Vertigo? U2 tower to be taller
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Looks promising … I hope to get down there on Monday so I will have chat with the builders to see whats going on.
Re: pic above
Is its just me or does that look like some form of concrete foundation that has been laid over in the far left corner…. and i think this is exactly where the tower will go ? :confused:
I’m purely an interested layman so i’m curious as to what that could be….I say NOOOOOOOOOO to a bigger tower. It would look far too bulky. If the bottom few floors flared out a little, that would prabably be ok. Something other than a cube beside it would be good too, maybe something like the wireframe sketch.
@skenn_ie wrote:
I say NOOOOOOOOOO to a bigger tower. It would look far too bulky. If the bottom few floors flared out a little, that would prabably be ok. Something other than a cube beside it would be good too, maybe something like the wireframe sketch.
I agree. Anything above 4 floors is just idiotic for this area. It’s far too close to the city centre.
A nice 3 story block would be perfect for this site. Although, I think 3 sotries would be a bit overkill for the whole area.
I read on the AJPlus website that the designs for U2 tower may be scrapped, and that a couple of british architects (one being Foster) are working on a new scheme. Can anybody shed some more light on this? Is it alright to quote the full aj article here?
@Morlan wrote:
I agree. Anything above 4 floors is just idiotic for this area. It’s far too close to the city centre.
A nice 3 story block would be perfect for this site. Although, I think 3 sotries would be a bit overkill for the whole area.
😮 Are you serious? The whole Docklands is full of unremarkable blocks of only a couple of stories, we desperately need something tall and something with a bit of ‘wow’ factor.
There’s nothing else there as the area was a wasteland before the revamp began. Its a blank canvas so should be built up to a great height as much as possible.
@cokedrinker wrote:
I read on the AJPlus website that the designs for U2 tower may be scrapped, and that a couple of british architects (one being Foster) are working on a new scheme. Can anybody shed some more light on this? Is it alright to quote the full aj article here?
TBH I always thought the twisting design would not look right at just 130m. I think it would need to be taller. I do hope that article is wrong though because we dont want any more delays with this really.
@Morlan wrote:
I agree. Anything above 4 floors is just idiotic for this area. It’s far too close to the city centre.
A nice 3 story block would be perfect for this site. Although, I think 3 sotries would be a bit overkill for the whole area.
I’m not so sure. 3 storey might be fine for that particular site but what signal would it send out?
Thin end of the wedge stuff really – next thing you know and it is being cited as precedent for all sorts of high falutin high rise.
Surely we have learned from the excessive heights along the quays?
Yes good point
There should be a blanket ban on any structure over 3 floors – effective immediately
This isn’t new york or tokyo or barcelona or sydney or melbourne or rio or london or most city
in the rest of the civized world.
This is Dublin and we dont do – so called ‘sustainable development’
It is every citizens right, in this great country, to be entitled to a front and back garden with a large park minutes away
Let the next generation worry about sustainability
Just like the global warming crisisShortlist for the site:
Ballymore Properties
Royal BAM Group
Treasury Holdings/Sisk
Mountbrook Homes
River II Partnership
In order to achieve a compliant tender, developers are required to bid for the current U2 Tower design and their architect’s design for the Britain Quay site.SHORTLIST FOR U2 TOWER AND BRITAIN QUAY DEVELOPMENT CONFIRMED
DOCKLANDS AUTHORITY CONFIRMS SHORTLIST FOR U2 TOWER AND BRITAIN QUAY DEVELOPMENT
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority has selected a shortlist ofdevelopers to proceed to the second stage of the tender process to design, construct and finance the U2 Tower and the Britain Quay Development. Since the original design competition, the Docklands Authority has assembled an adjacent, substantial site on Britain Quay which has been included in this tender. The site is located at the confluence of three waterways, the River Liffey, River Dodder and Grand Canal, one of the most unique sites in the city.
Tenderers are invited to submit designproposals for this site and to provide an integrated solution with the U2 Tower. This is one of the most significant architectural projects to be delivered in the regeneration of the Docklands area. Paul Maloney, CEO of the Docklands Authority, welcoming the proposals, said, “we are delighted withthe calibre of teams engaged and to see the involvement of eminent architects including Foster & Partners, Rafael Vinoly and other internationally recognised architects.
We are confident that the consortia selected will deliver an enduring architectural landmark which will be acknowledged in Ireland and around the world.”Shortlisted developers have put together consortia with world classexperience in tower building including:
Ballymore Properties
Royal BAM Group
Treasury Holdings/Sisk
Mountbrook Homes
River II PartnershipIn order to achieve a compliant tender, developers are required to bid forthe current U2 Tower design and their architect’s design for the BritainQuay site.
The U2 Tower is located in the Grand Canal Dock area, where the DocklandsAuthority are working with some of the world’s leading architects onprojects such as the Studio Libeskind-designed Grand Canal Theatre, the Manuel Aires Mateus designed five star hotel, and Martha Schwartz designed Grand Canal Square.
Who did they acquire the Britain Quay site off and does anybody know who’s involved in the River II partnership
EDIT: site was acquired years ago by DDDA and while it is not commenting on who’s involved in River II partnership The Sunday Times has said that Paddy McKillen is involved in it
Article here by Deyan Sudjic from the website Paul posted relating to the Van Allen Institute’s Gateway Park Competition which might be of interest in relation to the U2 tower architectural competition:
http://www.vanalen.org/gateway/why_politicsofdesign.php
It is in Pdf format towards the bottom of the page and entitled ‘Design Competitions: The Pitfalls and the Potential.’
If there’s such a comnflict over the design of this building, than what exactly are those builders doing down there?:confused:
Are they just pile-driving for the fun of it while the DCC mandarins wrangle and prevaricate?
It must be the biggest playground in the State then if the current(if there’s any) design has been thrown out and is being redrafted.
I may be a simpleton, but building something without a firm idea or plan of what that thing is, strikes me as insane.
This whole project (U2 tower) is at serious risk now not just because of architectural deficencies (which are denied by DDDA in the Irish Times today) but because the housing boom is over. Thats the biggest threat to this tower tbh.
I don’t believe that for a second. Prime location, a first for highrise-living in Ireland – they’re bound to sell out completly.
You do have to wonder what is going on with this.
A couple of points worth noting are: firstly DCC have nothing to do with this project. Secondly there is no evidence that the housing market is in any condition other than under-supplied in this segment. Thirdly this site has been delivering hold ups for 8 years now.
I hope they get it right and that costs are not cut at the 11th hour and that the end result is the poitive model that this project has often threathened to deliver.
@Cathal Dunne wrote:
If there’s such a comnflict over the design of this building, than what exactly are those builders doing down there?:confused:
Are they just pile-driving for the fun of it while the DCC mandarins wrangle and prevaricate?
It must be the biggest playground in the State then if the current(if there’s any) design has been thrown out and is being redrafted.
I may be a simpleton, but building something without a firm idea or plan of what that thing is, strikes me as insane.
I went to have a look at this yesterday. It would appear from what I could see that there is at least one level of an underground services area complete, if not two (car parks etc).
@Cathal Dunne wrote:
That thing looks amazing, Imagine if THAT was the U2 Tower…*sigh*… if only.
couldnt agree more.. we could do with a few of these in the port area should it ever get re developed.
I took a walk down to this site yesterday and I’m not sure if the current building works have anything to do with the U2 Tower. I walked around behind the site and through a Travellers encampment and I think that they are residing on what will be the actual tower site. So unless I’m mistaken, the U2 tower site has had absolutely nothing done as of yet. :confused:
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