The Spike
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the light is out again !
Yeah, I was in O’Connell Street ten minutes ago, and it’s off. It was working earlier this evening.
James
yeah its back on again now, don’t know what happened …
Hey what’s happened to this, the star thread of Archiseek?
Anyhow, any activity by the site? Is there work on the plate and paving in progress?
Any news on an official launch (Can’t help thinking of images flying through the sky like a rocket when I write that!)?
Ta very muchly.
anyone see nationwide last night ? did a feature on the construction of the spire and gave a glimpse of the pattern on the base section, how it was conceived etc. worth a look …
anyone interested can watch it here!
Hugh Pearman’s take:
Mystic monument: Ian Ritchie’s Spire of Dublin.
A monument, so says the dictionary, is anything that preserves the memory of a person or event. But it adds that a monument can be anything that is considered an object of beauty. Right then. On both counts, architect Ian Ritchie’s 400-foot high stainless-steel needle, recently erected in the centre of Dublin, is a monument. And a singularly interesting one.
There’s a lot of activity around it’s base, the concrete supports for the cast bronze base are in, and metal grids of some discription are going down, could be the bronze itself, it’s difficult to tell. Nothing else happening though. No paving slabs etc.
See that they are considering calling it the Sword of Light…..which is’nt bad I supppose….but the use of the word sword refers to a ‘weapon’ which I suppose is’nt very PC today…..An Cleadamh Solais os gaeilge from Padraig Pearse. Sure the spire does’nt have a blade either.
Also Chrisy Burke of Sinn Fein is vouching for Padraig Pearse’s Pillar, how bloody corny and some other goons are on for calling it the just as bloody corny Brian Boru spire.
Imagine naming a monument after someone or something who/which was’nt even in the designer’s thoughts when it was first conceived.
For me the Plain old ‘Spire Of Dublin’ or ‘Spire of Light’ or ‘Monument of Light’ or even the ‘Dublin Spire of Light’ does the job….just like the plain old ‘Eiffel Tower’ in Paris.Neither sword nor spire the ongoing problem with nomenclature is worrying. Even now the idea that this is a monument does injsutice to monuments everywhere. I particularly like the german for Monument, “Denkmal”, which contains the roots of Denken and Mal, thinking (or memory) and Times. Monuments are a repository of memory and as such carry with them some echo of that which the memorialise. If this “thing” crries memory, then that memory is a very poor thing, hollow and shallow. To ascribe the word monument to this is a weak attempt to raise its profile within what is rapidly becoming a poor critical environment where you have to either love or loath it.
News talk have been reporting that a short list of names has been drawn up and a decision is expected (later today?).
The list they gave is
-sword of light
-monument of light
-brian boru something
-padrig pearse pillarWhat’s that all about? The news report gave no details. Who decides the name? (They?) Any comments I’ve read from ian Richie would surely rule out the boru/pearse suggestions. I presume he has some input into it…?
It was looking particularly good this morning by the way. I’m delighted to note that it still causes me to smile – the novelty has not worn off!
aye….monuments are tombstones or gravestones so as to remember the dead.
The ‘Dublin Spire of Light’ it is then.The Spire of Dublin will do me just fine too. Sinn Fein shouldn’t get a look in on the naming process since (a) they were opposed to it in the first instance being from “the Hospital beds and VD clinics” brigade and (b) they (or their buddies) are the philistines who blew up the pillar in the first place!
Here’s a bland nomination of my own – The Robert Emmet Tower – it’s his bicentenial this year you know!!!
PS that’s a joke – please stick with the Spire of Dublin
What a load of old cobblers… why not just stick to the plain old simple Spike! Or Spire of Dublin if you have to…
All this Padraig Pearse crap…. enough with the 1916 memorials. And as for Brian Boru…please! Where did that one come from. Its so twee.
All these wonderful city councillors with loads to say on the Spire…. SORT OUR POTHOLED FILLED STREETS OUT INSTEAD IF YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DO!It’s coming from a piece in the Irish Mirror this morning, which says:
City Architect Jim Barrett says finding the right name is a ‘difficult task’.
‘It is important to come up with something that suits everyone, that’s what makes it hard.
‘We aren’t really considering anything new. All ten of our suggestions are sure to be have been heard by the public already.
‘They all revolve around honouring people from history or focusing on the light emitting powers of the structure.
‘We can’t say which is the favourite because we are still in discussions.’Barrett also said derogatory names would obviously not get a look in.
He said: ‘The ones we hear every day like the Pole in the Hole have not been put forward in an official capacity.
‘This is a monument for everyone to be proud of and we are taking the issue of naming it very seriously.
‘Some people are quite annoyed that such a prestigious project is being given mock names.
‘The committee is due to meet again next week and we hope to have more or less come to a decision by then.
‘We will be having an official unveiling ceremony in a few weeks but we are waiting for the area around it to be tidied up first.
‘The light fitting is now being tested in the UK and when it is ready and the building rubble is gone, we will be ready for the grand opening.’Ian Ritchie still feels the Monument of Light is the appropriate name. I agree and can’t understand why it would be changed now. Also, I think the reality is that it will forever be known as the Spike and I don’t think any naming ceremony will change that.
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