What does Dublin need???

Better licencing laws.
These draconian laws are a joke and don’t stop people from drinking. Theres a reason why Holy Thursday is the busiest time for off licences.
Pinning a nation into such a “dry” corner will make them desperate.

Thats my weekly rant over Fianna fail-publican lovin’ licencing done.

@Blisterman wrote:

Why a specifically Opera, or Ballet house? Both of them are niche interests at best, that would appeal to maybe 5% of the population of Dublin.

A high quality 5000 seater auditorium, designed by a reknowned architect, with excellent acoustics, which could be used for Rock concerts, theatre etc. as well as Opera and Ballet, would be far better, and of more use to the city.

I like this idea, I went to the National Concert Hall at the weekend to see the Ballet of all things! The main hall has the worst acoustics I have ever heard, sounded like an outdoor cinema and the place is cramped.

But does Dublin still need an large auditorium like this since the Point depot is being upgraded to seat 14,000, the new grand canal dock theatre and the new abbey theatre are being built?

notjim: interesting news (for me, anyway). I hope if they do that they will demolish that daft wall between the concert hall and the Iveagh Gardens and develop a terrace leading into the gardens, both to give an outdoor space for concertgoers and to ‘open up’ the gardens as the superb public space they are. There is the chance to make a grand gesture and give the hall a new garden ‘front’. Too much to hope in this modernist aesthetic that the newbuild would be centred on the axis of the gardens, but you never know. Keep your eye on this one.
PS daithix2: the acoustic is not the worst; why does everyone in Dublin have to talk everything down all the time?

mmmmmm……..a gay, common sensed, family friendly, car hating city manager. Think about it. Berlin, Paris, ………..

It really would be good to get some analysis of the capacity of the site; the earlier thread mentioned above shows really a very narrow site between the back of the existing complex and the rear of the gardens. It looks as though something will have to give, but what? To lose any significant part of the gardens would create a furore, rightly. But which of the existing buildings could go? This is a very complex complex behind the big facade.
The requirement for a hall twice the size of the present one is a big ask on this site. It seems to me there are significant constraints both in terms of width and height, although it does remain an exciting prospect. I thought at one time that there was the intention to include a conservatory of music (in the old UCD bit?) – has this now died? Does anyone have a site plan, as opposed to an aerial photo?

http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/dublin-could-be-heaven-if-only-222920.html

An article from the independent a few years back. Some interesting ideas and some ridiculous ones but makes you think…

Dublin could be heaven if only . . .

Tuesday May 27 2003

The city can and should be made a better place to live in. SIAN O’GORMAN gets the views of prominent citizens on what they would do if they could wave a magic wand.

Reduce crime Neil Watkins, actor and writer Reduce crime: There should be zero tolerance on violence and crime as they are choking the city. If I was in charge, I would make sure Dublin wasn’t as terrifying a place to live in.

I have travelled around the world and lived in London, but have never felt as afraid as I have in Dublin. There are some really nasty people who live here, and they are spoiling it for everyone else. I know every city has its dodgy elements, but we must have some strict laws and make sure no one is above them.

Create a breakfast society: There just aren’t enough places for breakfast in Dublin and, if I was in charge, I would make sure that there were lots of places that open early – about 6am – to hang out in with the papers.

There must be table service and coffee refills – just like in America.

Look after cyclists: I’m a cyclist, so all two-wheelers would be looked after. There aren’t enough cycle lanes – and the roads are badly potholed. Cyclists should be able to go down one-way streets and along the boardwalk or across the Millennium Bridge without feeling guilty (or being arrested).

No more Bertie: Bertie is great – I love the fact that he’s a Northsider, like me, and I love his popularity and the fact that he can talk to anyone but we need a change.

I would make sure we had a more proactive leadership. I don’t want any more politicians who are charmers or politicians. I want someone who is a little bit right (to sort out the economics) and someone who is a little bit left (to sort out social issues).

Alternative health: Whenever I have been ill, I have found the health care in the city extremely frustrating. We all just go to GPs but I would make massage, physical therapy and acupuncture far more accessible to everyone.

Recycling: This is very hard when you don’t live near to a bring centre or there is no weekly collection.

It’s made very difficult for us. I would make sure a lot more money was put into recycling and make sure everyone knew the importance of it.

Subsidise cycling Michael Kelly, photographer Subsidise cycling: Legalising cannabis is an obvious suggestion, but I would definitely take Amsterdam as a model city. It is such a lovely place, relaxed and not paralysed by traffic.

I would subsidise cycling – all bikes and bikes parts such as lights and bells would be extremely cheap, and I would make cars very expensive to run and introduce a congestion charge in the city centre.

No more bad buildings: I would force architects to live and work in the buildings they designed before other companies moved in.

This would ensure there were realistic designs by architects who weren’t caught up with concepts.

A huge street festival: Once a year, there would be a huge street festival – just like the Notting Hill Carnival where we celebrate being Dubliners. There would be dancing, food stalls, music and clubbing at different areas throughout the whole city.

Stagger closing times: There is such a problem with drink and violence on our streets, so I would stagger the closing times of pubs. Everybody gets kicked out of pubs at the same time which creates a surge on the streets.

In Spain, for example, bars close at different times, so you are always on the move and never get into the drunken Irish stupor.

I would also ensure buses ran all night. At the moment, it seems, transport is designed by people who never go out and socialise.

We would have a system which works 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Deregulate drink licences: There are too many so-called super-pubs and far too few small bars. I would deregulate the drinks licences so little bars could open all over the city.

We need to take the power away from the big guys.

Tree planting subsidy: I would ensure there was far more green spaces in Dublin. Small areas of grass and trees where people can get out of their buildings and be near nature.

There would also be a subsidy for planting trees, and people will be encouraged to plant them in their gardens.

Cultural exchanges: Dublin politicians and counsellors would be forced to go on cultural exchanges with those from other European cities. They would spend time in Madrid, Paris and Amsterdam, so we can learn from the ways other cites are run.

Good design costs nothing Geraldine O’Neill, Artist Control Building: Good design costs nothing and would seriously impact on our daily lives. In Dublin, our favourite buildings are Georgian ones; yet they were built under strict controls which governed the architecture, streets, parks and gardens of the city – controls which we should apply to present-day Dublin.

Housing estates are full of bland, badly designed houses which don’t show any beauty or imagination. We must build with people in mind, rather than just as cheaply as possible. I would create houses which are visually beautiful and stimulating – buildings which inspire those who work and live in them.

Village life: Every area of Dublin would be split up into a village and each village would be autonomous. It would have everything the villager needs for life, set out in an attractive design.

I believe this would give people a sense of personal responsibility for their area and would create a better sense of community.

The creche would be down the road, instead of three miles away. I believes this redesignation would have further knock-on effects such as reduced traffic on the road and increased sense of community.

No more front gardens: I would ban all front gardens. What are they except driveways and hedges where people park their cars and disappear into their houses? Instead, Dublin should be covered with green squares, as they did in Georgian times, full of plants, trees and benches.

They will be a forum for everybody – where young and old can mix and where we can all experience different cultural life.

These squares will be little pockets of oxygen for all the community.

Imaginative living: We are constrained by our imagination but, if we use our imagination, there are no ends to the different and exciting ways our city can grow.

I think the pavements should be covered with animal foot prints which children can follow, there should be interactive sculptures everywhere, and the buildings should be all sorts of shapes.

More play time: I asked my son Cathal, aged three, what he would change about Dublin,and he said: “More areas to play and somewhere to dig up dinosaur fossils.” I totally agree.

More public transport Senator Feargal Quinn, executive chairman, Superquinn More public transport: Create a fast, cheap, reliable public transport system of such high quality that it will be everybody’s first choice as the way to get from A to B.

We would have to make room for this on the streets and to provide an incentive for people to use it.

Charge for car use: One incentive to encourage people to use public transport would be to bring in a system of road pricing for vehicles using the city streets. This will tip the balance in favour of public transport.

Night buses: My third transport-related suggestion would be for an all-night skeleton public transport service which would serve all areas in Dublin.

I believe this would reduce the taxi problem to a manageable size.

Road cosmetics: Enhance and upgrade the route from Dublin Airport to the city centre, as an investment in making that all-important first impression for visitors a favourable one.

Al fresco life: Encourage restaurants, cafes and pubs to invest in the portable air heaters that other cities use widely to extend the season for open-air eating, which adds so much to a city’s atmosphere.

Culture: Bring back the starting time for theatres, concerts and evening entertainment in general to 7pm, to encourage those working in the city but living far out to enjoy cultural events and yet be able to get home at a reasonable hour.

Mayoral elections Sean O’Laoire, MD of Murray O’Laoire Architects An elected mayor: The first thing I would do is ensure there was an election of a mayor by popular mandate. Our current mayor is purely an honorary one, but we can see how one works in cities across Europe, America and now London.

He or she would have a vision of the city involving an integrated planning system and the resources to back up such imagery.

Redesign urban planning: We have inherited a system of urban planning which is based on a technocratic basis. It provides roads and sewers, but with no vision of the wider city.

We have a system of functional zoning where land use is described by its function. It is not driven by aesthetics or rights of people.

I would ensure there was a citizen’s charter which would help create a more civilised society.

Compulsory urban studies: I would place urban studies on the school curriculum from national school. It’s the best way of ensuring that we participate in our city from an early age.

Such an education would prepare children about their life choices – they can decide what to spend their salary on when they grow up and how they will contribute to society.

Twin Foxrock with Finglas: In Dublin, we’ve created vast mono-class suburbs and huge class warfare. It’s benign but there is very real racism. You hear people use the words ‘knacker’ and ‘skanger’ quite often now and, if these two areas were twinned – with all the links between them that such a twinning suggests – people would know what it was like to live in a city in a very real way.

A living laboratory: I would fund a construction prototype of a medium-density suburb where 1,000 people could live in. It would be an experiment to demonstrate how to live.

It could be mobile or it could be a place which people could visit and obtain ideas on living. I imagine little buses driving around, communal grounds filled with people playing sports.

Exams for politicians: All elected representatives would take diplomas in urban planning and design and would be involved in continuous education.

They would also have to report back to citizens about what they had learned and how it would be put into practice.

©Independent.ie

@notjim wrote:

yes something like that was intended. There is some high level talk on the NCH’s own website

http://www.nch.ie/Redevelopment/The-Project.aspx

and a brief discussion here

https://archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=755

which mostly focussed on fears for the real tennis court. Here is some news in the Post

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2008/06/22/story33911.asp

How about the National Concert Hall moving to the Hawkins House site, plus outdoor performance spaces restaurants, hotel etc to make up costs? UCD or someone else buys back Earlsfort Terrace for offices, university etc??? Is it so crazy?

@Rory W wrote:

Yes – no problem with sonmething cultural on the site of Hawkins House (Theatre Royal anyone?) – but why sell NCH back to UCD for Eng students (who still go to Hartigans anyway even though they are out in Belfield now) – develop the site properly converting the rest of the Terrace into a conservatoire for the arts open up the buildings onto the Iveagh Gardens (with terraces restaurants etc) and make it a cultural beacon

That sounds brilliant actually, and all the rooms? studios? offices?