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@RoryW wrote:

They really are taking the biscuit this time and I’m sure they’ll capitulate to the full design in order to complete St Norman of Foster’s vision – however the following issues now arise:

With the watchtower we will have a lop sided gateway one ‘pillar’ being 50% taller than the other

Good ! come on Rory, the idea of two symmetrical ‘sentinels’ was a load of cak, much happier to see some variation in height and the notion of a gated entrance to the city a little more subtle. Having said that a render including the ‘Watchtower’ would be useful.

Either way, it seems from the few interviews Paul Maloney has done lately that neither tower will be alone.

Agree that it is not & should not be a priority.

I think its more a baby of the NRA;
when grilled on pat kenny about exactly why the the port tunnel is located in the middle of the road, making the much maligned merge from the m50 necessary (which turned out not to be a problem) an nra enginner eventually muttered ‘thats because it will be the main road when the eastern bypass is constructed’, seemed to be the first kenny heard of it.

I can’t think of many benefits given the size of the project … a tunnel twice as long as the existing port tunnel would be requried. From the random mutterings the nra drop from time to time, i get the impression its basically intended to carry the m1 straight through to the m11 & not directly connect with the m50, i.e. complete the loop.

@sinnerboy wrote:

To me a far greater offence was committed in countless council homes in the 60s / 70’s in splattering them with 20mm aggregate white wet dash render ….

Don’t forget the glitther !

you’re right, the glazed pod itself is tiny, its the extensive plateau around the base that does the damage – surely the saucer will obstruct views of the river & the entire quay side with only the spire, liberty hall etc. visible from the recessed ‘sky catcher’.

the motorway analogy was the first nail in the coffin for me … its flatulent,
Fosters – reasonably elegant.

In my opinion, Fosters needs the 180m*, i.e needs the ‘energy centre’ to succeed.

*Fully agree with others & have suggested for a long time that the concept of two ‘sentinels’ (God help us) rising from the ashes or whatever the hell, is ill-thought. Whatever happens, & it seems likely that both sphinx will be constructed, a context is required, i.e. some sort of scaling up in the region.

**Did anyone hear Paul Maloney? on Pat Kenny this week, was half asleep, but the gist of his comments suggested new thinking & a new approach to high rise in general.

@GrahamH wrote:

Grattan at the moment.

The planes really are quite big at this stage & do a fine job of obstructing the view of pretty much everything from well, pretty much everywhere.

I notice one of the planes adjacent to the east portico of the BOI is cordoned off at the moment, looks a little unstable so perhaps will have to go. Its just one of several random jobs along this stretech that look as if they started as a sucker emerging from a crack in the pavement.

I like them, neat & useful, unlike many other pole plantations on OCS.

dc3, A lecturer of mine maintained he worked on a project to pilot the GPS due times on dublin bus and said it was not & could not be implemented because employees went ballistic at the prospect.

He said all buses were fitted with a GPS receiver, under the drivers seat (this was 7 years ago) but thats as far as it got supposedly.

It might be more usefull to compare the projected cost of Dublin’s Metro North with the London’s jubilee line extension completed in 1999.

Length: 16km
Stations: 11 (5 new 6 rebuilt)

Final cost: 5.02 billion euro at 1999 prices (initial projection 3bn) substantially over budget but a very successful project.

As you know, they went for underground stations with bells on, many handed to individual architects etc, looks like we may well get bargain basement yokes as a ‘cost saving’ measure.

Its a typical american open ended bowl design … I suppose it depends on what you consider finished !

No new found love with me, I’ve always liked it … whereas I wouldn’t mind seeing the back of O’Connell Bridge House, Hawkins, Apollo & friends … its in a different league imo.