GrahamH
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There’s a story to flog to the Indo Paul – An Taisce outraged at the illegal removal of listed scaffolding 🙂
It wouldn’t have been a case of making the wires higher at design stage as the type of floats that are problematic are 3 storeys tall plus headroom. Adjusting the permanent height to that level presumably wouldn’t have been an option…
…and reappears. The scaffolding is going back up again!
That explains a lot – the original scaffolding must have been in rag order and unsafe having been up there for 30 years. Presumably the new scaffolding is going up now for a full restoration to be at last carried out.Here’s some pics of its magnificent spire – tomorrow or Friday will probably be the last day it will be fully visible for maybe a year or so if a full job is being carried out 🙁
I love that right-hand pic, Strumpet City or what – the atmospheric smoke provided courtesy of an exceptionally filthy steamroller 🙂
Below – some (fuzzy) detail of the poor condition of the stonework:
Also the church’s cornice has suffered from erosion:
And the magnificent portico – classic Johnston:
Where are the pews now do you know Devin? What’s the interior condition like after the theatre conversion?
Don’t we all 😀
But what sort of a scheme were the CC promoting prior to all these problems with the various developers?
Well you know I personally don’t favour the Abbey going in here Thomond Park – but the idea of just a shopping mall is hardly an inspiring alternative either.
‘Mixed use’ is something of a buzzword I know but if a mall element could be successfully merged with a much-extended Moore St traditonal market this would be a good start. An enlarged market is essential I think to offer the place a unique identity, not to mention the variety and interest it would offer – maybe with a section like Cork’s famous and higly successful Food Market.A residential element would be essential; the IAP area is crying out for a larger permanent community. Also important would be a variety of services not traditionally associated with such malls – restaurants etc.
To advocate ‘cultural uses’ is equally a popular quip – exactly what these are now is a different matter…The lower median is just about to be finished in time for St. Patrick’s Day – the bigger of the two trapdoors pictured earlier is being paved over now. Fascinating to see inside it as there’s a substantial stairway that runs down from it westwards and then veers north and goes rightdown underneath the median. It’s fully fitted out, painted walls, with handrail and has fluorescent lighting etc – not a notion what it’s for though.
Thought at first that the kiosk would be going down on top of it and that it would serve as sanitary/storage for staff, but it appears to be remaining exposed.The side pavement’s trees don’t look like they’ll be down in time for the parade – probably for the best all considering 🙂
Also, the many tree sandpits on the street were topped up this morning – a lot of it kicked around the place by lunchtime…
The St. Stephen’s Green equivalents also badly need attention – their original striking white gravel has been missing for months. The practicality of such a landscaping practice in busy urban areas perhaps needs to be considered…@Paul Clerkin wrote:
Clarence Hotel, Temple Bar
So the Clarence is in Temple Bar now is it – needing a bit of an image boost?
Think they’d be better off associating with Wellington Quay somehow 🙂You have to love it – it’s such an institution at this stage it even seems to have been made by the Edwardians – that opening sequence is just a classic 🙂
It’s out on DVD now, and there’s a decent hardback copy of the novel in the Oxfam shop on Parliament St.at the minute…Well it also makes sense from a viewing perspective – you’re not constantly looking into the sun at the floats coming towards you – makes it more pleasant for the spectators who are the most important.
Also from a broadcasting perspective it is hell on earth trying to expose all cameras for subjects that are in constant shadow, while everything else is burning out on you – much easier to have everyone bathed in sunshine.Better all round for the majority to have it come this way – let the participants burn 🙂 (and it is mid March we’re talking about here :))
The upper part of this building is remarkably similar to the residential element of the Swan Centre in Dublin – clearly going for that 80s Hanging Gardens of Camden Quay look 🙂
But I think brick is seriously underrated as a building material, having earned a bad name through inappropriate and banal use, and being associated with the very worst forms of urban renewal.
But a sophisticated use of brick combined with a good quality version of the material can produce very striking results.
The colour is so important – too often we’re lumped with horrible dusty pinky-red, while that deep wine/plum red that seems to be in use in this scheme is so rarely used: it can look fantastic.The big inflatable sun is always memorable 🙂
Maybe it can perch itself on O’Cll Bridge – brighten the place up a bit 🙂This is not a new issue – as is said at the end there, was first mooted in 2003 when it was projected to cost €60,000 to unhook the cables at O’Cll St and St. Stephen’s Green. I fail to see how the festival orgainsers are suddenly ‘furious’ as described by the article…
Still it is a pity – an RPA rep got a right rollicking from Aine Lawlor about this issue on Morning Ireland this morning – missed the start of it though. They argue that the parade went for many years without any tall floats and can do so again.
On the issue of Luas susposedly being suspended anyway on account of the parade, they say that it will only stop crossing O’Cll St for the 3 hours or so the parade runs – and before and after will be operating as normal.If the disruption to services is not significant, the lines should come down. Surely there are simple cost-effective methods of detachable cable systems in use elsewhere in Europe?
It’s practically on a roundabout!
Doesn’t look the prettiest of structures – but as Phil says it’s hard to view it in a good light given its context…
Agreed – the choice offered and the ‘experience’ of the city centre is unrivalled. And if the supposed uniqueness of the stores in Dundrum are its main attraction, well much of this will undoubtedly be diluted in the short to medium term with new schemes in the city centre coming on stream, some with the same much-vaunted outlets.
Anyway, it’s female fashion Dundrum thrives on & little else (okay even if it does make up 90% of the market :))
There is life outside H&M. Pity that couldn’t be better reflected on O’Cll St.Went to see it this morning – it’s funny how the front of the building from Hardwicke St looks as familar as ever because of that classic view in the 1840s photograph many people are so used to now, but the rear and other more modern-day views look very strange alright – in a good way :). It really is a beautiful structure.
Unfortunately serious work is needed; whatever about the soundness of the spire structure, certainly its decorative state is very poor. The joins in the stonework are very obvious as if there’s been a lot of movement, many of the stone carvings have suffered severe erosion – notably the capitals of the columns, and overall it needs a good cleaning, with large accumulations of soot underneath cornices and other nooks and holes etc. The surfaces of the main spire facades are surprisingly clean however.
The flats on Hardwicke Street & crescent look great I think, nice efficient, streamlined design that works very well with the church at the top. Very strange to see the last straggling Georgian remains of what used to be here at the western end of the street 🙁
Yes – I thought the new Liffey St surface was quite nifty too, only though because it appears to be semi-permanent; it seems to have been directly poured onto the existing concrete surface. The herringbone pattern is rather a twee UK high street design and the hump is kind of strange – I’d remind you of one of Telford’s early roads combined with the drainage channel either side 🙂
Maybe it was just laid until the ILAC is finished – tart the place up a bit without spending a fortune on something that may be damaged…What about way outside the capital and Castletown – it has hugely thick glazing bars in its basement windows from the 1720/30s, Are the upper fine windows later – I presume so…?
There’s loads of buildings in Dublin with older exposed-frame windows in main facades but they all have fine/ish bars.
To lift a quote from Nessa Roche’s great book – (the notorious :)) “Mrs Delany…admired the new fashion and in 1759 ordered sashes ‘new made in the narrow way, which makes them much pleasanter’.”Ah yes, Trinity, that venerable and distinguished institution; home to the world’s most discerning Pepsi Max connoisseurs :rolleyes:
Trinity’s a good example of the transitional style, and not just in relation to windows.
I’m surprised the City only reigns in €50 million from ratepayers – thought it’d be much more…
Yes – I know them well, really the only chunkies so prominently on display in the city centre. The lack of reveals is also interesting, as are their exposed frames.
You’re probably right regarding the front and back of the RDH house – unlike glass, it’d have been just as cheap to have quality thin bars at the front as at the back. Must take a wander down Moore Lane again – it is amazing how much Georgian remains around the back behind the jumble of facades creating the public face of these buildings.
It’s hard to have a good look without looking deeply suspicious – or being stabbed for that matter…:)
