The Spike
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The last segment of the doughnut encircling the Spire’s base is being inserted as I speak/type (12.15), still can’t see properly to acertain whether its the cast bronze base, or just it’s supports.
Interestingly the whole central median of the northern end of O’ Connell St stretching from the Spire to the Gresham has just been pressure washed in anticipation of the base’s unveiling/Patricks Day, the only bit of foresight the CC has shown in recent times, and admittedly, I never thought crude concrete slabs could look so fine, (albeit for 6 months) esp in contrast with the grotty uncleaned ones, they’re a dazzling white, Portland stone colour and act as a surprising lift to the whole Street, esp in the sun.
A notable name for the spire would be to call it after the Dubliner who planned what we know largely as Dublin city…..who’s vision has never been equaled only barbaricaly destroyed since and never will be equaled ………Luke Gardiner …as a matter of fact there should be a Luke Gardiner week every year to educate and promote the legacy of the greatest planner and developer this city ever had.
Why would a piece of metal stretching over 120 meters into the sky be a relevant tribute to Luke Gardiner?
So by your reckoning it would be ok in a few years the rename the Molly Malone work at the bottom of Grafton St the ‘Mary Harney’ monument. Maybe also they could rename the whole street by replacing the ‘C’ in O Connell with a ‘D’ and turn it into an Irish music theme park?The fact of the matter is that the Spike was not designed as a tribute to anyone in mind and was simply an architectural work of art.
Just stick with the Spire of Dublin or Monument of light, and all this Brian Boru, Luke Gardiner, Bono, Dustin etc be put to bed.
I mean if you became famous in your city for something would you like to your name to be enshrined by the Spire? Of course not, monumental tributes to people should be in the form of a recognisable statue. painting or picture, not a piece of architecture that was originally designed for other purposes.
Murpho, well debated…..but leaving the Spire aside …..as we have a Blooms week ..any thoughts on a Luke Gardiner exhibition and week of walks and lectures ? …99.99% of Dubliners only have heard of Gardiner as in Street… his plans and work should be taught to every kid in school… a great and visible introduction to architecture and planning for young minds.
Speaking of plans – did anyone see the Abercrombie feature in Ireland on Sunday? Not bad at all. Compared the height graphically of the proposed St Patrick’s tower (500 ft and fairly bulky) as part of the new Pro-Cathederal with the Spire (300 ft & slender). Interesting
Paving was relaid up to the Gresham last week so that’s why its looking so ship shape. They had it in fairly quickly too!
Apparently, 10 internet site names connected with the Spire have been registered. DCC aren’t too happy!
Gardiner is so under-acknowledged in this city, is there even a statue in his honour? There’s no excuse for a statue not to be erected on O’ Connell St now, as part of the works, considering it was his foresight that created for us one of the finest streets in Europe.
I cut across Gardiner St most mornings and it is truly beautiful, or rather whats left of it…
The houses are much more uniform & dignified than those of the over-celebrated southside, and after all, they set the standard for much of Merrion Sq and the like.I agree that the Spire shouldn’t be named after anyone.
Anyone know of any images/portraits of the great man himself and unsung hero Luke Gardiner …aka junior and senior.
Maybe a campaign should be started to give these great urban planners of Georgian Dublin
the credit they deserve. Yep I can see B..B…Bertie et al jumping on the band wagon.A sculpture would be very apt done in a Baroque style with a bit of a swagger and set in a square of some sort in his part of Dublin. Pity that Gardiner Street has suffered however.
(Ever see that statue too of Robert Emmet on St Steven’s Green, somewhat lost where it is is’nt it………I often thought that it should be moved to the front of St Catherine’s Church with a square of some sort being created in Thomas Street where he had his bit of an uprising and was executed.)
Feck the traffic here, the fabric, history and culture of the city matters more.Thats good!
GregF surely Mountjoy Square is the place for a Gardiner memorial. And I agrre one is needed…it would help towards dispelling the myth that Georgian Dublin was soley British creation rather than something as much undertaken by Irish people as anyone.
Perhaps the Irish Georgian Society would be interested.
The Emmett Statue is across the road from his birthplace which stood where 124 St Stephen’s green is about to be built.
PS it looks like Cramptons are on site here now and the gaping hole in the West side of the green is finally going to be filled after being empty for approx 30 years
Strikes me there’s a need for a separate Gardiner strand here.
The way I see it is we have four options;
A After its creator –Richies tower – no thanks
B After a deserving unappreciated, plenty of them in Ireland but the who and why arguement is endless and pointless
C In 20th century abstracted style, eg. ‘monument of light’ being the closest I’ve heard to this method. However over the last 70 years or so this type of titleing has become pastiche.
D Which only leaves one other option. The pop approach. I’m not familiar with any piece of public art that has been named by pop public response. The title of ‘the Spike’ is certainlty not abstract or positivly symbolic etc, its obviously quite crude. But it is a populist gut reaction to a piece of art and I think this ‘tart with the cart’ analogy would be interesting to explore.
Art has become more interested in audience reaction over composition in the last few years in its tireless search to represent society. Architecture however is the only artform that strives to show society as it should be! every other medium shows society as it is. In debating a contrived name for the piece we are following the habitual (and valid) utopian response of architecture when this is in fact a piece of art. So an ‘official’ title is an insult to the piece as it fundamentally doesnt understand the whole point of art.
So can we please stop worrying about being a laughing stock! Its time for us to stop having such a regional attitude in this country towards art and especially architecture, I think the real reason we would be a laughing stock is because were always so bloody worried about what the neighbours think we are scared to make our own valid decisions.
Saw it this morning coming in at around 10:30
Spire Officially Named
The spire in O Connell Street has officially been named The Spire. The decision was taken by Coucillors at City Hall where they were presented with a choice of names but the straightforward title was a clear favourite. In Irish the Spire has the slightly more poetic title An Tur Solais.
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