Anonymous
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
i like the plan. i just think spencer dock is the wrong place. it should be further away from the city center, but more easily connected transit wise.
Surely the fundamental topic here is if we should or shouldn’t have listed buildings. Of course we should, and if we should people must be forced to respect that listing. This is a disgraceful incident and the developer must not be allowed to gain from it
I had an idea. Since Dublin lacks an Aras an Taoisigh why not turn Henrietta Street into a Dublin version of Downing Street. The area around it could really use a boost. Besides, how many countries don’t have a home for their own prime minister. Maybe Farmleigh in the park would be better. But Henrietta street looks more democratic (i.e. non-aristocratic).
Hi Jim
thanks for your opinion – it broadens the discussion a great deal. Certainly the sort of thing that Archeire should continue to foster.
I’m sure that contemporary architects ARE worried about the future of their own works and wish to nip wanton destruction in the bud. Can’t blame them for that – everybody has a little selfish interest in what they do. It seems though that many people are still genuinely pissed off and saddened by this and if it isn’t re-erected [very likely]
there SHOULD be something good put in it’s place as you say.That’s the other side to this situation: If you can’t save it or rebuild it – stop them developing anything or anything crap. We have enough of THAT already.
You know the Listed Grammar School in Droghreda which was illegally demolished in the night about ten years ago? The guilty were ordered to re-build it. Sadly it’s still just so much flattened rubble.
Well, at least they WERE found guilty and haven’t been able to carry out their plans any further.
I’ve seen that warehouse on Bow Lane, and the answer to Ryano’s question must be ‘drugs’ (acid? allowing people to see complex and beautiful shapes in the blandest of objects?). But the apartments near by going up towards IMMA are really bad (classic Dublin apartment building: tacky fake Victorian, ugly, look about to fall down).
Perhaps if a little more discretion were exercised in the choice of building listed the listings might be taken more seriously. That garage was a pile of rubbish before it was demolished. A curiosity, certainly but worthy of preservation for the admiration of furure generations? Don’t be stupid. Are the architects of today, with all of the materials at their disposal and all the history of great functional and attractive buildings to draw on, really so bankrupt of fresh ideas that so basic a solution to a practical problem should now be considered a work of serious architectural merit? Perhaps the real reason for the worry among architects of today about the fate of such a building has more to do with their ideas that their own work should also stand forever. Get with it guys. How about trying to ensure that whatever goes up on the site is really worthy of preservation at some point in the future.
I think there’s a solution to this – but it requires political will – buildings that are deliberately demolished or end up having to be demolished through wilful neglect should return to public hands – for use as parks, social housing etc. A neglected site in Ranelagh was recently redeveloped as sheltered housing. Perhaps we could hassle our local representatives about this. .
Sorry, I forgot to add that I also think the keyhole shaped garage on the quays should be demolished. The glass was obviously designed to be as difficult as possible to clean and the expanses of plain red brick are clinical and boring.
I agreee. How to bring about the prosecution notice? does anyone know the legalities around this…an article in the Times would also go some way –
I agree with Paul F. I’m surprised no one mentioned it before. Perhaps it is too ugly to even speak of but O’ Connell bridge House is an abomination. The architect should be horse-whipped publically.
It is not entirely true that developers do not use architects in housing schemes, it’s time that we took our share of the blame for the rubbish that is happening all over the country. It is far too easy to say “oh well the developer probably designed the damn thing himself”, when the fact is that Dublin has more sub standard, second rate architects than it has pubs.
Although I voted for Hawkins House, which makes me nauseous every time I see it, I would also like to nominate O’Connell bridge house… because of its prominent position and its particularly dreadful appearance
Er.. Piazza Navona is in a slightly different League to Smithfield as is Spagna to The Central Bank Plaza but I get your point!
It is a great area for social mixing – a Place de Igor Stravinsky [beside the Pompidou centre]type of Meeting place.
All that’s missing is public access to the top of the building for a view of Dublin. A bit like the top of the Spanish Steps really.
Instead of Mee-hall’s St. Peter’s Dome you might see Rathmines Cathedral!
F’ing outrageous! What is being done? They can’t be allowed to get away with this. I sent my email but I doubt that will cause them any loss of sleep. Did anyone get in touch with Marian Finucan? O’Callaghan must be prosecuted, fined and forced to re-instate the building brick by brick. Greedy tosser.
This is indeed a disgrace. Why can’t they hire a few guards to keep tourists off the steps. If they absolutely must fence it off, they should at least leave access to the vital Crown Alley/Dame Street axis.
I knew nothing of this until I saw the hoarding and then read this forum, so it appears that this plan was pushed through in an underhand way, so typical of the planners in this country.
What has happened Frank McDonald? After being such a crusader in the whole ‘Destruction of Dublin’ era, he seems a little quiet of late…..with the outrage expressed here, it seems odd that nothing similar has happened in the public arena
There must be some way to stop this happening again. Inthe 1960s / 70s the developers justified it on the grounds that the houses were too old and there were loads of them anyway but that was Georgian architecture and now there’s not all that much left. But this was only 50 years old and we have very little good mid century architecture in the city……
Disgraceful… and no doubt the new development will be more the the same bland sterile apartment and office complexes that exist all over the city…..
