Devin
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Thank you for posting those pictures manifesta. They say all that needs to be said about the council’s policy on the city’s old granite pavements, and indeed the situation on the ground with regard to the new Henrietta Street Conservation Plan.
And I challenge anyone to try and find out who in the council is actually responsible for a given job on the city’s pavements. I tried when this job was being done last month. There was some contractor from the sticks doing it:
“Who are you coordinating with in the council?”
“Who is overseeing and checking the work?”
“Who is ensuring consistency of the new pavement with the old?”The only piece of information I got was that there’s no more old granite to be had – “you can’t get it anymore”.
What did they do with all the old granite kerbing running down both sides of O’Connell Street before the repaving? the much old granite taken up for Luas? for the Talbot Street improvement scheme a few years ago? Where is it all?
Something doesn’t add up.I certainly dont feel happy about any aspect of the plaza and pavemnet works around this new building … Firstly mixing the orignal paving with a newer type looks like a dogs dinner. A similar compalint is made today on Archiseek about Hernietta Street. Why not either one or the other!
I don’t know what you mean here Stephen. There is nothing wrong with integrating historic paving into new work, provided new and old are clearly distinguishable, which they are here – they are side by side. Mixing in new granite and old granite in the same pavement is another thing altogether.
I agree with you about Palace Street; it could easily be eliminated and made car-free, befitting the entrance to the Castle.
@archipimp wrote:
hey if eurocycles dont take that sign down i say we take it down for them if you know what i mean…maybe even start a campaign of terror against these offenders!!!?
Definitely archipimp. I’m with you on that!!
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Centra Wellington Quay is still giving trouble:
The originally-approved and executed shopfront, early ‘]http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4130/dscn1619qe4.jpg[/IMG]
Following unauthorised repainting, addition of shiny fascia and larger, internally-illuminated signage lettering, March ’06.
Following a complaint to DCC, a planning enforcement notice to comply with the approved plans was served to them. To give an impression of compliance, they repainted the shopfront (a few shades lighter than the original), but left the new signage and fascia in place. And things have actually got worse since then; they’ve carried out new unauthorised developments: addition of a red digital display over the door and an internally-illuminated sign in the window, even though you can read down through the planning permission here and see strict conditions about additional signage on the shopfront or near the windows – <a href="http://www.dublincity.ie/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=2391/05&theTabNo=2&backURL=Search%20Criteria%20>%20Centra Wellington Quay Decision
The nighttime effect, next to classical buildings, is pretty disastrous.
Centra Wellington Quay also has an entrance onto Temple Bar Square. Here was the originally-approved frontage, which was designed to integrate into the area in a low-key manner.
Too low-key obviously, because they’ve added a red digital display over the door here too and advertising boards on the ‘arty’ gates leftover from the previous tenant. These boards are on/off at the moment following additional complaints.
Interesting to see that vignette sketch, but it’s surprising there aren’t more photographs of it around given that it’s only gone since the ’60s, as you say dc3.
Aside from a few glitches such as the bollards issue and the running short of some granite, the standard of work to the historic paving in the City Architect’s Department new Dame Street plaza project was good, and stands in contrast to an earlier project of theirs next door – the millennium restoration of City Hall.
This was a very high profile job, carried out to international best-practice standards for historic monuments, befitting the great significance of the building. Unfortunately though, these standards did not extend to the historic granite pavements running around the building.
While, inside, an 18th century interior of European significance was being revealed for this first time in 150 years, outside, some of the most shockingly bad repair work was being undertaken to its pavements:
(Sorry for the dullness of the pictures; it’s rainy and wintry at the moment, and not the best time for taking pictures of pavements.)
1. East pavement
Appalling raised cement pointing carried out right along the east frontage of the building.
2. West pavement
The most disgusting raised cement pointing was carried out all along this magnificent stretch of sloping antique paving by the west façade of the building, turning the corner along Castle Street and culminating in ridiculous diagonal cutting of flagstones at the upper entrance to Dublin Castle (above). And there’s much more just out of picture.
3. North pavement
No work was carried out here at the front of the building, and it still has the fine whitish flush-pointing that you see here and there around the city. Why? Because it would have been too dangerous to cordon off the footpath in this location for works.This confirms two of the worst suspicions:
(a) that repointing work is, in many cases, unnecessary, and (b), they just do it for something to do, in a place where it’s easy to do it.This City Hall job starkly illustrated the sometimes sham-like inter-departmental coordination in the City Council, where the City Architect’s Dept. could have top conservation consultants on massive fees working on the building itself, but let its surrounding pavements be almost destroyed by Roads Maintenance Dept. workers with no conservation training.
@hutton wrote:
Balls is what I say! Big granite balls that would achieve the same effect (whatever that is – suspect prevent vehicles mounting pavement) without having to cut into the existing slabs…
@Paul Clerkin wrote:
even tubs of flowers would do the same thing, but probably not architectural enough for the planners / architects department… not mad keen on the silver bolllards to be honest
Yes!! See, even we can come up with a few alternatives that don’t involve drilling away ancient stonework!
Please DCC, if you are contemplating this again, at least throw the idea out and get some feedback, and not just do it overnight.
Here is some details on that plan. Very dissapointing that it didn’t materialise, especially the pedestrian link into the Castle opposite Exchequer Street.
MINI URBAN PLAN WILL OPEN CASTLE TO THE CITY
A route once called Informer’s Lane is to be opened linking South Great George’s Street to a new civic courtyard in the grounds of Dublin Castle. It’s part of an ambitious plan that also involves renovating several office blocks Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, reports
Anyone attending the Flood Tribunal in Dublin should know what the Office of Public Works means when it refers to the “unsavoury mess” that exists in the “no man’s land” between the Stamping Building in Dublin Castle and the rear ends of Wicklow House and Castle House, on South Great George’s Street. But now, in a fine example of public-private partnership, the OPW is collaborating with the owners of these two awful office blocks of early 1970s vintage on what it calls a “mini urban plan” for this quarter of the city. And the declared aim is to integrate the Castle with the surrounding urban fabric by creating an exciting new pedestrian route.
The idea of opening up Informer’s Lane, as it used to be called, to provide a new entrance to the Castle on the axis of Exchequer Street was first mooted some years ago by Dick Gleeson, now Dublin Corporation’s deputy chief planning officer. All it needed to be realised was a willingness by the OPW and the office block owners to get together.
Within the next few weeks, the corporation is expected to grant planning permission for a complete overhaul of the two aggressively horizontal office blocks, including much more sympathetic elevations to South Great George’s Street and a two-storey arcade on Informer’s Lane, leading to a new “civic courtyard” in the grounds of Dublin Castle.
Surprisingly, however, the opportunity is not being taken to redevelop the Stamping Branch building itself. Designed by Frank du Berry, then a senior OPW architect, and completed in 1973, its running balconies led Plan magazine to liken it to hotels on the Spanish costas. “Where is that Mediterranean sun and the bathing towels,” an article asked.
The building’s skewed angle to the established grid of the castle might suggest a forward extension to bring it into line. But David Byers, OPW assistant principal architect and one-time manager of the Castle, said it was so intensively used by the Revenue that the disruption to those working there would have been too great for a relatively small gain.
Some years ago, consideration was given to recladding it in brick more sympathetic to its setting, but nothing happened. Now there is a view that it is “quite an interesting example of its period, as Byers says, and one of the best-built buildings I’ve ever seen, with the plant-draped balconies providing sun screening in the absence of air conditioning.
Not a shred of merit can be attached to the two office blocks on George’s Street. Designed by English architects Arthur Swift and Partners for Guardian Properties, they were plonked on the site of Pimms department store with no concession whatever in terms of colour, materials or proportions to the Victorian character of the area.
The advantage to their current owners of doing something to rectify this ghastly mistake is that they will get double the depth of the two buildings, gaining an extra 110,837 sq ft of office space separated by atriums from the existing streetfront blocks, while the city gains immeasurably from a remodelling of their facades.
And because this scheme, designed by John O’Keeffe and Associates, has been effectively amalgamated with the OPW’s civic courtyard, the net effect is to reduce the developers plot ratio from 5.5:1 to 2.4:1. This seems to be quite a reasonable trade-off for the planning gain of a new east-west pedestrian route where one is sorely needed.
When it is completed, not only will the terrible pair of buildings have smart new fronts sympathetic to their surroundings, but the public will have access via a two-storey arcade to a sunlit circular courtyard to the rear, within the precincts of the castle, and onwards to the award-winning Chester Beatty Library and Little Ship Street gate.
The courtyard, with a diameter of 90 feet, will incorporate a circular ramp for disabled access to compensate for a three-metre drop in levels between George’s Street and the Castle. It is to be clad in Penryn-type green slate and enclosed by a cylindrical curtain of stainless steel grillework, which will include a sliding security gate.
The circular form of the courtyard echoes the design of the Castle’s Dubhlinn Garden, which doubles as a helicopter landing pad (the lighting is cleverly concealed in its spiral pathways). Though inspired by Stirling’s Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart, it will be less heavy, according to David Byers, and softened by trees and park benches for relaxation.
The Printworks building, with its curious undulating roof, which has housed the Flood Tribunal’s public hearings for so long, is to get a new foyer overlooking the courtyard. And in deference to the idea of creating a new civic space, the rear elevations of the extended office blocks on George’s Street are designed as if they were fronts.
The opening up of a two-storey arcaded entrance to Dublin Castle should offer a glimpse of the Bermingham Tower from Exchequer Street. But more than that – it will open up the Devil’s half-acre, as Michael Collins once called it, to the rest of the city centre by puncturing the existing hard edge on George’s Street to the southside retail zone.
The raggle-taggle of buildings that currently occupy the proposed courtyard will be swept away – but not, it should be emphasised, the rather more impressive group still occupied by the Garda. A new building is being planned for the southern side of the courtyard to re-house some of the facilities in those earmarked for demolition.
The pay-off for the Revenue is a new penthouse floor on the Stamping Branch, providing an additional 5,920 sq ft. This will be a lightweight steel structure, prefabricated and metal-clad, with terraces and a light overhanging roof. Of course, no attempt is being made to eliminate the clutter of cars in the Lower Castle Yard.
The new pedestrian route, which will be open to the public during all reasonable hours, is seen as one element of an integrated architectural sequence linking Dublin Castle with Leinster House. All that’s missing is a name for the circular courtyard; the informal working title, incidentally, is Flood Court, in honour of Mr Justice Fergus Flood.
© The Irish Times, February 15, 2001
Yes, and specifically the conservation issues relating to insertion of bollards in a historic pavement, which both of you mentioned. This is a very important issue. As said, each bollard inserted requires a deleterious cut into the paving fabric – not exactly what you’d call best practice for the care and conservation of historic resources, is it?
If bollards were deemed necessary here at the edge of the new Dame Street plaza (see below), would it not have been better to see how or where else they could have been incorporated that would have avoided making irreversible cuts into the 200-year old pavement?
So why were bollards deemed necessary here?
(a) To protect pedestrians? I don’t think so, as penning off the footpaths is not wider policy around the city centre generally.
(b) To stop vehicles from driving onto the plaza? It doesn’t seem so, as there is room to bring a vehicle on at either end.
(c) To stop people parking on the pavement on the basis that, if you parked here, you wouldn’t be blocking pedestrians because they can walk by through the adjoining plaza? Perhaps, but I think our clamping system would soon sort that out.
(d) To stop commercial vans pulling up “for a few minutes” as said earlier? Possibly, but if so, maybe the CC were being over-zealous in preventing this? I’m just not sure that putting bollards here justifies the cuts into the old pavement for any of these possible reasons.
What in years to come when, under Transport 21, Luas is coming down the street and it is a largely traffic-free area, and these kinds of measures for restricting vehicles aren’t such an issue anymore? What when, over time, the bollards become bent and kinked from things hitting them like the ones in Smithfield? Either way, the stone pavement is going to last longer than the bollards, and when they are eventually taken out, you’re going to be left with a visually degraded pavement where the bollard marks have to be filled with bits of mortar.
Again, it comes back to the fact that there is no consultation system in place for Dublin’s historic granite pavements (as there is for its protected buildings), no conservation advice received, no chance for anyone else to have a say. Someone in Wood Quay takes a decision and it is done … Yes I know the pointing was done correctly this time DCC, but consideration of other options for the bollards was needed here I think.
Something that’s also open to question is whether stainless steel is a suitable finish for bollards here. It may be ok on O’Connell Street where it’s part of the whole new street design, but it is not necessarily the right thing to insert into aged granite. But that’s another issue.
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The other end of Chancery Lane. I wonder what will be built on the derelict site (on the right) where the Napper Tandy pub was.
Also worth noting in the area is this recently built block (centre).
Together with the Adelaide Square complex, it frames a new view of St. Patrick’s spire. Nice views make me smile.
Was the Gasworks’ new street (below) mentioned? It’s a pedestrian street linking Barrow Street and South Lotts Road – though there seems to be no place on earth where White Van is not allowed to go! 🙁
I think the Gasworks is excellent – one of the best high density developments yet built in Dublin. O’Mahony Pike, isn’t it?
.@PVC King wrote:
I have to say I am relieved that the existing building lines were maintained.
You mean the height lines? “Building line†refers to the position of the building in relation to the street.
Good recent article here from the SBP:
http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2006/10/01/story17644.asp
.@jdivision wrote:
I’m also curious at this new trend of leaving cladding in between windows. Is there a reason for this. It also appears to be proposed for Arnotts.
It’s just another way of breaking up the facade when there’s a large site to be filled.
NEW BUILDINGS AT THE JUNCTION OF CHANCERY LANE AND GOLDEN LANE
To avoid starting a new thread I’ll put these here, as they are quite close to George’s Street.
The L-shaped street Chancery Lane, which links Bride Street and Golden Lane, has been almost completely rebuilt over the past two years or so. These buildings (above) are at the top end. I think the scale is appropriate. It’s fine to go higher here because it’s in a ‘no man’s land’ between Dublin Castle and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
And stepping down to existing buildings adjoining – nice to see a bit of manners!!
The buildings are coordinated too. The architecture may be fairly standard with a few ‘hi-spec’ touches, but you’re not looking for Pritzker prize material here – you just need a decent standard of backdrop to the historic ‘character areas’ that adjoin (castle & cathedral).
This is what repair of the city should be about imo – respecting the surroundings, achieving coordination and going higher where appropriate – not the awful results we’ve seen in some places. I know I’ve gone on about it before, but the dog’s dinner of unrelated new buildings at the junction of Ardee St & the Coombe bypass is my favourite.
Feature ‘wedgy bit’.
That film perfectly captures the experience of Dublin city centre today: the low-lying, suffocating menace of the traffic as you walk around contrasted with the great potential of its streets and vistas. Should be shown to everyone arriving in the airport as a prelude! Well done Morlan.
Yes Radar, very nice, but I suspect you’re connected to the project 🙂 and have access to manipulated images, as it’s impossible to photograph those poles in their true red colour, as anybody who has tried will know – they just come out as a lurid orangey-yellow.
I was in those buildings before they were demolished. To be honest they were pretty dank, rotten and poky inside, and of no great character. I think facade retention was the only way forward in this case.
