The Spike
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aviation light is out again for some reason …
Originally posted by cf
……..don’t let your criticism turn into cynicism 😉Its not hard to be cynical and really, thats the only way you can be. I think that there was far too much optimism and patience during the constant delays of this project.
In reality the spike was a pre-fabricated bit of metal just bigger than an ordinary building crane. It should not have taken such a lenght of time to erect. If weather and wind was a problem, it should not have been put up during the windiest months of the year. If they wanted to unviel it for St. Patrick’s day, the site should not have lain idle for most of February. The contractors must be laughing to the bank that they can string out this project for so long.
It is a damp squid – a dirty one at that – self cleaning metal how-are-you? Graffiti-proof? I think that’s another feature of the Spike which might prove to be not-althogether correct.
Here’s a thought: it only took a year to build the Empire States Building in NYC. I can’t believe the date for this is now June. Its beyond a joke and not the best omen for the rest of the O’Connell St. redevelopment.
Its looking increasingly likely that this will end up like O’Connell St.’s previous Millenium monument – the Floozie in the Jacuzzi – but even that didn’t have this saga surrounding its building.
I’m sure it will all work out and I still look forward to seeing the full job completed. Meanwhile I enjoy the spire as it is and mostly it is an object of beauty and wonder. Check out the sunrise and sunset and it’ll cheer you up too.
I’m taking a month off from being concerned about the ineptitude and the typicalness(?) of the delays and the shoddyness of the job half done. I’m hoping that in a month there’ll be nothing to complain about. Fingers crossed!Does anyone know what the reason is? Or is it just a case of chronic mismanagement at the Corpo, sorry City Council.
This whole thing has been handled appallingly and does NOT bode well for the development of Main Street Ireland in the long run.
I went down over lunch to see the base of the spire , now that it has finally been unwrapped. It looks kinda strange, and was causing a lot of comment from passers-by.
There is a pattern on the lower section of the base rising up to about 6 metres or so. I remember reading that this was derived from the patterns of the soil in the test bores that were done at the start of the project. I have to say the pattern looks awful….. very nasty actually. It looks as though the wrapping got stuck to the surface and then pulled off the finish when it was being unwrapped. I know that this isn’t the case, as the matt finish is shot-peened, not applied as a film, but that is what it appears like, and now since lunchtime, I’ve received two calls from friends telling me to go down and take a look at what they assumed was the result of bad workmanship, or of leaving the wrapping on for too long.
The funny thing is that the surface of the patterned areas are left in their non-shot-peened state, i.e. very shiny and it gives a hint of what the spire may have looked like if it had been left with the stainless mirror finish that you usually expect with stainless steel. It reflects everything from the surrounds so you see distorted reflections of all the traffic and people moving across the surface, which looks great.
Can anyone recall if the shot-peened finish was mentioned at the beginning? and this pattern on the base? I only heard of it very late in the day, shortly before the first section arrived on site.
It would have been best if the base was left either with no pattern, or if one was desired, that it be a more linear, othogonal type of pattern, more in keeping with the feeling of the spire.
At the moment the pattern is too organic, and feels like a half-hearted gesture to “soften” the spire. I can’t think of anything less soft or organic than a sculpture in the form of steel spire set in an urban setting like O’Connell Street and think that should be celebrated rather than apologised for.Really, its unwrapped?!!! Arrrgh, don’t have time to see it today now!!!
The shot peening and the pattern were mentioned pretty much from the beginning.Can’t wait to see it, regardless of it’s condition.
Ok, got to see it in time.
Is this some sort of sick joke? This ‘design’ on its base.
It is repulsive.
It looks like the base has just been vandalised or damaged, with areas of the shot peening been removed.
What a shame.
Really what a disaster, what a disapointment, what a crime.
The pattern is childish, predicable, grossly post-modern, and a harsh slap in the face to the GPO. Its a pattern you’d expect to be painted onto the walls of a swimming pool, or on the sides of slides in a water park. Childish, garish and crass.I am furious with this, I really am.
It is nothing short of a defacement of the sculpture and I am disgusted with it.
Most of all, saddened at what could have been.
its not so bad in my view, likably even. funny really, i have been dreading this for ages since the description made it sound aweful and well, i didn’t think it was. its a bit corporate, probably not as nice as having no pattern, but i imagined something much much worse.
My partner’s reaction was very much of a “is it supposed to be like that, it looks like something went wrong” variety…
As for myself, I’m not sure yet. I do like the fact that it is mirror reflective though. I think if I had done it myself, I would have went for concentric bands around the spire..
Though when i think about it now, the difference in colour does give the effect of a plinth from which the remainder of the Spire erupts so perhaps it will look good over time….
and i now think contrary to my post at https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?s=&postid=12537#post12537 that the “base tone” is supposed to be different on the bottom section and its not just pollution or weathering….
I looked at it again this morning, thinking perhaps I’d think differently about it after a second viewing.
No, its still terrible, in fact it looks even worse. Of course the idea of mirrored parts is very attractive but to be used in this way?!
It looks a terrible mess, like something has gone badly, badly wrong, and makes the whole street look untidy (more so)
What the hell happened to Ritchie’s cris-cross double helix DNA pattern which he described as ‘a late 20th century spiral’. Where the patterns overlapped the surface was to be left mirrior finished, where they did’nt, shot peened. It was an elegant, restrained and graceful design befitting of the Spire.
Ritchie was describing this barely 4 months ago at the finishing stages of its manufacture.Is this his revenge on the people of Dublin for their decending remarks?
I most certainly cannot construe it as being anything else.This ‘pattern’ is disgraceful in my view and has cast a dark cloud on this entire project.
What an insult to O’ Connell Street.
Ritchie should be ashamed of himself.
Well Graham, you have defended the spire through thick and thin, such a pity that it should end like this.
Unfortunately I agree.
I was very excited by the concept, but this “pattern” doesn’t seem to have any discernable geometry. And I know it might be considered garish, but the polished steel would have looked amazing.
What a shame.Well judging by the pictures it looks awful (Are those black parts bits of plastic still stuck to it?)
But surely it’s just a case that it needs a clean up and then the pattern will be more visible then. I know the DNA pattern is there as I have seen photo’s of it from during the manufacturing process. It can’t just have dissappeared?
I like it … although I saw it on tv before hand so I knew what to expect … although I’d say most people will look and wonder if its supposed to be like that …
I don’t like the change in colour ( is that solely from having the plastic around the base or was it intentional ? ) and the discolouration of the spire in general, wonder how it will look by this time next year … the city council should get on to ritchie …
Did Ritchie stay away completely from Waterford where they were actually assembling the spike? Cos if he saw this coming off the production line and thought “oh goodie” – I’d be seriously worried. I think the spike would have looked 100 times better had they left the base unpatterned rather than inflict this on us – a shame… I guess the honeymoon is over.
Bring back de floooosie!
The point of view of the average punters
http://www.p45rant.com/boards/showthread.php?s=&postid=793634#post793634Christ,
this is going all horribly wrong I have a gut feeling there has been a balls up. I would be very surprised if Ritchie, wanted that ‘thing at the base’ It looks very unprofessional. Bit like the Corpo really
As for the ‘opening’ thinking about it, I’d say it’s tied up with the Special Olympics, which are due to open on June 21, which also incidently is the longest day of the year.
A fitting time to illuminate the Spire or the beginning of the end for another corpo architectual fiasco…?? I’m beginning to think it will go the way of the flozzie and the time in the slime!
yep ritchie was shown on nationwide about a month and a half a go, surveying the finished product in waterford, before it was brought to dublin …
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