Vertigo? U2 tower to be taller
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I’m glad to see the back of the twisty tower but am disappointed by Foster’s corporate looking structure. I’d be interested to see Hadid’s proposal.
Hopefully U2 will have split up by the time this thing’s finished.@darkman wrote:
Im a little confused about just what height this building is going to be.
It’s all a bit confusing alright.
Let’s assume that the building in the render is 130m in height.
100 metres consists of 32 stories with a public observation deck.
30 metres is an open-air space with U2’s recording ‘pod’ suspended in the centre.
50 metres of an ‘Alernative Energy Centre’ with solar panels and wind turbines (not shown in the render).
I would like Frank McDonald to clarify this because its after creating unnessacary confusion. The DDDA has said 120m – however they have not countered the 180m claim – probrably because they have not been asked! Frank McDonald however has not shown a render of this ‘energy center’ so id like to know what the sources were that told him 180m. Or maybe its the DDDA being economical with the truth because Id say it would have to go back in the planning process if they said 180m. This is very confusing.
@JoePublic wrote:
Looks cool, is that the road going through it? Kinda looks like it from the main picture. Big enough to take buses?
Buses? 😮
It’s four stories high (see red lines), so plenty of headroom for double deckers. Don’t tell Bus Ãtha Cliath that.
No, I reckon it will be a set down only arrangement for the hotel.
I reckon the design will change again – 60 of wind turbines / antennae etc seems a lot when already 120m off the ground – i think the building will creap unwards perhaps taking another 30m of this height over….
@Paul Clerkin wrote:
I reckon the design will change again – 60 of wind turbines / antennae etc seems a lot when already 120m off the ground – i think the building will creap unwards perhaps taking another 30m of this height over….
Is that not exactly what I’ve done? :confused: :p
@massamann wrote:
120m according to Brian Dobson (and who am I to argue?)
Good to see the objectors already making their voice heard (on this evenings news). Not sure if I can go along with the Ringsend resident group that only wants maritime-connected buildings to be built in this area.
I’m sure a brand-spanking new Whaling Station by David Chipperfield would fit right in, but it would bring environmental concerns of a wholly different sort….
that was actually an surprising point, consider it for a second what maritime related buildings could you build there?
maybe the the dublin port should expand into this so called commercial areas then they wouldn’t have to move, makes alot of sense
did he say something about new york skyscrapers though, ?? those would be the buildings in the port authority area :rolleyes:
has there any new sea related buildings been built down there at all? every city seems to have one of those ship shaped centres. or perhaps a yacht club like the building nominated for the stirling price, or simply a new ferry terminal or industrial shipping dock?
@Morlan wrote:
:rolleyes: I tried. :p
Sorry, I know you did (nice pic btw, love the batman sign;) ) however im annoyed now that none of us actually know how tall this building is going to be. Are the DDDA saying they have knocked 10m off the U2 tower? I find the DDDA frustrating at the best of times but this is farcical that on this forum – on the the day the final design is unveiled that we dont know what fuppin height its going to be!?
Ive a suggestion. The DDDA has kindly given email links on its press release for more info and images if we want them. So I suggest we bombard them with requests until we know for sure. 😉
I have everything that is currently available from Ogilvy – everything says 120m – all the news reports say 120m – reuters says 120m
OK so we should take it then that Frank McDonald is wrong and the actual height in total is 120m and the DDDA have knocked 10m off the original tower – well this puts a new perspective on the building itself because if thats the case it is very disappointing IMO.
You see the problem is no one from the DDDA or anywhere else AFAIK has actually said it wont be 180m. Seems a bit strange considering the Irish times is suppose to be a highly reputable newspaper.
Foster and U2 to Rock Dublin Skyline
Published on 2007-10-12 by Skyscrapernews.comMore plans have been proposed for the so-called U2 Tower in Dublin’s Docklands, this time designed by Foster and Partners.
The new plans for a largely residential tower that reaches a height of 180 metres to the tip of its pinnacle have been developed by Geranger Ltd, a joint venture between Ballymore Properties, Gerry McKillen and members of U2 as the culmination of a long competition into the future of the site.
The winning 200 million Euro proposals that beat off a second place entry from Zaha Hadid are wedge-shaped with what appears to be an undulating surface on the east and west sides but in reality is contoured to conceal the balconies of the 136 apartments.
In the crown there is an acoustically separated egg suspended in mid air housed that will be the new recording studio for the band the scheme takes its name after whilst immediately below this will be a new observation platform open to the public all year round.
A second building stands to the south that will house a hotel and the 34 affordable apartments that make the housing figures balance up. This is allows the developers to take advantage of the increased revenues in the area by combining both plots so that the main tower can be taller than the sums would otherwise be allow.
Most of the top of the structure is however given over to the creation of renewable power with solar panels and wind turbines planned to be fitted that will help generate the building’s power.
Whether the architects have factored in the hot air created every time Bono opens his mouth and the sun that shines out his backside has not yet been revealed.
This is not the first time that U2 have teamed up with developers to construct a tall building that will be topped by their own recording studio. Since 2003 numerous plans have been increased in scale from an initial 70 metres tall but fallen by the wayside including a twisting tower penned by Craig Henry Architects in 2003 that was at one point the favoured concept.
Thanks to the planning regulations that Grand Central Docks has to encourage development on the site at Britain Quay, they won’t even need to apply for permission to build. The developers hope that this time construction can begin as soon as 2008 for a 2011 completion.
@darkman wrote:
You see the problem is no one from the DDDA or anywhere else AFAIK has actually said it wont be 180m. Seems a bit strange considering the Irish times is suppose to be a highly reputable newspaper..
okay this is starting to irritate me – they say that the top of the power centre will be 180m but the building tops out at 120m — how hard is this to understand?
@Morlan wrote:
Buses? 😮
It’s four stories high (see red lines), so plenty of headroom for double deckers. Don’t tell Bus Ãtha Cliath that.
No, I reckon it will be a set down only arrangement for the hotel.
Well from what I understand, the bridge across the Dodder will be a public transport corridor, so I assume buses travelling across the dodder, through the U2 tower, and on down the quays….
@Paul Clerkin wrote:
okay this is starting to irritate me – they say that the top of the power centre will be 180m but the building tops out at 120m — how hard is this to understand?
they say that the top of the power centre will be 180m
…….God give me strength…….lets assume that someone actually decided to attach this power center to the building……….that makes it part of the building’s structure. How small do you anticapate this ‘power center’ would be? Are you saying that it will probrably not be bulky enough to be considered an integral part of the building? If your talking about 60 wind turbines and a ‘huge solar panel’ stretching 60m above the shoulder of the building then I would regard that as sufficient to be included in the full building height – end of story. The building is either 180m high or it is not. Are you satisied with the render given Frank McDonald’s assertion this morning? The ‘energy center’ is not on that render as far as I can see.
With respect, they dont look like shafts to me and are far from bulky enough to carry 60 wind turbines and a solar panel in all honesty. I think it is just light beams drawn for effect.
Simply the ‘battery’ at the top is not on the render so I fail to see how we can even judge the building until we see more renders.
@JoePublic wrote:
Well from what I understand, the bridge across the Dodder will be a public transport corridor, so I assume buses travelling across the dodder, through the U2 tower, and on down the quays….
That’s true, I forgot about that. Perhaps DCC will reserve right of way through the development. :-/
I’m looking forward to seeing the master plans for this site.
@Paul Clerkin wrote:
and what are the two shafts going into the sky off the top of the building?
CAD > Light Source > Exaggerate & Amplify.
I can considered that but i also assumed that maybe it was indicitive as in why mention it at all otherwise?
This ‘battery’, as Frank McDonald describes it, IMO would change the look of this building significantly (60 metres high after all). Basically a liberty hall on top of the building in the render. I hope we get a render of it shortly as it would clear everything up.
As an aside its very important that we know because there is an enourmous difference between 120 and 180m. 180 tall anything will have a significant impact on Dublin.
@Paul Clerkin wrote:
I can considered that but i also assumed that maybe it was indicitive as in why mention it at all otherwise?
It’s a bit of a mystery alright. I honestly can’t invisage 50/60 metres of paraphernalia hanging off the top of the tower. They’ve deliberately left something out from the render.
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