gap left between the spire and its bronze base plate (afaik).

That does sound cool, now. After all, the original name was to be the “Monument of Light”, so it figures.

I passed it yesterday evening, and it looked rather odd because the main source of light on it was the Christmas tree, which was all from one direction.

James

Doesn’t anyone see that spending such a lot of money on what I call the junkies needle is wasteful.? The amount DCC has spent on clocks and cranes and this needle is astounding. !!!Think of the great ways that money could be spent. They seem to think the tourists will love this monument ..I think that they would love to see a city with no homeless even more!

I dont know why you feel so isolated there Lugh, there are thousands of people just like you who think that the ‘junkies needle’ is a waste of money.

as someone pointed out earlier, ‘the poor will always be with us’. It was that jesus guy who said that and i think you could do yourself and every other Joe Duffy listener in the country a favour by popping in to the new homeless persons unit on Gardner street with the entire spike budget and dispersing it among everyone in the line. Then walk around the streets and see how many people are sleeping rough! It will be exactly the same as previous nights. People are homeless for a reason, no amount of fast cash will fix the problem as it needs much more attention. We need to set aside consistent funding for problems like this, and even then the problem will not be solved, it is never ending.

However there is absolutely no reason to discontinue art and cultural pursuits as a result. They are also important (to other people obviously) and must also demand funds. We are human beings and need stimulation and challenge not just for rapid monetary gain. It is not merely our purpose to eat, shit and reproduce.

However if you do feel that this is the case, then may god bless you, there will always be a spot here in Fianna Fail for you!

Don’t want to be a whinger but when I first saw the base of the Spike I was a bit disappointed that I could see the joins of the sections……however it it already a great focal point for the city……and it is not that bloody big either….the width and the height …(if it’s to equal the height of the crane that’s there). Sad to see the Cro Magnon Irish public on TV give out about it…………aka the dirty Dubs …… would they want to see Nelson back on his podium…. that great exponent of the once colonial British Empire…….I bet they would ….so as to go with their great support of Man U and Liverpool whilst they buy An Phoblacht on a Friday evening. Mixed up ignorant b******s.
I’m a Dub too, but I know my loyalities and what’s best for Dublin City, the Capital of Ireland.

Interesting article in The Observer newspaper over the Christmas detailing the 10 ‘must see’ architectural events of 2003 among themt the unveiling of the Spire in mid-January. Its good to see that we can muster an event of international architectural prominence.

I also recieved a very detailed letter from the O’Connell St Project Manager outlining the schedule for the redevelopment of the street. The project is due to take place over three period: Henry St to Abbey Street in by Dec 2003, Abbey Street to O’Connell Bridge in 2004 and Henry Street to Parnell Street in 2005!! Don’t hold your breaths eh!
Interesting, I was walking down O’Connell Street over Christmas and could hear a guide bus giving commentary on the street. I imagine all those tourists thought they had got their moneys worth looking at the mess it is now!

Originally posted by GregF
Don’t want to be a whinger but when I first saw the base of the Spike I was a bit disappointed ……………I’m a Dub too, but I know my loyalities and what’s best for Dublin City, the Capital of Ireland.

For crying out loud, calm down.

People for, people against, end of story, Dub, not Dub, so what?

I think you’ve missed the point, by a long shot……and that is, those against the spire are a visually illiterate general public decrying proposals for the city when they know SFA about civic architecture. They’re criticisms are based on what limited art education they got in school, the oppinions of the public media aka the British tabloids and the Herald, and not forgetting the plight of the ‘homeless’ who could have had the 4 million cost funds instead…. so they say.

(Maybe all those concerned about the homeless could take one or two of them home so as to care for them and maybe McCreevy could put aside funding of E40 million anually or more for them. We would then see the publics pseudo christian attitude change.)

What you are saying wreeks of snobbism. By the way, what is ‘Art Education’ ? Sounds like ‘brainwashing’ to me. All I want to say is that people are perfectly entitled to like or dislike what they choose, without being labelled a west Brit by someone who pretends to have superior ‘taste’.

I am in favour of the spike, I saw it last week, it is not as nice as I would have hoped, the fabrication is shoddy, but I am still in favour. What annoys me are people who see it is a crusade against Dubliners, usually, who are supposedly under ‘educated’.

No snobbism here mate….any snobbism that may exist is that held by the great unwashed against an artistic education. Such would appreciate Man U, Eastenders, more etc than a drive to improve their own civic environs. It’s strange how you fail to see such a predominant element of Irish society. As I have always said ask any of them to direct you to the National Gallery of Ireland and they would’nt have a clue where it is………yet they are to have a right to comment on things artistic.

the “snob” word is dangerous (and most forget that it works both ways – up and down).

compare architecture to music if in doubt. would you really want someone passing judgement on a record if they never listened to any music, or only listened to what they heard on the late late show. ideally someone who criticises music should have as much knowledge about it as possible and an understanding of the history involved.

well the same goes for architecture. so the point is this: you wouldn’t trust your deaf granny’s opinion on your favourite band (as it would be ill-informed), and there are people out there who shouldn’t be trusted on architecture.

Originally posted by GregF
No snobbism here mate………….yet they are to have a right to comment on things artistic.

have a right? everyone has a right….

Besides if a ‘journalist’ sticks a microphone in someones face on Talbot street and asks: ‘what do you think about…….?’, are they supposed to answer: ‘Sorry i have no right to comment, I never went to art school, and I only got six months into architecture at UCD but i gave it up as I had to earn some money instead.’

FFS

Getting very far off topic here lads, but lets just say there are two generalised opinions, 1) those of closed circle professionals, who generally do not publish outside their own field – e.g. this website is aimed at architects, designers and those with interests about reading in depth about issues from informed people. and 2) the general populace, who by their very nature do not have the search time, consciousness or sometimes, education, to find informed comments or contribute to debates about such matters.

These two sets of people may not overlap and may not communicate … it does not mean one or the other is wrong, stupid, overeducated, or that horrible phrase, unwashed, but what will happen is that over time the monument will either endear itself to the populace or revile them to the point of it being removed.

here here, I apologise if that got a bit strong, and all that I would say to close is that, in my opinion, this idea of a closed cell of professionals who consider the public to be uncapable of appreciation, not everyone can go to art school, does no favours for the discipline and serves to further distance architects and the like from the public domain.

I rest my case.

Ps I am an architect…….

Look…… jesus!…… ..what is the problem ………no body owes any body anything……… much to the ethos that prevails here in Ireland ……..Whether you are rich or poor…..you can still take a trip along to your local public library and enlightened you little mind to the delights of the knowledge that is known to mankind……whether it be Mills and Boon your preference…..or Plato’s Republic ……or Puccini or Tom Jones or Bernini’s Baroque Sculpture, or Zuggerats and Ancient building….or Stir Fry Cookery or Gardening Today………etc, etc ……it is all there for the general public to learn. I made great use of the ‘Libo’ when I was long enough unemployed in the impoverished starving eighties and I am not from an academic background.

I’d like to remind “people” about that music comparison point I jsut amde, since I feel ED209 should re-examine it once more. This has got nothing to do with “rights”. it’s to do with some people understanding/appreciating things better than others.

I’m not an architect (just look around a lot), but I do think I get some of what’s going on. I just came back from London (again) and it’s full of modern things that would never be allowed in Dublin, but which are simply fantastic.

I’m a fan of the spike too (also a bit disappointed at the visibility of the panels, and hope they clean up the scuffs visible on the east side of it), but the notion that the great unwashed shouldn’t comment on a public venture, paid for with their money, is both elitist and misguided.

You don’t have to be a health care manager to comment on the operation of tallaght or monaghan hospital. If your perception was that they were being mismanaged/underfunded you would have no problem with complaining. No-one is going to die from a lapse of judgement on a piece of civic art (unless the engineers get it wrong) but the same criteria apply. It’s a CIVIC project, and joe soap is as much the client as the next man.

Education and appreciation of art/design/architecture is something we have far too little of in this country, but I won’t be signing up to an elitist clique telling everbody else what is good for them, with no recourse. Romania anyone?

I’ve posted this already…..

I have to laugh ……read on the Irish Times today the comments of the Irish natives about the Spike………
Miss Helen Ryan from Edenderry says the funds could have been better spent on the homeless. Someone should tell her that that great mythological figure Jesus once said that the poor will always be with us ….believe me but I have first hand knowledge of the ‘dependancy’ …’everyone owes me’ culture that exist here in Ireland. She recommended something more suitable in it’s place like a statue of Eamonn De Valera one of Ireland’s greats. (ahem!)
Mr John Lawlor says the Spire never impressed him….he says it’s supposed to represent the country in the 21st century but he is not so sure.

However……Ms Asta Kelly originally from Germany but living in Ireland for the last 30 years said the project was very daring and would be admired around the world. I think it is fantastic . It is a great piece of art.

Very obvious to see then that the Irish general public are thick when it comes to the visual arts and architecture…..that they are pessimistic and ignorant….. where as the German lady was more optimistic and open minded.
Sums up Irish society and so much for our over rated education system.

Originally posted by GregF
Very obvious to see then that the Irish general public are thick when it comes to the visual arts and architecture…..that they are pessimistic and ignorant….. where as the German lady was more optimistic and open minded.
Sums up Irish society and so much for our over rated education system.

making any judgements based on three individuals selectively quoted by a journo is the height of folly.

I would imagine design education is far superior in germany though (ie they have some).

Personally I think the comments of members of the public as reported in the media are very selective. On the day the second section went up TV3 (informative, broad-minded, cutting edge…yeah right) reported on the opinion of some ‘gas’ Dublin ‘characters’ who disagreed with the Junkies Needle. But there were no positive comments as I am sure there must be. The same with the newspapers, especially the populist leaning newspapers.

You have to be careful making a generalised observation when the source is selective news stories.

Anyway as I keep telling anyone I know…. its not even half complete yet! Its still has 4 or more sections to go up and the base to be fixed and the wrapping to come off…

Of course everyone has a right to their opinion, irrespective of education. But in a rational society, you have to give greater weight to better- informed opinions.
The vox pops have certainly not been selective – I was down there when the second bit was going up and everyone was commenting as they passed – ‘stupid’, ‘what’s it for’, ‘waste of money’, ‘the state of it’, etc. At one point, they were practically queuing up to share their pearls of wisdom with the TV cameras.
If everything was a popularity contest decided by public consent, you’d never get anything daring or innovative built. The public has to take some of the blame for the way Ireland looks today.
The reason our cities are ruined with space-wasting semi-Ds and countryside covered in ugly bungalows is because that is where the housing market has driven architecture.
That’s how the people want to live and that’s what your ‘man in the street’ thinks is good design.
Yes, the Spike is being built with public money, but at some stage, you have to let those whose job it is to run the city to make the tough decisions.
I think the vox pops we’ve seen on the Spike show the depth of ignorance in Irish public opinion on art and architecture. The two main objections seem to be:
-What’s it for? It doesn’t do anything.
-Why couldn’t the money be given to the homeless?
Well, the national gallery is full of stuff that doesn’t do anything, why don’t we throw it all out and fill it with useful things like buckets and engines and hammers?
And then there’s this illsuion that there’s a central Art or Homeless fund that denies a poor person food and shelter for every non-essential public project.
Nothing else in Ireland that gets public funding is attacked for taking from the homeless in the same way. All because it doesn’t ‘do’ anything.
If you take the moral argument to its conclusion, the Eiffel Tower or Taj Mahal would never have been built – useless monuments in countries full of poverty.
I don’t care where they went to school, but I think most people in this country don’t care much about their built environment. So I’m not paying much attention to the vox pops.

Originally posted by AndrewP
Of course everyone has a right to their opinion, irrespective of education. But in a rational society, you have to give greater weight to better- informed opinions.
…
If you take the moral argument to its conclusion, the Eiffel Tower or Taj Mahal would never have been built – useless monuments in countries full of poverty.
I don’t care where they went to school, but I think most people in this country don’t care much about their built environment. So I’m not paying much attention to the vox pops.

I’d agree with most of your points but…

This isn’t a ‘rational society’ issue. It’s about art (to a greater or lesser degree), and art has little to do with rationality. The role of civic art is fraught with uncertainties and conflict, but it does seem to be about dialogue, and shouldn’t be defined solely by an elite of any kind.

The Eiffel tower was built with a useful purpose in mind; the proclaimation of France as a world leading empire with science and technology to rival the best. It may not have ‘done’ anything, but it’s significance as a standard was obvious to all. The Taj Mahal wasn’t a civic project (and had a defined purpose, just like the pryamids), so it doesn’t really equate.

When you spend public monies on any project without ‘practical’ benefit you are bound to get a lot of dissent. Personally I think that the public cost/social return equation for the spike is probably better than Abbotstown (If it had happened, and certainly better than the money spent for the nothing we did get). I wouldn’t read any sort of antipithy towards progressive architecture into it (hmmm. on second thoughts).

Don’t you think the Spike is trying to say something about Ireland the same way the Eiffel Tower was saying something about France?
Even if it’s just that we have (had!) a lot of money and we can afford big shiny monuments…

i agree with AndrewP here and believe that more people than is outward;ly obvious think the spire will be an attractive addition to the city.

All of my friends think this is a good thing fo the city and are excited about it and they are made up of DUbs and others.
Here is the link to the Guardian’s must-see openings of 2003; http://www.observer.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,865649,00.html

Im sure more people will think good of it when it is unveiled and they realise it is something to be proud of.
C

I myself am not an architect, nor from Dublin ( I’m a culchie) , but:
Check out – if you are registered – the Irish Times feedback forum from a few days ago. The vote was 50/50 in favor of the Spire and the comments were even more skewed in favor – the most orthodox ( What about the homeless? ) comments being the least articulate.

As an aside : I traveled on 2 bus tours in cities last year : one in New York , the other in Dublin.

The Dublin tour-guide was full of disgust for anything that was built by the Irish since independence. He was full of self demeaning anti-Irish remarks ( i.e. “pubs and Churches – Sums us up doesn’t it!”) and loved only the architecture built by the British or Norman.

The New Yorker was full of verve , joy and love of his home town and discussed animatedly the plans for the World Trade center site. He was, if anything, more working class than the Irish guy ( I detected a D4 accent there).

It is pretty remarkable what little culture we have produced as a nation since independence. And so little pride. Of course we have produced some literary culture – but that can’t be considered the culture of the State, or people : it is private culture ( I can imagine some witless luvvie stumbling upon James Joyce though, and asking him if he was going to continue work on that incomprehensible book or go help the homeless. [shrill voice] “What use is your book. What does it do?!!!”).

Architecture is primarily – these days – the art of the State, or mostly sanctioned by the State, and thus is the real expression of the people in a democracy, and we have produced so little of it.

This despite the fact that Dublin/Ireland is one of the richest places per capita in the world : and thus in the history of the world. Look at what (a much poorer) Athens produced in its heyday.

All rich cultures and generations leave something behind. Some art. Even tribal societies. We leave behind semi-detached houses stretching to infinity.
Sums us up, doesn’t it?

As an aside: tourists visit places for architecture, climate, situation and culture , among others, and not because of the absence of homeless people. San Francisco has more homeless than Fargo, for instance; And many more tourists.
Further, the city spent $400 million on homeless people this last year. The transient population trends at about 4,000 at any one time; so that is $100,000 each.

Lots more expensive than the spire: and didn’t solve the problem.

Originally posted by EoinN
San Francisco has more homeless than Fargo, for instance; And many more tourists.
Further, the city spent $400 million on homeless people this last year. The transient population trends at about 4,000 at any one time; so that is $100,000 each.

Lots more expensive than the spire: and didn’t solve the problem.

completely off topic, but that’s complete nonsense (of the sort propagated by the bill o’reillys and rush limbaughs of this world)

There are no reliable figures for the homeless population of SF, but it’s in the 5,500 – 6,000 bracket, and the budget allocated to dealing with the problem in SF stood at around $30 million in 2000
(see http://www.sfbg.com/News/34/28/other.html )

and I don’t think anyone was suggesting pitting tourism v homelessness. The issue was where is the right area to spend taxes.

trying to be a devil’s advocate here, lets see if we can get an answer.

Can the spire’s spending be justified in the light of social standards in Dublin?

C.

Look – no project is safe if we judge it on the basis of costs vs what else we could spend it on. The Spire is really going to change O’Connell Street – already, incomplete, it nonetheless has renewed interest in a street that has been neglected for too long. If the Spike achieves little else than the rejuvination of O’Connelle Street, then it is priceless. 🙂

cheers for the answer at least,
I dlike to hear more opinions on this matter though.

But i do agree with the attention and rejuvenation point, this too is impossible really to quantify thereby it will not be seen by many in the public as a justifiable reason.

C.

When I first saw the design for the Junkies Needle I thought how little imagination was used in the design.Who is the lady in the corporation who judged the contest and didn’t even see fit to select an Irish winner? Surely It won’t stand out as one of the greatest eye catching designs of modern man. It’s just a needle after all. A child could have come up with that idea. I’d have enjoyed seeing a tasteful , intelligent and maybe more aesthetically pleasing piece rather than a pile of expensive metal turned into a mere needle. !!!

any more cliches you care to roll out?

an irish entry didn’t win because they weren’t as good. the best of the bunch was chosen (just like every other fair competition). Obviously it’s a subjective decision, but spare me the need to throw up second rate irish options.

You don’t like needles? Fair enough. It’s a simple concept/structure, but theres no requirement to complicate a concept for complexity’s sake. By your criteria we should have some baroque contraption that defies simple reproduction. Those Mies buildings are a bit simple too aren’t they? A child of three could draft them up no bother.

If nothing was ever done just for the joy of it, but only for strictly-defined needs at lowest possible cost, then:

No Taj Mahal
No Sydney Opera House
No Durham Cathedral
No Guggenheim
No St. Mark’s Campanile, Venice
No Alhambra

(add your own here)

I agree, stop all this navel-gazing. I thing it’s a bold move putting the spike up, to be commended. Just, a pity it took so long…….

If anything the huge waste of resources and the work practices of the public services should be examined and not a structure and development to clean up the main street of our capital city…

I always hark on about this….and will repeat myself again……but in our short lived boom, whilst we wallowed in millions and a good life was to be there to be grasped by all, we had many new landmarkish developments proposed for Dublin city centre. Prominent among them being the Spire which is near completion, 2 bridges by reknowned architect Calatrava ….one of which is near completion, the ill-fated National Conference Centre designed by reknowned Irish/American architect Kevin Roche which would have enlivened the now emerging boring docklands, a National Stadium and sports campus proposed by the government but shot down, the port tunnel and the LUAS to relieve traffic congestion now under construction and a Metro for the city centre which is not.
All major projects that should have been built…..to add significantly to the capital city. A fool would have objected to the lot and such is the great loss to our still ‘provincial British city’.

Another section going up today (6th Jan) really looking forward to seeing it – however be warned!!! That Ukrainian emigre artist woman (the one who wanted the reconstruction of the Nelson Pillar with a giant golden globe on top) is posing as a journalist and doing vox-pops of her own. If she doesn’t like what you say (i.e. if you actually like the Spire) she gets into a shouting match with you saying “you know nothing about art….” sore loser or just plain nuts?

just plain nuts Rory 🙂

” The third section of the Dublin Spire will be erected later this week. It had been planned to go up today. “

– from RTE, don’t know what the story is, the crane is not up yet anyway …

any idea of time?…

Hello, I’m new to the site and forum! I just wanted to let you all know – if you weren’t aware already – that there’s a good webcam for watching The Spike’s installation progress:
http://193.120.149.58/camera03.jpg.

The webcam is situated at the top of O’Connell street, close to the Parnell statue, facing down O’Connell street.

Oops that link doesn’t work for some reason…..try this one: http://www.dublincity.ie/traffic/camera/OConnell_Street_Parnell_Street.htm

yep, that one is from dublin city council’s traffic website at:

[url=http://]www.dublincity.ie/traffic/traff.htm[/url]

It’s also visible from another webcam run by camvista (the best webcam of dublin) most of you are probably familiar with it already, it runs through several shots every minute & the spike is visible in one of them …
Wrote and asked them to divert the camera towards the spike or to ask if they would consider setting up a temporary cam to cover it (they do a lot of that kind of thing) but no reply … anyway here’s the link

[url=http://]www.camvista.com/ireland/dublin/liffey.php3[/url]

okay doesn’t look like they’re working so just type them in manually & you’ll get there …
:confused:

http://193.120.149.58/camera03.jpg

On a rather bizzare note if you look at the camera from the other end, i.e. O’Connnell bridge is the thing aligned properly or is the traffic Island the one out of place?

Just a thought, here is the link……

http://193.120.149.58/camera06.jpg.

you want bizarre??? slight boredom on my part presents the strangest view yet:

http://216.73.101.144/camera07.jpg

is that it with the third section up now?? seems a lot higher than last night!

C.

um – that was me playing with photoshop….

Hee hee ……good one………

Wow, that’s high ain’t it ……..god we’ll all get vertigo and nose bleeds at the height of the thing as it goes up and up.
I was on the bus into work this morning and heard a couple, aka a South African chap and a Danish girl, talk very aloud about me native city saying that all the buildings were very low. They noted that stylish new tall glass building in Blanchardstown as we passed it and then commented jokingly on the Mickey Mouse pastiche 3 storey appartments in the vicinity. It was cringe inducing to think that we are generally a land of low aspiration midgets.
Up the Spike and up and up with it too.

haha well done FJP! Now that I look closer its not a bad job with the oul photoshop! BUt i should have known! I almost went up to O Connell street tonight too! Imagine my surprise! LOL

GregF,
you really do suffer from quite an inferiority complex dont you. I wrote a rather long response to one of your texts last night (re: still a provincial british city) and only thanx to the great enigma that this site is, it was erased. Not willing to waste anymore of my time, I think I will from here on ignore your rather self-depreciating toned posts, that are of the bimboesque quality that size really matters, and being of a general opinion that if it’s Irish it must be bad, or at best worthy of some condemnation. Of course Denmark, with its great taxes, and SOuth Africa with its friendly society would be much greater places to live in, of only for their 20+ storey buildings.
Oh woe is thee!

C.

Originally posted by CiaranO
I wrote a rather long response to one of your texts last night (re: still a provincial british city) and only thanx to the great enigma that this site is, it was erased.

I would just like to point out that we didn’t erase anything.

Keep living in your little land of insignificance Ciaran O………and sure ‘everything will be grand’ won’t it.
‘Ye’ll never improve yourself if ye cannot first critisize yourself’…..now who said that, David Brent ye say?…….Buddha?……..or was it Roy Keane?……but I suppose people have different levels of standards and standards of levels.
Sorry for offending your patriotic sensibilities but it’s such sensibilities that has kept dear old Ireland backward for years Ciaran …..and it can be seen in the standard of architecture which is around you today, but that’s if you open your eyes. It is plain as the nose on your face.
‘Architecture is an outward reflection of a society, indeed it is a reflection of civilization itself’…..I think Plato said that or was it John Fitzgerald.

A Spire, A Spire, Aspire.

Profound or Profane!

Originally posted by Paul Clerkin

I would just like to point out that we didn’t erase anything.

no i accept that Paul, cheers I meant rather that it sometimes deosnt run smoothly this site, and having posted it, I got a duff page, and when i went back to the page on which i had typed it originally it was gone, and i could nto be bothered to repeat it!

GregF

Of course my world is insignificant. It is not the one you pervade. The one of ‘sure it’s all shite isn’t it’. the post colonial mind that once independence has been achieved tries to gain the upper hand by being like the previous oppressors. Your opinions that everyone in Dublin is just happy with everything no matter how bad it is may not be compleytely off the wall, but why continuously turn to the childish west brit rhetoric that its ‘cos were little old Ireland’. IF, and its a big IF, this is the case, surely YOU, are intent on changing things through your arhcitectural nous (are you an architect) or are you happy to have petty arguments online?

I am neither an architet nor an expert in urbn planning, but I do have an appreciation of good architecture and public buildings.

You seem to think that a simple improvement to Dublins architectural inadequacies would be some high-rise buildings. Of course, there have been thousands of minds that have designed skyscrapers for Dublin, but they obviously came to the wise conclusion that, correctly it would be frankly ridiculous to have one or two buildings over 150m in Dublin, with its low skyline. Perhaps you know better.

So architecture is an outward reflection of a society, indeed it is a reflection of civilization itself’
Well lets not start a ‘quotes’ battle as Im sure you understand I could find a quote to prove that the world is indeed flat.

I will say however that there is already some great architecture in Ireland, although a lot of it is pre-1922 so I suppose you wouldnt count that would you. Is James Gandon not British enough for you either?

Self-criticism is always necessary of course, but poisonous self-loathing is not really the way to do it.

C.

OK, you two, take it outside. Can’t we all just get along?

O Ciaran……calm time will ye, jesus…..I think you’ve missed the point of what I overall imply….and thanks for the sarky ‘inferiority complex’ jibe too…. but maybe it is a reflection of the Irish nation itself.
I never used the term ‘West Brit’, but you yourself did and on several occasions. (Is that perhaps a reflection of a deep down inner feeling that you maintain. We are after all however a lot more British here in Ireland than we would like to admit as the British are far more European than they’d like to admit. History has dictated this of which we refuse to admit.)
I simply implied that some folk here are more entranced by the ongoings of the banalities of cross channel soaps and sporting events rather than taking an interest in their own built environment, yet they feel they have a right to critisize what in the long run may be better for their native city. (It is a free country too, people can do what they like, and why not)
Regarding the height and scale thing …..well if you look at the history of architecture it was always a competiveness that has produced great architecture, has’nt it………a competiveness and an urge to build bigger, build better, build more flamboyant…etc….etc….and it’s from this that we have a great history of great architecture to look upon today. From the times of the Egyptians, the Romans, The Renaissance, The Gothic, The Baroque, the 20th Century; whether it be Pyramids, Temples, Cathedrals Castles, Manor Houses, Parliaments, Social Housing for the masses……Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and so on …. there has always been a want to build better for the betterment of humanity…….but that is a bit lacking in the imagination of the Irish general public at times ……hence our middle of the road complacent surroundings, acres of houses and the urban sprawl, bad transport etc …etc…..etc….that we have in Ireland today…..Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Coming from an agrarian background too we don’t really have a great knack of urban living like our fellow Europeans…..do we.
It is what undercurrent ideology (what ever that maybe) that’s behind a society that produces the best of a society………hence at the end of the day some societies have a better quality of life and better outward trappings that go with it…(and that’s what matters….is’nt it)
You do realize that don’t you …………..but jesus…..why bother!

on a completely seperate point:

does anyone know when the next section is going up?
(surely someone’s got good inside info on schedule)

fjp

Is there a section going up now?
http://193.120.149.58/camera06.jpg

This is all turning into a bore…

Can just see it now.. Tour guide to tourists..

Yeah, got permission in 1998 by the Council… suppossed to go up for the Millennium…High Court appeal. Minister gave permission for it after reading EIS in December 2000!!!!!!!!!!!
First started construction in 2002. Finally went up in 2004!

I can see them all rolling around laughing… better still a look of disbelief on their faces…

Can anything be done on time in this country? The third piece has been sitting there for 3 weeks!!!!!!! What are they doing standing around staring at it?

Adverse weather conditions?
Extended public sector Christmas holidays?
Alarm clock didnt go off?
Broke a nail?

Give ’em a break. They’ve only been at it a few weeks and in fairness it looks really tricky and the weather has been crap.

True, I imagine it’s not the sort of thing you want to do in high winds.

James

I agree. If it’s not finished until February or March, so what. At least, it will finally be up. It would have been up in the Millennium year except for the wackos and the planning laws. You can’t blame City Council for that.

Yeah. You could possibly argue that they should have known about the entironmental impact study. I don’t know enough about the legal situation to say whether this is normally required, or a special case was made because someone complained.

We’ve waited nearly three years, so what’s another month or so? It’s just we’re keen to see how it looks when it’s all lit up. Should be quite a sight!

James

I agree totally, It has taken a while, but will most definitely be worth the wait when erceted fully.

Themoans are just another example of the many voices on this site that love nothing more than a good oul moan about the oul oirish.

Im sure theyre not delaying it on purpose, are they?

Ah sure we’ll leave it at two sections and the crane can be a permanent attraction, it’ll be grand…:D

C.

It may be a long streetscape, but it’s fairly unremarkable. And on a selfish note, it tended to remind you how far you had to walk to the shops in Henry Street when coming from Connolly!

Dorset St is as long (maybe longer) and as straight. Anyway, with the spire being only a couple of metres across the view from Connolly Station to toymaster on Mary St is hardly broken.

With vistas like that, who needs bad planners?!!

passed it this morning, 3 more sections are lying on the ground beside, maybe they’ll all go up in one day ? hard to know what they’re up to …

The vista
(a) was designed to terminate at Connolly – I’m assuming you are saying the Victorians ruined this by building the section of the loop-line bridge in front of this rather than the building itself which is quite fine
(b) would have been disrupted by the pillar 1806 – 1966
(c) the Georgian Mile (Leeson Street Bridge to Holles Street hospital is a much finer vista (although blighted somewhat by ESB HQ)
(d) Henry Moore Earl of Drogheda would have been more upset at the fact that Drogheda Street was ripped apart by Gardiner!

Sorry to be a pedant but…

To the topic in hand – does anyone know then the next section is scheduled to go up – I assume it wont be this week given the expected windy weather?

There was definately supposed to be a piece going up last week, which I assume didn’t happen to the strong winds. One would hope that the remaining sections will go up fairly quickly when the wind dies down.

James

The remaining sections of Dublin’s 120-metre Spire have been transported from the Radley Engineering plant in Dungarvan, County Waterford, to O’Connell Street in Dublin.

Two sections were bolted into place last month, but a plan to erect the third section before Christmas was not realised.

Now the three final sections of the six-piece Spire have been brought into the capital.

Engineers hope to complete construction very quickly, however high winds forecast for the coming days could lead to delays.

You should see last weeks Phoenix – it has a cartoon taking the…..out of the delay in erecting the Spike – very funny!

From RTE:
“Two parts of the spire are already standing. A third piece was brought to O’Connell Street in December but it was not possible to put it up due to bad weather.”

Eh, did we not have clear blue skies for most of the last two weeks, with little wind???!

I know what I’m doing at lunch tomorrow….

fjp

I saw that the other three pieces have been delivered to the site and are lying on the ground awaiting hoisting into place…..now if only the winds would abate. Tis to be windy for the rest of the week. The shiney steel looked good however this morning in the semi dark as it glistened in the street light.

Hurray!!! New spike photos for our far away friends!!!

click here for thirteen new shots (then scroll down)…

Points of interest include the interior photos (ending with “int”). They show some mechanical stuff, some electrical stuff, and (most amusingly) the interior ACCESS LADDER!!!

Now then – I have to to disagree with Graham’s comments on the surface finish. I think it looks fantastic, and will use once again words like “creamy” and “silky” to describe the way in which it reflects light. It’s a very interesting finish which looks totally surreal from even a short distance away. So I’m all for the current finish, and the attention to detail also seems withour fault (sorry).

fjp

Thanks again for the excellent photos. Did they let you onsite to take them?

I was down there last night when they were taking the covers off. I presume there will be no movement on lifting it into place until the wind levels are more reasonable.

The access ladder is fascinating. I was especially amused to see the spanner tied to the sructure. You wouldn’t want to get half way up and find, “damn, forgot the spanner.” Shouldn’t there be a bag of bolts too?

I like the finish. But it does turn black at night, except where there is a light to reflect (which around Christmas was the nearby christmas tree). It should look great when it’s lit from all around.

James

I liked the photo of all the guys standing around doing nothing, very impressive!

From a distance (in dark) you only see the reflected light. Makes the whole thing appear even thinner.

Well done on the photos fjp

really amazing photos, well done.

rte news were quoting the city council tonight as saying that construction could be complete as early as thursday … it seems they plan to put all other sections up in one day once they get the weather for it.
Great photo’s fjp… did you notice if the very top section was there? would be good to get a shot cause you’d need some zoom lense once its up!

Yeah theyre mentioned a lull in the weather and working at 3am. Guess we wont be sleeping that night.

Didn’t see the top section, though I certainly looked for it. All photos were taken through the railings with no extra access privelages…

3am??? Hmm. Still though, cool if it just went up all of a sudden.

fjp

not sure if i want to be on o’connell street at 3am friday morning brandishing cameras…. i like having cameras… i also like my face the way it is too 😀

Was down there this evening, and there were definately only three pieces there (unless the fourth is really well hidden).

Wow, 3AM. Not tonight, I suspect. There was some breeze blowing!

James

Third piece went up this morning at 6am… more pieces this morning… i’m off down there for the morning. If anyone is around, i’m the cold looking guy with the minolta camera bag.

Was down there at 8 – looking good, will head down again at lunchtime to see the 4th section hopefully in place.

Speaking of things appearing all of a sudden – the top section of the Crysler Building in New York appeared in 1 day and that surprised a lot of people!!!

heard it will all be up by 6pm tonight ?

third section is up ! can finally see it from my house out in the sticks here in tallaght …

Heard on the radio, aka the news, that the final 3 sections of the Spire are intended to go up by the end of the week…or even by tomorrow depending on the wind on the Beaufort scale. Let’s hope the winds abate and they do it, it will be historical for the city, the making of a new modern landmark for Dublin. Something for us all who are alive today to remember and tell our children.

Greg’s getting carried away…

Now thats never been known to happen has it! It looked great from Clontarf this morning with the morning sun shining on it. There are just one or two visible joins on the second section that take away from it a bit up close though!

Well, I stand corrected. I could see the crane from my apartment in Capel Street, so I went down there on my way to work. Looks great!

James

Jeez – I was going to look out the rear window of my gaff today and see if anything had happened, but just figured I wouldn’t bother (I was already late for work). A mistake it seems…

I’ll be down at lunch again. I’ll try and get a picture of Paul as well!!! 😉

fjp

So if you want to identify archeire contributors simply look for chaps taking photos at lunchtime (I’ll be the one in the navy overcoat!!!) Should we all wear carnations to allow for easy identification? 🙂

i have a picture of the tip… it has no point…

Tip shots
http://www.archeire.com/onsite/spike_construction/index.html

i’ll be back dopwn there for 1… meet outside the spar?

Great. I’d hate to be any non-archeire readers down there taking photos at lunch (and wondering why they’re getting “knowing looks” from complete strangers).

I’ll keep my eyes on the spar if I’m down around one, but it might be just a little later…

fjp

a spike would suggest a sharp tip…

first pictures of spire tip

more

the bits in the second pic that are covered by radley engineering lettering – i presume the beacons lie underneath – or are they gaps ?

yet more

last one for a while

Originally posted by ro_G
the bits in the second pic that are covered by radley engineering lettering – i presume the beacons lie underneath – or are they gaps ?

beacon is beneath i believe… they tore off some of the wrapping so RTE could get it on the one o’clock news… guess they missed that scoop 😉

ireland.com is saying that it will all be in place by midnight …

guys on the site arent shure…
pieces 123 are up
45 are still on ground
they’re bolting 6 to 78 to lift in one piece

Isn’t it well for ye all that seem to live AND work in the city centre. Hope you get some good pics for those who can’t be there.

Well, I get a good view of it from our 6th floor office in Ballsbridge. Still no sign of piece number 4 going up.

I must say it looks amazing on this sunny day.

James

here is a pic from the Irish Times

Originally posted by Paul Clerkin
last one for a while

New bright luxury accomodation for Housemartins located in the city centre 😉

Hey, great pic PaulC.

I am new to this forum and I just wanted to comment that having seen that picture from The Irish Times, that I really think the spire looks great and is a great architectural and artistic development in Dublin.

I was just wondering does anyone know what vandalism precautions have been taken in the design. How will it cope when some asshole tries to spray his name on it or even attacks it with a hammer. Is the very bottom section protected in some way?

Think of all the hospitals they could have built with that money what’s been wasted on that spike. What’s it all for anyway? What’s the point of it? They should have rebuilt Nelson’s Pillar and put the Blessed Virgin on top. I’m going to get onto that Liveline programme immediately to give out about this.

Signed,

Outraged Mother of Nine

Hurray again!!!

Well I’m back. Bummer with the Bus strike – walked there and got a taxi back (from Baggot Street).

Anyway, here’s another twenty five new photos:

just click on this bit of text

They start at “spike-030115-01.jpg”, and “spike-030115-13-tip…” etc refers to photos of the last section on the ground (pointy enough to kill you if you fell from a plane onto it).

Looks sweet alright, particularly from distances, although I did notice a dull patch on it about half way up (sounds like what Graham noticed yesterday – sorry!!!). But it still looks top dollar, especially from a little further away.

And I think I saw Paul, but it was as I was legging it back to work. And I’m sort of shy…

fjp

looks good.

I still don’t know what precautions have been taken to stop vandalism.

Does anyone know?

If it is just left there I’d give it hours before the first name appears on it……..

what is the nature of that blotch though – and can it be cleaned up?

The visible joins or ridges or whatever they are on fjp’s photos look terrible. I hope they’re dirt or glue from the wrapping, not welds.

Back for a while – not much happening down there for a few hours according to the engineer

There are some very visible blemishes unfortunetly

its so cool to see it all there.. so near and yet so far

It has been a refreshing and re-assuring pleasure watching spike arrive- through your words and (thankfully) photos-
As a native who has never studied or worked professionally at home, passionate discourse about an urban design project has had me checking your message board from afar (NYC) with increasing enthusiasm- an event to challenge the visual illiteracy i unfortunately grew up with (regular trips to mayo and her pock-marked landscape of south fork mansions on the side of a hill, overlooking a bog, sadly re-emphasise this) —-
fjp- the photos are fantastic and have been well circulated over here-
can anybody give me an idea of the anchoring &/or foundations- also the connections between segments- is there a small man from achill island up there with a spanner?

Despite the welding joints…..does’nt it look great however…very futuristic, almost alien, a monument for the Raelians too no doubt, an oblelisk like in 2001 A Space Odyssey ….we just need an Ape-man aka ‘Scanger’ touching it in wonder……pity they’re not going with the Mercury base however…..Does anyone know what precisely is to go there.
Jesus what a great addition to the city…well done to the council for backing this one…..may the repaving, replanting and rejuvenation of O’Connell Street go ahead. It will be one of the best streets in Europe.

Anyone know what Ian Ritchie looks like?

Fantastic image of the tracksuit brigade/2001 – hilarious

GregF: I couldn’t agree more. This has really taken balls to go ahead with this one. It is futuristic, stylish and innovative, and hopefully is the first step in turning O’Connell St into the focal point of the city it should be.
All those people saying that the money should be spent on the homeless of hospitals are talking through their arses. The amount of money spent on this project would not have any effect on the social problems of the city and if their logic was to be extended further then we would live in a world that did not know, The Eiffel Tower, Colloseum in Rome, Pyramids, Big Ben etc (Don’t forget Liberty Hall 🙂 )
I really hope the people of Ireland (not only Dublin) take this monument to their hearts and see it is a symbol of a change from the poverty stricken backward country that it was on its to way to a wealthy modern and exciting nation that we should be!

Go on the Spike!

I agree, O’Connell Street should look great. I still miss the Fluzie though.

Now, if we could just get all the fast food restaurants to clean up their image. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be there. I don’t think we should turn the street into a museum or anything. However, I think without exception they could do a lot more to make their image more appropriate to the street.

Shame about the imperfections. Hopefully they’ll be giving the whole thing a polish when it’s in place. I wonder will keeping it clean be a problem. I think there’s a company that makes little robots that can trundle up and down structures like this to keep them clean.

Did you find out when the next piece is going to be attached.

James

I can only see a list of pics up to yesterday on fjp’s site. Am I doing something wrong?

Try pressing Refresh on your browser. 🙂

lostcarpark:

I’m sure it will be polished when complete.

As for cleaning, apparently its design is self-cleaning. Apparently when it rains (it shouldn’t prove a problem!) that the rain will flow down the spire and take all dirt with it! Clever eh?

How are they going to polish it in situ?

When I saw the models of the Spire, I always thought it was beautifully shiny and lustrous.
The most impressive thing now is that it has retained those qualities.
It’s almost exactly as Ritchie envisioned it. I hope he’s happy with the way it turned out.
The nearly final product is a vindication for all of us who have been [even if it’s only quietly] supporting this project since it was chosen.

Re vandalism, this is an extract from an interesting article at

http://www.nidi.org/index.cfm/ci_id/10810.htm

‘The bottom 12 metres of the spire will retain its mirrored finish but will be etched with an abstract design to improve resistance to dirt and graffiti.

Stainless steel was chosen for its corrosion resistance, structural behaviour and visual/sculptural qualities, adds Graham. The spire has been designed to last at least 130 years.’

Don’t know how effective it will be against the more determined.

Graffiti was already mentioned. How about “Nelson was ‘ere.”

Which is true.

James

hmmm 130 years? anyone think it will outlast that figure?

hopefully none of us will ever know

my chinese geneticist friends say different.

The spike is going to be written on. All someone has to do is walk up, lean against it with their hands behind their back, and write their initials with a marker. Simple as that, and they’ll think it’s hilarious too. So it’s going to happen, and all the sterilisation machines in the world couldn’t stop it.

Hopefully the corpo will just clean it off every morning, and fine people a PSII if they’re caught. Or even better – make them clean it every morning for a fortnight (sweet, and cost effective too).

fjp

why not just make it impossible to touch it.. problem solved. It’s going to be covered in grafitti and god knows what else after pubs close……….

I guess they could have achieved that by putting it in the middle of a big decorative pool, although water features on that location have had problems in the past (because bad people kept resting by them (and they looked grim)). So perhaps that’s why they didn’t do the pool thing then.

I guess it’s hard to figure out an easy way to stop people from touching something without it seeming a little facist. Railings just wouldn’t be good. The pool thing could backfire for the reasons above (places for drunk people to relax). An excellent method for stopping graffiti on walls is to plant creeping ivy plants. They make the wall look nice when they’re grown, and are really hard to write on (being plants). Anyone fancy proposing the development of the world’s tallest ivy?

So we’re back to enforcement (in this country?) versus vigilante snipers on the GPO. I’ll be very disappointed when I see the first piece of writing. But dissappointed at the beaver-munchers who wrote it, and not the spike designers, as I also look forward to walking up and touching it for the first time. Don’t forget that humans like contact with objects.

Snipers. Maybe just with Air Rifles.

fjp

Really? was down earlier this evening, in the darkness the spike has a beautiful black silky appearance as it disappears into the sky.

what an amazing piece of work the spire is, i would like to thank you for the wonderful photos on the website, i am currently living abroad and so appreciate them all the more.

the spire could be oh so famous yet, just think of the possibilities,

carlsberg dont do knitting needles but if they did!

kinda like christmas eve, cant wait for tomorrow to see it!

think i’ll check into the Oval tomorrow night for a pint and a good look close-up.

Its great!! One small niggle….is the steel blemished in places? I saw section 3 on it side yesterday and it seemed sort of blemished or pocked in places. Suppose that wont be visable from afar.

Does anyone agree that it could have been designed with a wider diameter at the base. The street could have taked a slightly bulkier base and still it could have tapered nicely. Just seems a bit narrow to me. Still , it has it beauty too! Roll on the lighting up ceremony. Im hoping to wake and find that they got all 6 sections up by morning.

Thanks heaps FJP

I’m heading back to live in Dublin next month after 3 years in Sydney(yes, I am mad!), however your latest photos of the Spike have been encouraging, is that blue sky in some of them photos !!!

Dublins very own Centrepoint !

http://www.sydneycity.net/sydneycentrepointtower.htm

Spire completion delayed by high winds
RTE News

The Chief Engineer on the project to complete the erection of the Spire on Dublin’s O’Connell St says the project will not recommence within the next 48 hours. Michael O’Neill said they now had to take stock of weather conditions before any further work on the project can be carried out. He added that the high winds which have hampered the project so far this week are due to continue for the next 48 hours so the project will be put on hold until then.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0116/spire.html

Alas, due to the windy weather it’s off until the weekend, still better late than never.

How about declaring it a national monument – thereby anyone who defaces it could be up for a major fine/prison.

it looks complete from my point of view!?

I agree Rory…….no doubt there will be some ‘lost soul’ trying to plough a stolen car into it’s base or some ‘Cro Magnon’ trying to scrawl their name ‘Ug’ or ‘Man U’ on it’s base.
The gardai although only up the road are normally asleep too that they miss those things.
Here’s to the Spire, urban living and civilization itself.

Delayed again

This is a great advert for the companies involved.
What were they all doing during the good weather last week and who’s footing the bill?

This is a right circus!

pics look like ‘weapons of mass destruction’ to me.

oops. sorry I’d a fuzzy head on me earlier. I mistook a dublin bus depot aerial for the spike (!really!)

While waiting for the wind to die down, check out the latest public project aimed at revitalising Soap Lake in Washington State.

http://www.giantlavalamp.com

“The structure, similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, will provide worldwide interest and positive publicity for the City of Soap Lake, Grant County and the State of Washington.”

This was on the BBC during the week and made me wonder could it happen here… In fairness there were worse ideas entered in the Dublin competition…

Heard on the news this morning that there are 4 sections up at the moment. Looks like 3 to me. I presume the news (spin) got it wrong…?

Well, the Spike will certainly be a must-see for any tourist in Ireland. Hell, yesterday there were tourists getting their photos taken with it as a background.

The Lava Lamp sounds like a good idea and a terrible idea rolled into one. On one hand, lava lamps are a bit cliched and old, and the design looks a little too like a giant version of the “desktop” model. On the other hand, if anyone turns on a lava lamp in front of me I will stare at it, and so I would certainly go see this crazy thing if I was up visiting that dam. In summary – they should build it. It will bring in mney and tourists and be very, very pretty (especially at night). I’d certainly visit their web cam.

On other business: I think it’s four. See – the joins are pretty good!!

Alastair: “a bus depot aerial”????????????????????

fjp

The Spire got a pic on page 2 of the Guardian this morning….

I don’t know if they got the fourth piece up or not. Just stepped out onto Henrietta Street and it still seems to be the same distance above the school in the foreground on Bolton Street that it was yesterday. The crane being in the down position may make it look taller tho.

does anyone know if theres going to be a budget over-run due to delays. i was told a standard site crane costs around 1000 eupos a day to rent and operate, so how much does that monstrosity cost? even if it is just resting on its laurels most of the time.

i think peoples dismissal of the spike is a bit of a sham. the same lovely dublin folk who keep saying “disagrace-a” at the top of their voices for tv3’s cameras are the very people who this thing is aimed at. they are engaging with it, forming opinions, whether good or bad, and reacting to this piece of art, which is the whole purpose of the spike in the frst place.

good on ya bertie

---

– – – — – —
as an aside, how many people have heard “its nearly as big as mine,har har har” or “they’re havin a bit o bodder down dere lads, they need volunteers to put it up, har har har” or “i wonder if they’ll sit bertie up on top when its done, har har etcetera”

Originally posted by fjp

Alastair: “a bus depot aerial”????????????????????

Not as mad as it sounds. The depot lies between me and the spike, and I’ve been watching the top of the crane from my window the last few days. When the crane had disappeared this morning, and there was a tall slender object in roundabout the same spot, I jumped to conclusions. As I say, my head was fuzzy.

I’m concerned about the ‘clean up job’ needed for the spike as it stands at the moment. It’s manky on the north earl street side, and there are bits of tape etc hanging off it quite high up. I would have thought the best place to sort that out was when it’s on the ground. Are they going to dangle a cleaning guy from a crane halfway up the thing when its finished or use those eyelets at the top to have someone absail up/down and clean it that way? Seems needlessly difficult.

The crane was rented at a flat fee for the entire job rather than per day. So any overrun won’t be due to the crane lying idle.

Fionas comments are interesting – a wonderful part of the project is the discussion provoked. Crowds looking at the work and waiting for the event are what makes the monument an occasion. And the thought of so many mystery archeire contributers with digital cameras there adds to this!
I don’t know where TV3 drag their stock “characters” from, but the comments that are featured in the vox-pops certaintly don’t reflect the comments I’ve heard down there recently.
People are engaging in a way that was missing from the competition. I think people were sceptical back then as to weather the project would be followed through on. If the spire gets completed (and indications are good!) it should bode well for public consultations, competions in the future.
And it looks cool too! Well done .

i have seen it written that the Spire is designed to be self-cleaning. How so?

And what exactly are the eyelets for? To radiate light? To allow wind to blow through rather than wobbling it?

Have to say I’m a little bit dissapointed with the finishing of the steel- you can clearly see what look like heat sinks where the stainless was glued to the ribbing. Thought is would be cleaner- especially after reading that Sunday Times article about how long it took to polish it. Don’t think that they should have shot-peened it.
Having said that- it should look awsome with a few lights on it at night.

Wonder if Ian Ritchie and the boys have taken to calling it the Spike now too ?

And what exactly are the eyelets for? To radiate light? To allow wind to blow through rather than wobbling it?

Probably so the crane can attach hooks to pick it up!

James

eyeletts the wrong word … i meant these perforations…

https://archiseek.com/content/attachment.php?s=&postid=9994

Of two recent points

The eyelets are to radiate light (via i think 70,000 LEDS) and the contractors (McNally’s) do not mind the delay in construction (they say they are getting wonderful publicity for it) and have waived any overrun costs for the crane.

Good on them, quite civic minded wouldn’t you say

Bloody chancers more like, still don’t know what they were up to last week.

With all due respect, there were some pretty strong gayles last week, especially in the first half of the week. I was very surprised that they were working on it yesterday, given the winds the night before.

When a project is three years late, who’s going to worry about a couple of weeks?

James

Originally posted by Rory W
Of two recent points

The eyelets are to radiate light (via i think 70,000 LEDS)

Nah, there are 4 large eyelets above the leds/lamp area. probably for hoisting up, but might also be handy for maypole/gallows conversion.

The eyelets are to radiate light (via i think 70,000 LEDS)

Apparently Hewlett Packard developed a new kind of LED especially for the spire

Havent been here in a while ……..have to say the spike is a great addition to dublin and much needed……

but I dont think they should ever let it be completed just keep building it ….

the futurists said that the construction process was the most exciting part of a buildings/projects life ………the spike with its delays etc is certainly creating this excitement…………….let it go on and on……….

Just to clarify, there are a series of “eyelets” at the very top, presumably for hoisting the section.

There is also a collection of “holes” or “perferations” around the entire length of the top two sections, which are to let light out. I hadn’t heard about LED lighting. My understanding was that a searchlight in the bottom section would shine up and filter through the holes and out the perspec block at the tip. But LED lighting would be cool. They could even have a “Christmas” setting which blinks the LEDs in groups (only kidding).

James

Re the Spike being self-cleaning etc. Usual architect’s optimism. Two eternal facts are:

1. No material is truly self-cleaning.
2. Stainless steel is usually not stainless.

Buildings all over the UK sport blotchy stainless steel because the wrong (cheaper) grade was specified. Only genuinely stainless steel is kitchen-grade, which costs a lot.

Anyone know what grade s/s the Spire is made of?

Originally posted by Rory W
Of two recent points

The eyelets are to radiate light (via i think 70,000 LEDS) and the contractors (McNally’s) do not mind the delay in construction (they say they are getting wonderful publicity for it) and have waived any overrun costs for the crane.

SIAC are the contractors, McNallys (it takes monaghan men to sort out Dublin) are the crane hire specialists. They’re neighbours of mine at home, a mile or so up the road.

hey all

I had a good gawk at it close up today, on my lunch break. It was possible to see it swaying in the heavier breezes. No surpirse there.

But again, I have to say that the finish of the steel, in daylight at least, is a big disappointment. There are noticeable score marks on section two. i dont mind the ribbing as its not visible from a distance, they are horizontal and evenly spaced. But some of these other marks and dull patches are visible from 100 metres away or more. Some are vertical and crooked too. It looks ‘weathered’ and could pass for an object that has been there for years.

Of course, these marks (Im hoping) might just be from the packaging material and may be wiped off at the end.

I think its going to look quite magical with blue skies or at dusk/dawn when its still lighting. The design around the base (marble and flowing mercury) sounds exciting too.

Yeah, I really hope it gets proper attention and cleanup. We have an awful tendancy to get things so nearly right in this country, with our “it’ll do” approach. I hope we can get this one right.

James

the mercury (under glass) idea is long gone. Someone had a bit of cop on and pointed out it was dangerous stuff. How they expected it to last when the wee uplighters in the path at the millenium bridge lasted about a week escapes me.

Mmmm!Those marks are probably (hopefully) remnants of the glue from the tape that was used to attach the wrapping! (By the way is 22 pages a record here?)

Yes, the Bertie Bowl thread notched up a very respectable 103 replies whereas this one has a rather amazing 317 nuggets of collective wisdom and has been viewed 14025 times.

good picture on http://www.recirca.com from Peter Fitzpatrick
http://www.recirca.com/artnews/151.shtml

I couldn’t resist this one.

more (slightly rushed) lies and deceit.

fjp

link wont work……….

C.

Link works fine here. 🙂

lol fjp.

Where was that photo taken? The building in the middle looks almost exactly like my apartment building, but the surrounding buildings don’t look quite right, so I don’t think it is.

Oh, doctoring looks great, by the way.

James (confused)

So whats the latest? No news in the paper today ( I live in Holland so I can only read the Indo online).

Will the Spire/spike/ stiffy by the liffey etc be finished this weekend?:confused:

Depends on the weather, its still very breezey

The story yesterday was that it wouldn’t proceed for at lest 48 hours, but if the wind calms, they could try over the weekend.

James

Is there anywhere on the web I can view some of the other entries for this competition? I’d love to have a look (and a laugh?) at some of the near misses which would no doubt now be in place had they won!

Some further details here
https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?s=&postid=156#post156

This question was raised before, with limited success
https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1261&goto=nextoldest

Interesting, thanks. I think we have a deserved winner judging from the bits and pieces I’ve seen and heard.

Hi all

I’ve been lurking here for the past few weeks just to keep an eye on this thread. It’s the best way to keep up to date with what’s going on up in O’Connell Street.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the Spike. I can imagine better things, but I can imagine a lot worse. As someone old enough to remember when Leeson Street was Dublin’s idea of a night out I’m get a kick out of anything positive that happens in the city. Shame though that the Corpo aren’t taking advantage of the PR opportunity to have a spikewatch at their own site, instead of leaving it up to people like Paul and FJP to provide a public service.

Does any physicist out there know if the spike will cast a shadow? If so, I’ve been suggesting for the last year or so that some good-hearted philanthropist with bags of money should commission public sculptures (any old subject) at twelve strategically chosen locations in the streets around. Then we’d have the largest sundial in the world as well 🙂

Nice sundial idea. I guess it could work by placing things at uneven distances fomr the spike, so that they wouldn’t be obvious straight away…

And this really is a good source of info, so well done again to Paul. In the meantime, here’s Dundrum looking inwards again…

fjp

Good photos also in Frank McDonald’s excellent book ‘ The construction of Dublin’ of the also-rans. They were truly awful!

I love the sundial idea, had occurred to me as well when I was on the street yesterday. It would be so cool to have pieces mounted on the buildings.

Hi, this is an urgent urgent request and I get the impression that someone on this thread may be able to help me.

I need a high resolution picture of the Spike, preferably one of the computer-generated images that I often see floating about. Also, it needs to be a profile picture rather than landscape.

Can anyone help?! I have already requested this a number of times from the Corpo (or should that be City Council) press office but frankly they have been as helpful as a kick in the jaw. I’m relying on the kindness of real people now. Please send any large images you may have to tribune@campus.ie

Thank you,

Cormac

A picture of the Spike as it is proposed to look that is, not as it looks now… maybe that was obvious though.

Actually, seeing as how I am writing again, here’s one encounter I had with the Corpo press office just today:

Me: “Hi, can I get a high-resolution image of the Spike emailed to me please?”

Corpo: “(Silence)”

Me: “Hello?”

Corpo: “The what?”

Me: “The Spike…”

Corpo “(Long silence, then)… Ooohh, you mean the Spire…”

FERFECKSSAKES!

I’ve seen some quite nice pics but they were all horribly low resolution. Fjp’s mockups are the highest resolution I’ve seen.

The best “official” ones I’m aware of are here and here.

Hope this helps,

James

I have original hi-res versions of the architects images if you want them…..

Any action to happen today? whats the weather forecast like

There was much discussion about keeping the Spire clean. This article from today’s Sunday Times may be of interest:

Copyright: Sunday Times

Spire cleaning squad to ward off vandals
John Burns

GRAFFITI will be cleaned off the Spire of Dublin up to three times a day, according to the city council.
Planners expect the monument, due to be completed this week, will be a target for vandalism as Dubliners try to autograph the world’s largest sculpture. But a specialist company is to be employed to keep the base of the stainless-steel spire clean.

“We are confident that we have solvents available to remove spray paint from the monument,” said Jim Barrett, the city architect. “We will be cleaning it twice or three times a day, because we anticipate there will be a temptation to write on it. We may employ a private company to do the cleaning and monitor its alarm system.”

The alarm will be triggered if there is a malfunction in the lighting or if anyone attempts to break into the 120 metre-high structure.

The spire has an underground chamber to facilitate maintenance, such as replacement of the lighting. The entrance to the chamber is guarded by a sophisticated system of computerised-locking doors. As well as cleaning with solvent, the council is also making arrangements to polish the structure, especially the bottom 12 metres featuring a mirrored finish with an abstract design etched in.

Barrett said: “We will have a mobile polisher and anticipate giving it a shine three or four times a year. If there are scratches, we can revisit it from time to time with manual polishing.

“Any reduction in the thickness of the monument due to polishing would be very slight, and would take hundreds of years before it makes an impact.

“If someone physically takes a hammer and chisel to this they will find it is tough stainless steel. The impact would be quite small.”

There will not be a permanent closed-circuit camera trained on the structure, but it will be lit at night. The council is also planning to erect a series of bollards and kerbs around the base to prevent ramming with cars. “It will be impossible even for a tank to get up,” Barrett promised.

The first three of eight sections have now been installed but work was halted on Wednesday due to high winds. It is planned to restart the installation on Tuesday. Sections six, seven and eight have been joined together, which will speed up the final stages.

“It could be finished by Wednesday afternoon but the electrical work then has to be done,” said a council spokeswoman. “We have no formal launch date. The launch will be a big event so we’ll have to apply for a licence. It should be a couple of weeks after it’s finished.”

Silver ceremonial coins are planned to mark the launch of the monument, which is years behind schedule because of legal challenges and engineering difficulties. Originally to be named after the millennium, it is now officially titled the Spire of Dublin.

Designed by Ian Ritchie Architects in London, the 124-ton structure is 40 stories high. Even though only half-built, it is already visible from some elevated vantage points in the suburbs.

The spire has been designed to allow its tip to move 2.5 metres in the wind. The top nine metres are perforated with almost 12,000 15mm holes to allow it to radiate light. Rainwater will be collected in an internal gutter and will be flushed to the ground.

Spire cleaning squad to ward off vandals
John Burns

Jeremiah

More pieces supposed to go up today. Michael Ross’s comments are unfortunate.

It is good to see that the council has thought of every possible assault on the Spire by disgruntled members of the public.

All this whinging too about it not being accessible to the public. Had it been it would have been alot bulkier to accomadate such….aka too bulky for the street.

Let’s hope the opening ceremony however will be a big event…..(it would really benefit the profile of the country and Bord Failte)… and that that great man of letters, art, sport and culture, aka our leader and Taoiseach B…B…Bertie will attend as well as the government,……and the First Lady herself will be there as well ….no not Cecelia …….but Our President Mary McAleese……and let’s ‘hope too they get those guys to polish up the buttons and get them out of those barracks for the day …….yep. the army, our protectors and defenders and their musical colleagues the army no 1 band to play an auld tune or two to liven up the occasion.
I could see it all now………as the army No 1 band play ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ by Strauss…..(the opening music in 2001 A Space Odyssey) the Spire is lit in time to the music as it climaxes with the crescendo and the Spire stands fully lit for all to see and wonder with awe…….and then the Chieftains start up with ‘Around the Table and Mind the Dresser’…………..Yahoo! ……..Heres to it all….it is a great occasion for the city of Dublin and Ireland…..let’s celebrate.

(It could be a focal point for the New Year celebrations too instead of it bieng like a ghost town)

Michael Ross sounds like he is seriously disgruntled about something ….hence his gripe….Is he a buddy of Michael O Nullain. He will have to eat his words and swallow his pride when it is all complete.

Have read the Michael Ross piece. Cleverly worded crap. Every successful society has “decadent emblems”. All politics is to do with show, and always has been. The man is making mouth noises.

Can anyone, give a link where I can read this article. Tried their website but you need a to have a paid up subscription.

Anyhow, work is supposed to commence this morning after 9 am (which it now is.) Any sign of activity on O’Connell St? How are the winds, will it be completed today?

Felt very windy down there this morning. Heard on the radio that it’s been postphoned to later in week.

As a born, bred and buttered North-sider, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who’s contributed to this discussion which I’ve been watching for a short time. The photos are great and I can’t wait to see the final unveiling. At long last, Dublin will have a central point. I’ve always felt that O’Connell Street was an empty place and, as someone old enough to remember the Pillar, everything I’ve so far seen about the Spire is so much better.

Jim

Been down there this morning, the SIAC guys say they may try tonight. When asked why they didnt do it yesterday:

SIAC “Ahh I cannot tell you that”
me “But it was very calm, of course you can tell me, I’m just a member of the public”
SIAC “Members of the public have a habit of whipping out a notebook”
me “Ah go on, I don’t even own a notebook”
SIAC “Lets just say that it was a design matter”

Originally posted by Murpho
Can anyone, give a link where I can read this article. Tried their website but you need a to have a paid up subscription.

Comment: Michael Ross

In Walter Benjamin’s celebrated formulation, the logical result of fascism is the introduction of aesthetics into politics. In Ireland this began not with the choreographed but futile appearances of Eoin O’Duffy’s Blueshirts in the 1930s, or the clumsy propagandising practised by the Stickies, but with the manipulation of Garret FitzGerald’s image that made him electable in the 1980s.
Not that FitzGerald or his handlers were fascist, but by giving marketing and image manipulation privilege over policy making they began the aestheticisation of Irish politics. More than ever, politics became a dramatic narrative, and with a pliable media resourcing rolling news at the expense of investigative reporting, image and perception became everything.

Ian Ritchie’s Spire of Light is another artefact of that process, appropriately reaching completion in a week in which Ireland’s hospital service suffered unprecedented crisis. Intended as a symbol of Ireland in the third Christian millennium, Ritchie’s 130 tons of shot-peened stainless steel has indeed become that, but hardly as intended.

There have been more grotesque wastes of public money, but Ritchie’s spire — ostensibly a brave, clean, optimistic symbol of a society liberated from traditional pieties — stands out as a decadent emblem of a culture fixated by spectacle.

Chosen by a panel of seven, only two of whom had any democratic mandate, the spire was imposed without public consultation by an administration fixated by expensive and largely useless public projects, one that talks the laissez-faire talk but still walks the Napoleonic walk.

At over €4m the most expensive of the projects approved by the national millennium committee, the spire is also the least democratic, allowing no public access, the mirror finish of its base a dismal acknowledgment of antisocial tendencies of many of those for whom it was provided.

Structural engineers and architects will genuflect before it, and even members of the public hostile to it may come around. But less a sculpture than a fetish directed as much towards the tourist industry as to locals, it is just another part of the commodification of Irish culture.

Compared with the millennium candles distributed to every home in the republic, and even the broadleaf trees planted on behalf of the country’s households, it is spectacular but sterile, anti-democratic and built to exclude.

Spectacular is what is required when, instead of a politics of accountability you groom a politics of spectacle, of which the humiliation of individuals and avoidance of institutional scrutiny — in the tribunals, for example — is just another manifestation.

The narrative of Irish politics since FitzGerald has been about the triumph of good over evil, and the triumph of the individual will. From Gerry Gregg’s disgraceful documentary series about Des O’Malley to Charlie McCreevy’s tax individualisation, public discourse in Ireland has become preoccupied with the singular at the expense of the social or structural.

Ritchie’s spire fits the Zeitgeist perfectly. It will be interpreted almost entirely in aesthetic terms; its significance, however, is almost entirely political.

Originally posted by Paul Clerkin
Been down there this morning, the SIAC guys say they may try tonight. When asked why they didnt do it yesterday:

“Ahh I cannot tell you that”
“But it was very calm, of course you can tell me, I’m just a member of the public”
“Members of the public have a habit of whipping out a notebook”
“Ah go on, I don’t even own a notebook”
“Lets just say that it was a design matter”

Which goes to prove his point Paul!

I know…. I’m cursed with a verbatim memory ;). I need a big microphone with “Archiseek” around it……

A spokesguy on the radio just said they’re going to start after lunch (about two) lifting the fourth piece. If all goes well and the wind “behaves itself” they’ll keep going. Ideally, they’s like to be on the last, large, piece as dawn is breaking tomorrow, as the extra light would be useful for what is the largest and most difficult part of the operation.

The Spire is funded by the ‘Illuminati’….that great group of global conspiracists who have controlled world events since the dawn of time and who get their orders from the shapeshifting aliens. They were behind the construction of the Pyramids and other great structures that have been built from ancient times at the expense of hospital waiting lists and the poor.
See http://www.davidicke.com for the truth.

Jeez – that Ross guy is talking pure crap. Beautiful rhetoric, but crap none the less….

Regarding employees not making statements about construction – that’s just sensible. Remember that whole thing about the Calatrava Bridge in nthis forum?? The company is better off making full statements, and if they have a little problem that they need to (and are able to) sort out, then let them do it without the papers attempting to crucify them. Every project/job I’ve worked on has seen teething problems that we overcame. It’s normal, but the Daily Mirror and The Sun don’t tend to show things in a balanced manner.

A&E Departments: I’ve got a pal who works in one. He would like for people to stop going out at the weekend, getting plastered, and then ending up wasting their time on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Blame the drink industry??? No way – blame the Spike!!!

fjp

After all this is done, I wouldn’t let SIAC (the main contractor’s) open a crisp bag!

Thanks for the posting Paul.

I have read that article 2 or 3 times now and I have no idea what this ‘journalist’ is on about.

All sounds very intelectual with lots of big words but absolutely pointless.

It’s really a case of damned if you do or damned if you don’t for Dublin Corpo.

They are entrusted with trying to improve the city. This spire will be a major asset to the city.
The €5m or so being spent on this project is peanuts when compared to all the tribunals that have happened in the past. €5m will not go anywhere to solving the social problems in the city. Money will not stop people buying drugs or sleeping on the street nor will it improve the efficiencies of a health system.

Anyhow, what else do they want instead of the spire to represent the country? An unspiring statue of Eamon DeValera, that would be covered in pigeon shit within a month? A giant crucifix? Roy Keane or Gay Byrne?
A statue of an altar boy surrounded by lusting priests?

These critics who just criticise for the sake of it really piss me off!

I suppose it their job. Besides the whole point of public art is to stimulate debate and discourse.
I cant help but agreeing with the comments about the Michael Ross article… so its all Garret Fitzgerald’s fault eh! All the sordid and less than wholesome features of Irish life since the 70s…. poor auld Garret. No Temple Bar or Docklands or revamped Dublin Castle or Government Buildings for him….

Another attempt will be made this afternoon to construct the Spire or Spike of Dublin. It is hoped the fourth section will be erected after lunchtime, the fifth section by evening, and the sixth and final section before dawn tomorrow.

The weather looks pretty fine now…so let’s hope they do it

I get depressed when I see ads in the IT asking “Has your house been burglarized?” (presumably by burglarizers). I get even more depressed when I see those privileged to have received a good education and a love of language using it for obscure and empty rhetoric like this, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

. . . appropriately reaching completion in a week in which Ireland’s hospital service suffered unprecedented crisis

/in which a celebrity chef gave a new meaning to “Hot Buns”/in which the Celtic Tiger’s motorway infrastructure was used to illustrate that E-Ireland is still an agricultural society/in which the lessons of Saipan drove the mandarins of the FAI to levels of secrecy that would leave Stalin open to allegations of Glasnost/in which . . .

Choose from any of the above.

This is not “appropriate”. This is fill-in-the-blanks journalism. Cynicism is cheap.

Good view (from the bridge) at

http://www.ireland.com/weather/cam.htm

Hope it goes up today… no sign of movement from the big crane yet. If I see any I’ll let you know (got a good view of it from Ballsbridge).

James

crane is not up yet anyway, good view on camvista.com (just wait for the camera to pan around) … the city councils cams are not working (again!)

Here we go again… Considering the EIS was signed by Ministerial order in December 2000, i.e all planning delays exhausted, what fool decided to put it up in December/January?

and what happened between December 2000 and December 2002?

Anway, another instalement in the longest running construction soap-opera……

From Ireland.com

High winds delay erection of Spire again
By Kilian Doyle Last updated: 20-01-03, 12:45

Engineers mustered on O’Connell Street this morning for what could be the final chapter of the long-running saga of the Dublin Spire.

However, plans to erect the fourth section of the monument have been put on hold as strong winds whipped up around the capital this morning. It is thought there will be a delay of at least several hours.

Earlier, a Dublin City Council spokeswoman said it was “all systems go” if the weather held, allowing the final three sections of the monument to be lifted into place by tonight.

She said engineers were hoping to slot the next section in place at around noon, with the next two pieces being erected at 6.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m.

The spokeswoman said it was still hoped the final touches on the controversial structure would be made early tomorrow morning.

The first section was lowered into place by Europe’s biggest crane on December 18th. However, the break for Christmas holidays and intermittent high winds have slowed further progress.

The lowest section of the stainless steel monolith is swathed in a plastic covering. The Spire stands at 53 metres. When finished, it will be 120 metres high, seven times the height of the surrounding buildings on O’Connell Street and twice as high as the capital’s tallest building, Liberty Hall.

I swear its like we’re all waiting outside the delivery room in a maternity hospital. When they do finally finish it, we should buy a bottle of decent whiskey, meet at it and have a wee shot each 😉 or a cigar…

sounds like a bloody good idea Paul!!!

…… open the champers too!

Aaaah poor auld Liberty Hall..the old girl loses her coveted place as the city highest landmark.

We could have had another world record…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/not_in_website/syndication/monitoring/media_reports/1676761.stm

some pics of that flagpole can be seen here – http://www.usflag.com/poles/monsterInstall_400.html

That is the Spike isnt it!?

Do you think it will fall victim to a Sinn Fein inspired plan to fly a wee tricolor from the top with some tasteful Bobby Sands posters adorning the base…. Tiocaidh ar la?

Purely for speculation, anyone know why the settled on it’s current height. Is it a function of the width of the base due to having to fit on the median between the roadway?

Originally posted by DavidF
some pics of that flagpole can be seen here – http://www.usflag.com/poles/monsterInstall_400.html

wow … they make it look so simple 😉

Crane’s up!

lostcarpark

I’m confused now as the Irish Independent report that they won’t start until this evening, see text below:

Completion of Spire delayed again

15:33 Monday January 20th 2003

The next phase in the completion of the Millennium Spire in Dublin’s O’Connell Street has been delayed until this evening. The first of the remaining three sections was due to be put in place this afternoon but it has been postponed until later this evening due to strong winds. Engineers from Dublin City Council are using one of the largest cranes in Europe to finish the Spire which, when completed, will stand 120 metres tall.

So what’s happening there?

from Ireland.com

High winds delay erection of Spire again
By Kilian Doyle Last updated: 20-01-03, 15:37

Engineers are readying themselves to install the fourth section of the Spire on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.

Plans to lift the length of stainless steel into place this morning were abandoned as strong winds whipped up around the capital.

However, a Dublin City Council spokesman told ireland.com that it was hoped the work could be carried out “within the next couple of hours”.

If conditions remained favourable this evening, engineers will continue working for as long as is practical, he said. However, “health and safety is paramount at all times.”

He said the plan was to have the final pieces in place in order to be able to make the final touches on the structure early tomorrow morning.

The first section was lowered into place by Europe’s biggest crane on December 18th. However, the break for Christmas holidays and intermittent high winds have slowed further progress.

The lowest section of the stainless steel monolith is swathed in a plastic covering, which will be removed at the official unveiling, either at the end of this month or early next month.

The three-section long Spire currently stands at 53 metres. When finished, it will be 120 metres high, seven times the height of the surrounding buildings on O’Connell Street and twice as high as the capital’s tallest building, Liberty Hall.

According to Newstalk
“crane is supposed to be fully up… two hour wind test and 7pm start”
Just going out for a visual check on crane erectness

it (the crane) seems to be a bit higher than it was last week? (from my window anyway)

Crane is now fully up again.

I’m looking out a 6th floor Ballsbridge window, so I can see the crane is vertical, but can’t offer a lot more detail. It still facing away from the spike, so presumably it will shortly be turned around.

I can’t offer any insight as to when the next piece might be going up, but if I see anything, I’ll let you know!

James

Paul: You obviously know a lot about erections as it took you only 2 minutes to report back 😀

I only have to walk 30 feet to check :p

rte is saying 7.30 …

Going down for 7:30 tonight for a look myself.

Tonights forecast: Slack winds, extensive mist and fog patches, frost in places. Risk of an isolated shower. According to Met Eireann, but then again, they always say that 😀

http://www.weather.ie/forecasts/regional.asp?Prov=Dublin

see you there ro

Michael Ross, I fear,has a severe case of Verbal Diarrhoea

No excuses with the weather then…

Oh well,

My camera just can’t handle that little light, so here’s the weirdest set of photos you’re going to see of an actual piece being put in place (scroll waaaay down):

MAKE LINK GO NOW!!!!!!

fjp

(jesus – they look weird)

Great piece of action as piece 4 was slotted in, with the guy inside the tube riding up on the crane and piece 3 and 4 slotting together eclipsing the torchlight from within.

Seeing the swaying of the bucket full of bolts going up on the crane on a relatively calm night like tonight gave me much more empathy with the guys not attempting it on windier days.

Overall, cold but essential viewing 🙂

FJP
What can I say, you’ve been quicker than all the media in Ireland.
Nothing on RTE or any newspaper sites, but your pictures have been almost live.

A big thank you for this as I am en ex-pat who is rather sadly (in an anorak sort of way) trying to follow this from The Netherlands.

Your pictures give a good impression of how the spire will look overnight too.

There was good crack down there tonight, I took this clip of the tube being straightened up.

Unfortunately it’s around 2 megs, so apologies for the slow download time.

Hey exceelent photos. Was down there a little after midnight, and was just in time to see piece number 5 be hoisted into place. It was quite a sight. It sure is getting tall!

Can’t wait to see the last section go up tomorrow.

James

Just saw piece 5 go up. I’m in Temple Bar posting. There seem to be problems with this penultimate piece. There’s still a chink of light, clearly visible from the quays, and a sound of frantic hammering from above, unlike the 4th piece which went in quite smoothly.

Assuming all is well and they close off the gap, I asked one of the guys what time the last piece is going up and he said 10 o’clock.

So turn off the alarm clock, Paul.

See you there.

10am – hmmm – best go to work so 🙁

I heard that section 5 had to be taken down again for cleaning and that it would be going back up at 10 this morning with the final sections going up about 12 – anyone else here this

According to RTE (Who’s news site is terrible) the cleaning of the 5th section has already happened and it is now back in place and the final section will be erected at 10am.

Can’t find any pictures anywhere of how O’Connell St looks now.

FJP it seems that your services are required again!

was down there at 7:30 this morning. They had the wrapping off the final ‘long section’ and were giving it a good cleaning. Also, it looked as if they had already hoisted up the bolts to secure the final sub assembly. SIAC told me hopefully up for 10-ish. The tai-chi guys merely hummed.

Are the Tai Chi guys there every morning or was it just this morning? It gave the whole thing a mystical feel.
Looks very impressive. I wish I worked in the city centre.

Tai Chi …..aka The Falun Gong crowd are there every morning and your right it does give a new age religious feeling…..almost mystical, esoteric, etc.,,,,, Michael O Nuallain aka ‘bonkers’ on the radio now on Morning Ireland complaining about it but even he has admitted, biting tongue and all that it looks good, sounds pissed as well; members of public too are asked what they think of it…the replies are all favourable.
Here’s to the Spire….
I heard some ejit too has suggested calling it the Brian Boru Spire……oh dear!

I can’t make it for 10. No fair! Should be a national holiday. Anyway it was looking great at dawn this morning. The finish is brilliant.

Watching the guys polishing the section on the ground with what looked like brasso, I noticed there’s a round side vent about 10cm diameter which protrudes a couple of cms. It’s located near the green tempory collar. You can see the collar at

http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com/fjp/photos/spike/spike-030115-14-tip-detail.jpg

Any ideas what it’s for? I guess I won’t be able to see it again anyway but I’m curious.

Also, I’ve heard theres to be a red aviation light on the tip. How whould this be mounted?

http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com/fjp/photos/spike/spike-030115-21-tip-detail.jpg

You’re right about the Tai Chi – there were tv lights behind them and they looked like statues sillouetted on the street. Like the famine memorial gone wrong. Wish I had a camera with me.

For any expats out there – 2fm (ryan show) are doing live coverage which should be available streaming on web.

Sue, are you from Clontarf? lol

So what is the latest?

Is section 5 installed or not?

Is the crane still erect?

Yes and yes.

Great, so it looks like it will definitely be finished today.
Thank heavens for this site. It appears to be the only source of info on the progress.

RTE & Newspapers have dated info and worst of all Dublin City Council have no updates at all.

You’d think they could have put a webcam on the GPO or from Clery’s?

From Ireland.com

Dublin Spire to be completed this morning
Last updated: 21-01-03, 09:30

The sixth and final section of the Dublin Spire is to be lifted into place this morning as engineers take advantage of the calm weather in the capital.

A spokeswoman for Dublin Ctiy Council said work would be completed at 10.00 a.m.

The Spire on O’Connell Street at daybreak this morning

The fourth and fifth sections were installed overnight after strong winds, which had hampered efforts to complete the job yesterday, eased.

When complete, the Spire will rise 120 metres from its two-metre-wide base opposite the GPO on O’Connell Street. This is seven times the height of the surrounding buildings and twice as high as the capital’s tallest building, Liberty Hall.

The first section was lowered into place by Europe’s biggest crane on December 18th. However, the break for Christmas holidays and intermittent high winds have slowed further progress.

The lowest section of the stainless steel monolith is swathed in a plastic covering, which will be removed when construction on securing the base is complete.

Passed close by this morning, and it looks great. Unfortunately you can barely see it from Ballsbridge at the moment. The crane stands out, but the spike get’s lost in the mist.

Did you notice how every news report suddenly started picking up on “Europe’s biggest crane” around the same time?

James

Ah sure we could burn the book of kells as well, that could keep a homeless man warm for the night

Good man John Bowman! And I’m sure the same sceptical folk interact with those painting on a daily basis themselves. Point well made.

And as for the question of building something that people can climb up upon and view the city …
having it as a viewing tower would be terrible in my opinion.
1. Do we really want huge queues all day down O Connell Street. Not a good idea, especially with tram queues, a non-pedestrianed street, and the retail tenants.
2. Tawdry stalls hawking awful replicas, ashtrays and tshirts to queuers.
3. Theres feck all to see apart from the Dublin Mountains. And you can see them better by going to Sally Gap.

some audio reports here from RTE
http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0121/spire.html

we already have a viewing tower- the Smithfield chimney, or the guinness sky lounge.

wanting to ascend the spire is a little primative.

Dublin has two viewing towers already.. Jameson’s and Guinness, these do the job.

I think putting one up in the middle of O’Connell Street would have been very passé

Latest news report says that final section will be lifted “within next hour” completed at 11:30

how come there wasnt the same amount of outrage when the 20% social housing scheme was scrapped?????…

Because we are a nation of small minded folk who care when it suits us – if you want to solve the crisis in health/homeless etc etc you will have to pay more tax.

And you try finding out who wants less money to take home….

looks like the baby crane has started moving
http://www.ireland.com/weather/cam.htm

It’s being lifted in to place now !

They’ve added a second more spire-centric picture on ireland.com

http://www.ireland.com/weather/cam.htm

Just in time – well done (finally) ireland.com

Ian richie has been on the radio and answered my previous question about the aviation light. There has been a temporary light attached to the top of the spire. Within 2 weeks the internal light will be installed, wired up, and pullyed into place and the temporary light can go as the block light will serve.

Well , from what I can see on the webcam it looks like the final piece is in place. Brilliant.

Listened to an interview with the City Manager on Morning Ireland who stated that the costs of The Spire at €4.5m represent about 1% of the total budget for the regeneration of O’Connell Street. Found that really put things into perspective, should stop the whingers and begrudgers now!

So who’s going to be the first to put pictures up?

and she’s there! Wahey!

The historic moment from Harold’s Cross:

can see the monument from the hump on Greenhills Road in Walkinstown, although not as clearly as Andrews.

here’s a (slightly dodgy) panorama of it from north earl st. Link to a larger version below.

http://www.hexhibit.com/spirebig.jpg

Great picture, but I’m a little worried at the angle it’s leaning to. And that kink in the middle is a rather disturbing too!

And how did that helicoptor get tangled in the crane wires?

🙂

James

my ode to tabloid style photo reportage.

btw – key humourous note of the ‘capping show – when some poor sod chose this morning’s crowded o’connell street to carry home a length of about 12 foot of 1/4 inch copper piping. his own little spike.

http://www.hexhibit.com/spire2big.jpg

popped down to see it at lunch today and took some pics. It looks good and its great to see so many folks interested in it. You just stop and watch the other pedestrians walking with their heads facing upwards and then bumping into one another.

AMAZING….SPECTACULAR…FANTASTIC… SURREAL…ANIMATED….AWESOME…..

And I can see it from Glasnevin. Well, it was worth the wait. One woman said that its beauty makes the Eiffel Tower look hideous!!!!!

Well that’s a new one!

J.

JOKE FOR TODAY
=============
When the Spike has finally been completed you will be able to
walk down O’Connell street singing….

> > > > Wait for it….

> > > > I can see Clery’s now the crane has gone

fuppin hell – that beacon is rubbish – i presume it is temporary

love the pictures though alastair

ok

My images are up. About 70 images total, but I had to rush the colour balancing so some are a bit dodgy. The order is also incorrect here and there due to a naming mess up (caused by the aforementioned rushing).

http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com/fjp/photos/spike/

fjp

from lunch time today

it really looked great in the sunshine today. I cant wait for the crane to be taken off the site so you can see it uninterrupted.

If you stand close to the base and look up, you get quite a vertiginous feeling.
One women doing it sorta staggered and tottered backwards for a few paces………before composing herself and hurrying off.

Great Photos lads!!!!

Here here,

FJP, you really provide a great service to posterity and to Dublin. These photos should be around a long time yet!

Well done!

There’s two guys in a basket now removing the collar of the last section.

looking forward to Paul’s photos too. Are you going to post video too Paul?

Of course now there’s the same sense of anticipation about when the black wrapping is coming off and when are they going to light it up etc. etc… Anyone any ideas?

Delighted with the applause from the crowd down there at lunchtime, quite the occasion. I feel so happy that this is finally in place.

PS That mad Ukrainian woman was telling anyone who would listen that the Spire would be down within a year and replaced with her entry – daft as a brush I’m afraid (Shes convinced shell be on the front page of the Irish Times tomorrow as well – hopefully not, they shouldn’t mock the mentally unwell).

I am really delighted – I want to celebrate!

To Quote the late Oliver J. Flanagan – F*ck the begrudgers

Yeah theyre up…..
Have video… but its well wobbly due to tiredness and the zoom factor.
Took well over 100 photos today.

My understanding is the wrapping stays on the bottom section until the work around the base is finished.

The internal lighting should be going in in the next two weeks, when the temporary beacon on the top will be removed.

James

Hey Paul, time for an edit:

http://www.irish-architecture.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/southcity/thomas_street/ssaugustinejohn.html

🙂

ew was wondering what the vent was, turns out to be an electical outlet that they plugged the temporary red light into!

They used cable-ties to clip the cable to the led holes – ugly but it’s only for a few days.

Thanks for the info zozimus. Looks like there’s potential for adding all kinds of tempory additions in the future with the power socket and all the eyelets.
Or you could plug in a polisher if you were up there…

Well, I hope yer all happy now!

Talk of the death of Catholic Ireland? Building obelisks/erections whatever you want to call them in the middle of O’Connell Street? To think on our national holiday, bands of pipers and poor young children educated by the fine Irish priests and nuns’ll have to walk past that sort of thing?

What about giving the money to the Church? They’re doing a grand job for the homeless and the children of Dublin? Look at Archibishop O’Connell and all those fine priests leading by example?

I am most concerened as a mother of 7, that the money could have been used to increase my child benefit.. or my husband’s overtime in the prison service..

What a waste of money, imagine what €4.5 million would have got us, fine fully operated state of the art hospitals in Monaghan, operated by the North Eastern Health Board, more money to spend putting asphalt over potholes. The odd signpost pointing nowhere, don’t get me talking about the homeless…. Sure it’s loads…..

Anyway, what’s wrong with a Sean Lemass tower and a viewing platform to look over the fine street O’Connell Street is…. dirt and all?

Good night and God bless

Nuala D

P.S. ‘Ah sure it’ll do rightly.’

Nuala meet Greg 😀

Lol……

pitty there wasn’t much sun today, just wait till some full blown sunshine catches it in the days ahead …

can’t believe its finally up ! public opinion has definitely turned and will turn more once it is fully unveiled, lights and all … the applause and the taxi drivers beeping their horns was brilliant 🙂

Nuala, your profile, dated from today, says mother of 9…
I just want to correct the number you wrote up there (YOU HAVE 9 KIDS, NOT 7)………….

Good piece on todays 1 o’clock news about it… link to realplayer file here

over 20,000 views for a single thread. Wow, Paul, give yourself a pat on the back and a nice press release. And for everybody else who contributed via posting thanks for the great discussion and energy. The project wouldn’t of been the same if not for the collective passion and interest shown by the archeire community. 🙂

The debate surrounding this may have been daft at times, but when was the last time a project like this captured the public imagination on any level?
When was the last time thousands of people clapped and cheered and motorist beeped their horns at a building project in this country? Or any country in Europe?
Hope I’m not being overly optimistic, but this could be a coming of age for how Irish people see their built environment.
And fair play to DCC for seeing this through…

absolutely, thanks to Paul for running this site, i’d say i check it 20 times a day!

same here :)… i confess I got addicted to it. 20000 deserves a celebration: we’ll do it with a nice portuguese beer here !

Hooked here too… and there’s still plenty of milegae to be had from the construction of the base.

James

oooooooohhh
i cant wait for the first thunder storm……

Dublin 2004:

from pics by Peter Fitzpatrick & fjp

nice one from Irish Times

Ah Zozimus – you could have added the swastikas on to the Hindenberg

“Oh the humanity….”

I assume that woman (mother of 9 with 7 children appearently) saying give the money to the church to look after homeless children was a joke on someones part – if the church want money for that how about dipping into the millions that have been accrued from selling land in South Dublin (or has that gone already in paying compensation to some of the kids they “looked after”).

Oops – sorry for the Ben Elton liberal rant there. Hurray for Spires – that photo from the Times is cool. However I don’t think Starksy and Hutch will get their car roof light back from up there.

Having remained outside of the fray, as a competitor in the original competition and not having concluded my impressions of the spike as either incredibly banal or incredibly elegant finally I would like to add this to the onslaught of names and nomenclature for “The Spike”.

Talk of these threads got me thinking about the nature of this new “Axis Mundi” in the centre of the city. This new centrifugal condition which might even draw the elements of the city together should be renamed “The Needle”. Perhaps as a symbol of stitching, weaving, pulling the “threads” of the city and thought together it could be less violent in meaning than “Spike”.

I realise that as soon as a new name arises the punners will start with “easier to enter through the eye of the needle……” and “needle and the damage done” etc. etc.

Dublin City Council’s desire to use “Spire” is wholly unsuitable due to its origins.

When the public decides on a building’s nickname, that’s it. There’s a Norman Foster building in London dubbed “the Gherkin”. It looks nothing like a gherkin – more like a Zeppelin – but that’s its name and so it will always be called. Ditto the Spike.