GrahamH
Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Tis a grand place all right 🙂
Ah the Imperial – alas it is being anything but demolished, rather it has been completely refurbished and is due to reopen in about two weeks! Has a very fine contemporary interior now, but nothing, and I mean nothing has been done with the main exterior elevation save a new ground floor shopfront which didn’t need doing.
You should see the fawning tributes in the local paper regarding the refurbishment, yet typically not a word about the ghastly exterior, or the plant room on top, that now has a fine array of telecoms transmitters and boosters to add insult to injury. A letter is making its way to the editor…
Yes the beautiful 1834 Louth Hospital is in fine condition now you’ll be glad to hear Lexington – in the ownerhip of the adjoining Grammar School following a sale about five years ago. Some all-singing white Victoriana railings were erected around its perimeter however 😡
Pictures soon.Sounds like you had a great lark with the railway Lex – wouldn’t mind doing all of the things you got up to now 🙂
The GNR works are in a sorry state now alright, as is the original 1840s station – both badly in need of repair.
There’s a fascinating collection of railway houses surrounding the whole area – from tiny early Victorian terraces, to later more elaborate machine-brick houses, to detached gothic-style piles – fantastic!The town does have a more planned feel to it that neighbouring towns – very simply because it was planned 🙂
Well, on existing routes as with most urban centres, but still it was devised very well.Not so sure about the new retail developement to the edge of the town – very concerned it’s going to suck the lifeblood out of the centre. At least it’s easy to get to by foot, and is reasonably well linked to the centre, but it is still by and large going to be car dependent.
And as for the architecture 😮Yes Dundalk is very retail-dependent for its size – and the various traditional manufacturing industries are dwindling by the day. High-end services need to be attracted to the town, not least to give it a purpose other than aborbing the over-spill of Dublin commuters from Drogheda.
😀
Yes, an important distinction to make. Hard deal is still expensive though from what I can make out, well on its way to being as expensive as the hardwoods.
It is the unfortunate reality of timber window-making today Maria (and indeed other timber goods), and it’s only getting worse because of the dominance of PVC: the more people that want plastic, the more timber becomes a pricey niche product.
Personally I’d live with rotting, shaky original sashes any day over PVC, but obviously most people have rather different priorities :).
The fact that you still have your sashes intact Maria is at least some consolation in the replacement dilemma – to restore windows is generally less expensive than total timber replacement, and secondly you have all the original details in situ, from pane arrangements to timber widths to horn design etc – all of which could be a pain to replicate if the sashes were removed some years ago.At the end of the day it is up to you as to what you want to go for (as to whether this should be the case is another debate :)), and how much you value the architectural merit of the sashes, and their heritage value.
I’ve never had experience of having to restore sashes so can’t quote you – though saying that, PVC and/or aluminium can prove very expensive also, PVC in particular is by no means a cheap option with all suppliers, particularly that wood-grain effect product.The value of the original glass in the sashes is also something to consider, as is the undoubted appeal of timber as a natural material. I am ever so slightly deeply deeply biased against PVC so really should shut up – but just to say, people, even with all the money in the world, practice such double standards when it comes to windows it just beggars belief – they swoon over cornicing and fire surrounds, but swing pickaxes at original windows.
A serious redressing of the balance is in order in this country.Just came across the contractors that cleaned the O’Connell Bridge balustrading:
http://www.pmac.ie/stone_cleaning.htm
Needless to say, they’re highlighting with pictures what was an excellent job it was. Thank you P.MAC Ltd!
I think this cleaning went by rather quietly, yet it has transformed this area of the city. The difference between the former drab, not to mention disgustingly stained, Portland stone is astonishing, especially when viewed now in the sun.
It projects a warmth out to the pedestrian passing by, and into what is to be honest a rather cold grey city centre and riverscape.
The difference was really remarkable.
The cleaning also helped hugely in reducing (if not quite eliminating :)) the dirty Dublin image. Despite pedestrians and tourists brushing right past every single day for years they were so close, the stone was never touched for cleaning.
It should have been done 10 years ago, but better late than never.
Yes, the CC have a lot of plans on their plate at present.
A good point is made about the need to link the eastern O’Cll St/Henry St/Jervis area with Smithfield – something the Luas is helping to do, but from a pedestrian perspective the link could be improved via improved public domain, and greater retail/service provision along the route.
There’s a lot of derelict sites/yards and generally underutilised land in this intermediary area too.Sorry to digress a bit, but you mention Stephen the Lower Rathmines Road conservation scheme: where could I find more info on this? – thanks.
How is it that this area falls under the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council?Dundalk is looking Dave, not getting 🙂
Good point about Drogheda & Navan though, both ever-expanding towns, with Drogheda already on a par with Dundalk if not already passed it out if one includes the burgeoning housing estates of its perimeter. Both have around 35,000.
Don’t know what other towns are looking though Boyler, though no matter who they are, by European standards they fall well short population-wise of what is generally considered a city. Indeed even our large existing cities are borderline at their c100,000 mark.
Dundalk has certainly moved up in the world, and architecturally is easily one of the most beautiful towns in Ireland, despite its reputation in the social stakes. It has an extraordinary amount of 19th century vernacular, especially early from the early 19th century when the town first took off – as well as a handful of buildings (including contemporary) of national and international importance.
Hope to get some pictures soon.
Always presumed that seating would go onto the median once it is was finished, but as time went on it just never materialised.
I do hope though that it is not intended that the street’s public seating will be made up of chairs provided by a private operator of a coffee kiosk, where one is obliged to buy something first.Permanent public seating would certainly be welcome on the median once the bikes go – though if that taxi rank is going along the median again, I’d rather not have to sit with them gawping at you the whole time – bad enough as it is walking past them.
The Plaza the other day – traffic enforcement is definitely needed, and fast before a culture develops (not that it hasn’t already). To say it again, the cheek of some people….:mad:
Having a good look at the terrace the other day, the highlighted buildings aren’t nearly as ‘out of context’ as the above image would lead you to believe – they actually fit in very well with the grain of the town (ghastly, and I mean really ghastly, shopfront aside).
But whatever about these tall Georgians (ish), I’d have great difficulty in losing the little red brick. I forgot what it was looking at the dodgy image above, but being reminded in real life instantly confirmed things.
It is officially the most charming, cutest (apologies for the term), delightful little Victorian building on the face of the planet 🙂
It’s a little world of its own, with original two-over-two sashes, and a if not original, then certainly early 20th century shopfront, an original slate roof, and tiny likkle chimneys that just cap it all off 🙂
A very rare little survivor of purpose-built 19th century retail buildings, and ought not be touched with a 12ft pole.
Hope to get a pic soon.Thanks for that Peter.
@ctesiphon wrote:
“One careful owner”? :rolleyes:
lol – I’d get on to Ebay about that for fallacious advertising 🙂
So that’s where Government Buildings’ helipad is 🙂
The image really shows what a perfect site Govt Buildings is for security – very secure on all three sides, with just the ceremonial street facade ‘exposed’.
Also highlights how rather ridiculous the Leinster House podium is to the front – should be removed I think, not least the ubiquitous local authority concrete planters :rolleyes:
Most certainly – it is interesting to note the difference in attitudes towards terraced housing in the UK and in Ireland.
Whereas in the major cities in the UK that are jam-packed with Victorian terraces for then considered lower middle class and middle middle class, here terraces are still considered to be the lowest of the low in the housing heirarchy.Yet even the most exclusive housing in the capital on Palmerstown Road or Morehampton Rd etc are all terraced!
Fair enough we can do without their prairie back gardens today, but they’re good examples of how housing can still be built to a high density and can be very commodious with three storey over-basement, without having to go the apartment route.
It never fails to astonish how vast the seemingly modest Edwardian semis/terraces of Glasnevin etc are – most have five bedrooms and 3 recs.The problem with terraces is that they’re very much so associated with major urban centres, and the very notion of building them in a field in Mullingar is not even on the radar of developers in this country.
Nor even is the idea of mixed developments – with a multitude of units to cater for different needs, from tall family terraces and/or semis, to apartments for younger/older/single persons etc.
Just row upon row upon row of yellow semis with three bedrooms and often a single person clattering about inside.It’s partially the developers/planners fault, but also the mindset of young people wanting to grab hold of a 3-bed semi for future security.
Yes – I had reason to wait about on Grattan Bridge for a while about two months ago, and was astonished at just how low the Liffey can actually go – the western side of the bridge’s waters were virtually non-existant!
All that was left were pools of water amongst acres of mud plains and shoopping trollies and all the rest.
It was extraordinary, not to mention fascinating just to rest on the side and spot all the various ‘items’ on the river bed – has anyone ever seen it this low before? The gulls were having a great time on the river bed, eating all forms of life 🙂When does the Four Courts stretch of balustrading date from does anyone know? Always assumed around 1810-30 due to its Regencyish appearance….
And when were the balusters painted? A criminal offence were stone be painted over today, but you have to admit it works exceedingly well :). 1930s perhaps?
It’s a great pity more of the quays weren’t fitted with these, indeed indicative of the lack of attention paid to Dublin’s quays throughout the centuries, with the exception of Ormonde’s move.@Morlan wrote:
it was removed completely! 😀
Ah, but is he in cold storage somewhere ready to be reinstated – that’s the question….
Yes those files did show the Upper layout – goodness only knows where they are amongst all the posts. Think Peter posted them…
From what i can recall, the taxi rank was to be preserved along the median.Yes a magnificent job – and you can get a good nose in the conference windows going by too 🙂
One of the finest Georgians in the city now, and in large part thanks to Gandon himself – the architect’s touch here is notable compared to the rest of the city’s townhouse stock.
How exactly were they lost – was told before but forgot. It wasn’t either of the conflicts on the street as far as I know…
I was wondering about Jesus too – notably this wasn’t included in the monument conservation programme 😀
Perhaps the CC are waiting for a bit of the old Divine Intervention to zap the PVC to oblivion….Judging by the paving line…the taxi rank will still be in place once the median is completed.
Surely this isn’t being plonked back in the middle again is it?
Where did you get that figure from Kefu?
Agreed about not extending the Boardwalk beyond Grattan Bridge, it would not only be practically pointless but visually damaging too.
It would seem the aim of the existing Boardwalks is essentially to ease pedestrian congestion in the busiest part of the city in the short/medium term, and provide a decent seating area as an added bonus.
In the longer term I would like to see them removed, and the quays given back to the people once/if the city’s traffic problems are sorted.Agreed about increased Garda activity needed around the Eden Quay area especially – it is the only area in the city I do not feel safe in day or night, so much so I’d elect to use Talbot St as an east-west route anyday over that quay.
To say the least – really an truly, a Boardwalk on the most special part of the quays?!
Whatever about the more pedestrian stretches of the Liffey, we can do without that grotesque heap of builders yard juck tacked onto the quay walls outside the Four Courts thank you very much.The distinctive cream-balustered balustrading is what makes this area:
Obviously a Boardwalk is not proposed for here, and never should it be.
As TP says, there’s ample room for pavement widening with the elimination on-street parking – evident above.The south quay has standard granite walls.
