corcaighboy

We deserve the Cllr’s we have…after all we elected them! The problem is that local politics is seen as nothing more than a talking shop or a stepping stone for election to higher office. So common sense and rational argument tends to be relegated in favour of overblown hyperbole designed to bloat their egos and gain the maximum of newsprint. The amount of hot air generated by these Cllr’s could be the answer to the international energy shortage..and eco-friendly too:)

Kind of ironic. The real castle has a history of planning mishaps, with a modern shop extension tacked onto the castle itself in the 80’s. If memory serves me correctly, it casued quite an uproar as it did not have the proper planning permission. I stand to be corrected on that, but in any case, there is no denying it was an ugly addition to the historical landmark.

Re Shannon Airport, the troops are included in their passenger numbers apparently, as are all those passenger en route to the US from Dublin who have to do their gov mandated stopover in SNN. A bit of a joke really, but hey, whoever said stats was an exact science!
More relevant to this thread, the design of Shannon Airport’s terminal building won an RIAI architectural award a few years back. A bit utilitarian for my liking, but I guess that is subjective. It certainly was an improvement on what they had before. I certainly hope that the guys in Cork can keep their new terminal in good nick…I often wonder do they have cleaners up there given the rubbish that is usually strewn around the place.

billy the squid – interesting you mentioned that RPA recommendation about Trams in Limerick and other cities. I had not seen that mentioned anywhere. ALthough I would love to see one, I fear that such a decision would involve far too much foresight on the part of our politicians and transport planners and thus won’t get anywhere. The ongoing expenses involved with the LUAS have done the cause no good, even though many tram systems in operation in the continent were built at a fraction of the cost for comparable route lenghts. Still, I would love to see trams make a comeback in Ireland’s cities. One can always dream I suppose!

Those pics looks absolutely stunning. Looks like they did a fantastic job.

Devin, whether you agree or disagree with Lex is one thing, but I don’t think you can fault him for laying out his reasoning. If we were all to run off in a huff at the merest hint of criticism, then constructive debate would never happen. And lastly, let’s keep the forum discussion civil.

Interesting article in this weekend’s Financial Times about high rise living entitled ‘From rock bottom to sky high’. Not directly related to events in Cork obviously, but topical given the stance of the likes of CSD against “high rise” living in the city. Probably of more relevance to Dublin, but still a very interesting read (a full page article), Link is as follows:

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a73cf0f4-57c6-11da-8866-00000e25118c.html

Part of the story I have copied below to give you a flavour.

From rock bottom to sky high
By Caroline McGhie
Published: November 19 2005 02:00 | Last updated: November 19 2005 02:00

Tour the key cities of the UK today and you might think you had slipped continents. Gleaming new ÂÂ towers fronted by billboards advertising luxury flats fit naturally in New York or Chicago, Tokyo or Kuala Lumpur, not London and Manchester, Swansea and Chatham. However, extraordinary as it may seem, the British are finally breaking away from their low-rise past, peeling off the old industrial cobwebs and erecting – and embracing – modern ÂÂ residential skyscrapers.

Most of the world’s great cities have been in love with vertical living for decades, their glamorous high-rise apartment houses standing as expressions of wealth, power and success. Now, with more than 100 new cathedrals of glass and steel in the works, London is coming round to the idea too. Swimming pools at 400 ft? No problem. Bathtubs with views of the London Eye? Even better.

This isn’t just a minor craze; it is a serious switch in the national cultural outlook. New, unpublished, research from estate agent Savills shows that 30,466 flats, in 127 towers with more than 20 storeys, are being constructed or are at the planning stage. Pile them up and that makes 3,444 storeys altogether. About 46 per cent of them are climbing out of schemes forged since 2004 and many of the newest are in the north-west, north-east, Yorkshire and Humberside. They are getting taller all the time. Since 2004, according to Savills, the average height of a new residential tower has increased from 24 to 27 storeys.

Next month the wrapping comes off a soaring 50-floor block called Pan Peninsula in London’s Docklands, presented as a glittering spear of “world-class architecture” with “signature restaurants” and 700 flats. From the 50th-floor cocktail bar, the lights of the capital sprinkled at its feet will look like diamonds at night. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, architects of the Sears Tower in Chicago. Illustrations show it lit at dusk in purples and pinks against the darkening aubergine sky, exuding sex appeal.

In Manchester, work on the 47-storey Beetham Tower began earlier this year. All 219 apartments have been sold, even though buyers can’t move in for another two years.

And there are more soaring buildings in the pipeline. The Inacity tower, also in Manchester, would be taller still, at 60 storeys and 400 apartments. Even Edinburgh, that dour Scottish beauty, has hired architects Colin & Moggridge to see how skyscrapers could fit into its skyline, the first time it has looked at the issue seriously since 1968. Everyone is thinking big.

Well said Lex, I agree completely.
As for ‘money grabbing’ developers, that is a bit over the top. Every business has to make money and that is the prime objective, but it does not imply they all businessmeen are heartless individuals who don’t care about anything else except making money. Developers can of course be self-serving, just like any other profession…
Hmmm, I can see this becoming a slanging match between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ developers…scary, eh!
And as for Cork having a chip on its shoulder….sure it does, but sure isn’t that what makes it special 🙂

Agree with Lex and Mdowling on this one. Merchant’s Quay was the only big project at the time. I remember talking to a city planner and his point was that it was not an ideal design, but it was better than what was there and they were hoping it would kickstart the redevelopment of the city center. To be fair, they had a point. Does anyone remember the old warren of alleys and car parking there prior to redevelopment! The entire quay was a mess.
As for the other criticisms, some are valid, while others are in my view an exaggeration. Thankfully, the public at large tend to be more aware of the importance of design and things have improved considerably. But his description of HH’s Lapps Quay development is a bit rich….do you remember the open expanse and blank wall of the old Dan Seaman motor ‘showroom’? 😮
Finally, although the McDonald article was a critical, it is good that these things are highlighted in the press and for that I am grateful. The more debate the better.

:rolleyes: “Commuter rail connections will be reopened between the capital and Meath, between Cork and Midleton, and Galway and Ennis”

The government must have announced the reopening of the Cork-Midleton rail line a dozen times already. They are serial announcers….an election must be on the way!