Vertigo? U2 tower to be taller
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@darkman wrote:
I wonder what names the legendary dublin wit will give this if it is built?:rolleyes:
The Tick.
Interesting to note that if this building was built to 180m it would be the tallest building in a city in these Islands outside London.
….as for Foster’s proposal…when the hell does dublin or any place look like that …. I wish architects would actually represent their ideas in reality ….
Those schemes above are unadulterated shit.
Both essays in empty formalism. They make foster’s scheme look considered.
What, on gods green earth someone tell me is the pseudo-rational justifiaction of twisting a tower around?
[Extract from Bord Pleanala’s Inspector’s Report on Ref. 124374- Summary of 3rd Party Appeal on behalf of U2’s Princus Trust against a neighbouring development proposal]
The appeal from BDA, agent on behalf of Princus Investment Trust, owners of 30/32 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay can be summarised as follows. The excessive height of the proposed east elevation will undermine light levels to the existing building at 30/32 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay. Inadequate information has been submitted in relation to the proposed east elevation. Drawings fail to indicate the silhouette of nos. 30/32 as they will appear against the proposed six-storey gable. It is not acceptable that alterations to the proposed façade are to be dealt with by conditions attached to the planning permission. The proposed building in its height, mass, material and overall design fails to respect or address the context and scale of the existing buildings and permission should therefore, be refused.Planning Application Details
Reg. Ref.: 3938/99
Development: Mixed development of offices and 129 apartments, List 2 stone arch to former Marine School and associated site works at 28 –29 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, 10 –13 Cardiff Lane, 10 Hanover St. East, Dublin 2.
Applicant: Haytonvale Developments Ltd.
Planning Authority Decision: Grant permission and refuse permission
Appellant(s): Haytonvale Developments Ltd., Princus Investment TrustAm I alone thinking such a huge building looks kind of ridiculous in the midst of the low docklands skyline? Will it not distract the eye from looking anywhere else ? If there were a few altro vetros nearby then we’d have some sort gradation at least.
@ake wrote:
Am I alone thinking such a huge building looks kind of ridiculous in the midst of the low docklands skyline? Will it not distract the eye from looking anywhere else ? If there were a few altro vetros nearby then we’d have some sort gradation at least.
Nope I agree,all in favour of a tall building here but something needs to be built in between it and the other flat buildings along side it
although it will probably look better viewed from near Altro Vetro
can anybody put together a render of this new proposal combined with the refused Dunloe scheme on the next site, this was done with the twisting design.I see no issue with height in terms of the surrounding structures. I mean, come on, we will never have more opportunity to do anything then now. I say go with Fosters proposal to 180m and make a statement on the skyline for once. This is a real opportunity. When Liberty Hall went up people were saying Ireland had entered a new age. Everyone was really excited. Thats Liberty Hall! Imagine what this tower would be like!:)
Frank McDonald’s piece in Thursday was excellent. Did anyone else see it? One by one he stipped away all the reasons the DDDA had given for selecting the Ballymore/U2 bid. Even though the DDDA had initiated the piece in an attempt to correct the earlier mistakes on height and energy centres, Frank wasn’t going to be used as a stool pigeon and duly took his revenge. Talk about eating the hand that feeds you.Having demolished the case in support of the Ballymore/U2 bid, unfortunately he stopped short of explaining why this bid has ended up being declared the ‘provisional’ preferred bidder. Expect more.
From a very early stage in the competition process Ballymore/U2 have been assured of winning. And if you’re Ballymore/U2 and you know you’re going to win, what’s left to do but maximise your position. You do this by proposing a building that’s cheaper than the reference design (bottom drawer Foster) and then bidding less than anyone else for the exclusive right to build your design. It’s very simple: bid less, build cheaper. It’s a double whammy.
And then you laugh all the way to the bank.
@SOC wrote:
It’s very simple: bid less, build cheaper. It’s a double whammy.
As well as making sure you entertain the CEO at every given opportunity, including trips to Manchester and London. The pre-qualification document from Ballymore was actually based around Pan Penninsula project, they didn’t demonstrate how they were going to build the tower in Docklands. And they still managed to get through. But I suppose a well aimed FOI request would reveal this.
SOC wrote:Frank McDonald’s piece in Thursday was excellent. Did anyone else see it?Yes read it in full, some good points but like his recent article on Metro north he seems to be more critical than looking at any benefits for the city. Never any vision used on his part.
This tower has dragged on for years, they need to build it ASAP and then we can all comment on it favourably or not.The Ballymore-U2 bid will never get beyond ‘provo’ status.
One of the jurors, close to Urban Capital, is understood to be taking legal advice as he may be challenged in the forthcoming judicial review proceedings in relation to prejudicial remarks made during the assessment process.
That rush you hear is the sound of people running for cover!
This was in yesterday’s Sunday Business Post, written by Neil Callanan
Winning bid for U2 tower is almost €30m under highest offer
The winning consortium for the U2 tower is believed to have bid almost €30 million less for the site than the highest bid submitted. The Riverside 2 Partnership is understood to have bid about €75 million. The Geranger consortium which comprises Ballymore Properties, Paddy McKillen and U2 band members and management is believed to have bid a figure of slightly more than €70 million for the site.
McKillen is believed to own only a small slice of Geranger, whose bid is said to have been a relatively straightforward cash offer.
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), which ran the competition to select a developer of the tower and a new design (the third) for the building, said it could not comment on the price offered by Ballymore and its partners and how it matched up against other bids.
“The tender process is ongoing,” said a spokeswoman.
“This is commercially sensitive data which cannot be released at this time.”
It is estimated that the U2 Tower scheme will cost over €200 million to design and build. Construction is expected to start in 2008 and be completed by 2011. The winning bid comprises a 120-metre tower with a hotel, shops and apartments designed by Foster + Partners.
At the top of the tower will be a suspended egg-shaped pod which will house U2’s studios. So far, the DDDA has only released a night time render of the building. Night time images are notoriously difficult to judge a building’s quality by because, among other things, they don’t show the materials used or shadowing impacts.
When asked why it has not released daytime renders, the DDDA said “that the release of images is a matter for the docklands authority. All images will be released at the end of the tender process.” However an alternative image of the design has been obtained by users of architectural discussion forum https://archiseek.com and posted on their website.
The new tower design was described by the DDDA as “inspirational” and “one of the most significant architectural projects to be delivered in the regeneration of the Docklands area”. DDDAQ chief executive Paul Maloney said the “submission exceeded the expectations of the brief with the emergence of a breathtaking design uniquely suited to this prominent docklands site”.
From certain angles, the tower bears a resemblance to Deutsche Bank Place, the bank’s headquarters at 126 Philips Street in Sydney in Australia, which was designed by the same architects.
The losing members of the shortlist are believed to have met last week to discuss their options. They each spent at least €1 million, according to one well-placed source, and one of the bids cost as much as €2.5 million.
When the shortlist of developers was announced, the DDDA’s press release omitted to mention U2’s involvement with Ballymore in the process. U2’s involvement with Geranger was, however, made known to all bidders prior to bidding, the DDDA spokeswoman said.
It only became publicly known that U2 was involved with Ballymore when the authority’s legal representatives, A&L Goodbody, wrote to all the other bidders, stating that the band and its representatives had not had any role in drawing up the rules for the contest. That letter was then leaked to the media.
To “underpin the independence” of the assessment process, the authority felt it necessary to appoint Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Shih-Fu Peng of Heneghan Peng Architects and Michael O’Doherty, former principal architect at the Office of Public Works, to advise it on the bids.
They decided that the Foster design and Geranger bid was the best submission for the site.
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