What’s happening in Trinity?

They have started utility diversion work at the east end, the current plan as far as I know, which has planning permission, is a science building beside the new physics building with a glassed atrium between and connected at more than ground level, a building, to include the elan headquarters by the pearse street westland row corner, an impressive gate, a gym under the railway and a building immeadiately beside luas hall, the luas hall itself is being turned into a chemistry lab and student centre. The big relief is that elan still seem willing to hand over cash. The Goldsmith Hall, an Post site, Pearse Station plan is still being discussed. The IM Pei cylinder isn’t being mentioned so often, I think because it turned out to be too expensive to put absolutely everything underground and elan wanted a building and the DDDA wanted a street line, so it suited everyone to building on the corner and forget the cylinder. They are keeping the brick arches too. Doesn’t the part of Westland Row they have cleaned look good.

Although I liked the work of Scott Talon Walker…however their work now however has attained a sense of utter banality and sameness….Richard Mier gone wrong…. and they are proliferating everywhere!

Don’t forget the architectual crime which is being perpetrated by them in the docklands of Dublin……a total sleep zone of architectural banality Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…and a great featureless mess to rectify in future years…..What a waste of money today.

[This message has been edited by GregF (edited 20 February 2002).]

The big question is what will happen to the Pease Street buildings from the Theatre to the Luas hall. There is quite a bit of room behind that terrace so the College is bound to build there eventually, the question is will they take this opportunity to open up the College to Pearse street or will they do what they did on Westland row and turn the front of buildings into their back enterence.

As you suggested, there are murmurings afoot to do the same to the rear of Pearse Street as they did to W’land Row – i.e. link the existing buildings via atrium to modern stuff in behind. As I understand it, it wouldn’t be happening for a few years at least. It would probably include new lab space for the Environmental Research Unit (currently on Pearse St) and possibly Geography and Geology, if they agree to move from the Museum Building.

and the other news is there is an objection from the locals to raise the amount of retail space in the corner develoupment with tcd counter objecting to lower the amount of retail. Trinity argue that retail is a bad idea on Pearse anyway and it isn’t their fault the shops have all closed down, but their behaviour on Lincoln place puts the lie to that.

I had another look at the Pearse street buildings today and I must say its criminal the way they have been ‘remodelled’. breeze block a facade! Westland Row is imrpoving but they only seem to be concentrating on the upper buildings. The Council should consider reinstating old Georgian lamp posts as well to restore the streetscape a little.

Originally posted by notjim:
and the other news is there is an objection from the locals to raise the amount of retail space in the corner develoupment with tcd counter objecting to lower the amount of retail. Trinity argue that retail is a bad idea on Pearse anyway and it isn’t their fault the shops have all closed down, but their behaviour on Lincoln place puts the lie to that.

I know of one shopkeeper who simply retired because he was fed up of the grief from the junkies at the Eastern Health Board offices…. so putting in retail units is no guarantee that shops will fill them… there are already quite a few empty units on the other side (north) of the street…..

Exactly, what they seem to be avoiding is saying that the drugs centre is a cause of grief on the street (ooh cant say the cause problems, it might offend some drug addict), instead everyone is tripping over themselves to be PC. The other problem lies in the fact that Pearse Street is a 4/5 lanes wide and traffic roars through the area. As it stands there is little worth stopping for on the street.

Trinity is to blame somewhat, but there are others (junkies, Corpo Planners) also.