Aierlan

Originally posted by sw101
ikea could operate in stores under the cap limit, surely they’re just pushing their luck.

I’d rather have an IKEA that stocked their full range, had plenty of display space and was comfortable to navigate.

the idea that ikeas “quality, design and value” would somehow benefit irish businesses is ludicrous.

Why? This is the whole theory behind competitive markets. Irish businesses either compete with IKEA on these points, find some other competitve advantage (e.g. bespoke furniture) or get out of the business.

I have visited perhaps every furniture store in Dublin and Navan over the last year and it has been a miserable experience (there have been odd pockets of excellence, however). I have previously lived in several countries with IKEA stores and there is no comparison. As consumers, we are just hurting ourselves by not allowing a company operating to IKEA’s standards to locate here.

It’s pretty common in other countries to have to walk a fair distance underground to connect between different rail systems.

It might seem quite far on the surface between O’Connell Street and Connolly or D’Olier Street and Tara but it would seem much closer underground with level walkways, travelators, lack of weather and so on.

The spread of some underground stations abroad can be astounding but they are perceived as being quite localised because a single station name covers several platforms and many exits.

Examples that come to mind would be T-Centralen (subway)/ Central Station (mainline rail) in Stockholm (link) and Central (subway) / Hong Kong Station (airport line) in Hong Kong (link – all that brown and grey shaded area).

Originally posted by J. Seerski
What do people think of UCD in Belfield? (in archictectural terms only!)

Joke or good architecture? The arts block is very functional – but would it be regarded as a fine work?

Is the arts block functional? I always found it difficult to navigate. It’s a sure indicator of poor design if you have to tack on a system of lines painted on the floor and giant letters hanging from the ceiling just to get people around.

As for the rest of UCD, during my time as a student there I never found much to elevate the spirit, architecturally speaking. I enjoyed my days in Earlsfort Terrace more, where I also took classes.

One thing in Belfield I liked was the covered walkways. I don’t know why that idea is not used more in this rainy country.

I also liked the Engineering block with its naturally well-lit atrium built around a salvaged beam engine. The office corridors are dark though.

Taking a wider design perspective, Belfield is still very poorly served by public transport.

How much would you be willing to spend?

The Irish Prints of James Malton

Originally posted by StephenC
There is a current recladding project going on at the top of Pearse Street – beside the GArda Station. It was an ugly concrete clad 60’s yoke… any ideas or pics as to what it will end up like. I thinks its called Joyce House.

That would be Goldsmith House. It has really been stripped back to a shell.

I pulled this off the OPW site:

This six-story office development constructed in 1975 is State owned and is located at one of the busiest traffic junctions in the city. Work in connection with its complete refurbishment both externally and internally commenced in June 2002 and are due for completion in June 2003.

The existing building has been stripped back to the concrete frame and is to be reclad using stone and feature glazing with modern performance glass. The new zinc roof incorporates two new floors (727m) with a set back penthouse.

The office space has been completely modernised with suspended ceilings, raised access floors and the provision of mechanical ventilation throughout. The new training centre will be located on the ground floor and will have five training rooms.

How about a Singapore-style ban on the sale of chewing gum for 6 months? Just to impress on the citizenry that gum is a nuisance if not disposed of properly.

And a flogging for anyone caught bringing a few sticks into the country.

I worked inside that building for a few months once (about 11 years ago, I think). It’s funny, I have no memory of the foyer at all. I do recall long, anonymous corridors.

There are some structures on the top of the building that you wouldn’t really notice from ground level. These include the National Control Centre for electricity generation in Ireland. That part is in quite a different style – a more modern interior.

There is rather a good view of Dublin from the roof – it’s higher than most other buildings. The ESB takes (or used to take anyway) advantage of this for line-of-sight microwave links to other spots around Dublin.

The outside I always thought severe. Since it is on a block by itself, I don’t feel that moving it would help.

I made some comments on this topic recently on my weblog. That was following a seminar on Swedish design held in Dublin a week or so ago.

You might find the links useful.

Just to note… that review of Dublin is part of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which happens to be hosted by the BBC.

The BBC does not create the content – people all over the world do. You can contribute yourself, if you register.

The Dublin article was written by somebody living in Dublin, possibly a native, I can’t tell.