GrahamH
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Yes – I passed Orla O’Donnell shooting the report at 4.30 🙂
Well done to all involved for their dedication and the amount of time they clearly devoted to the campaign.
Can’t wait to see the ‘new look’ – though hopefully not too new!What exactly is the Bewley’s Group’s role in this now – RTÉ say that “The new operation will be executively managed on behalf of Bewley’s” by the Café Deli Bar people. Is it just the name that’s franchised out or what?
Yes – it pains me to have to say it but they really are quite excellent from a distance! Up close though is not pleasant.
But the major flaw in their design as always is the single pane of glass in each sash – as flat as a pancake in spite of the grid.And to think the ground floor occupier is the swankiest, most contrived, most expensive home interior shop in the North East, priding itself on ‘quality’…
Yes DCC’s lack of action on the spreading of ACAs is extraordinary – maybe because they’re a major headache administratively? Protection of streetscapes can be nearly more important than individual strutures in many cases.
I love these houses below.
Isn’t it ironic that in spite of the half-century effort of the Victorians to rid themselves of cluttered Georgian grids, and their triumphant attainment of plate/sheet glass, the owner of the left-hand house here has decided to chuck this achievement out the window, preferring instead to reinsert an antiquated and incongruous feature – the Georgian grid.It really says it all about window treatment in this country:
What an extrordinary house Curraghmore is. Can’t make out from the picture if it’s a ruin or not – is it lived in Michael?
Yes Boyler if you’re interested in the development of Baroque and Palladianism etc here, Dr McParland is the noted expert in the field.
Got some of his work last December but still haven’t laid eyes on it yet :rolleyes:Ah well then, sure they must be great so 🙂
Have you seen the current ads plastered across Dublin buses – don’t know what it’s for but there’s a giant pictured looming over Govt Buildings holding up the lead dome in his hand like he’s just taken the lid off 😀
Often wondered what the building would look like with a green copper dome – decidedly more effeminate anyway…
The lead dome is a sure sign of the hand of an English-based architect – did Webb ever even visit Dublin?
I’ve often felt the lead is a bit of an ignorant slap in the face to the city…Well much of Dundalk is ACA designated now – i.e post 2000, ACA ‘proper’. There was at least four areas proposed in the draft Dev Plan for the town; at least some if not all are now enacted, I think all are.
Agreed Monty about not disimproving the situation with regard to safety and replacement windows. With those new windows pictured above, there is simply no way any adult could fit through those openings without severe amputation…
With the others with higher opening lights, it is an impossibility full stop.
Sash windows have so many advantages over hinged windows on virtually every front, perhaps with the exception of security – if not properly secured they’re just as easy to get in through as to escape out…Double glazing in old sashes is a thorny issue alright – I’d say a complete no no in the case of Georgian sashes unless the appearance of double glazing improves, but with Victorian plates it can look equally bad with the shiny metal strips between the panes brazenly evident. If this issue can be resolved (perhaps it has already) it would be a major step forward aesthetically – (this all based on the assumption that there’s no original glass left)Must have a look at Wynns tomorrow and see their double glazed panes – perhaps it can be done well.
You say Monty that “a defensible case could be made for replacing like with like” – is this your opinion or is it the actual legislation? Thanks
Well it’s good to see the sign down this morning 🙂
However the English school banner is still there.It is interesting to note the different attitudes taken towards planning, not to mention the different outlook overall, between retailers on our streets.
Most fast-food joints contribute little towards the streetscape, and generally exercise the bare minimum in quality design and maintenance – exemplified by the recent Burger King case.By contrast, as was noted on the pastiche thread, banks tend to do things ‘properly’, putting the best foot forward, keen to exude a quality what-the-public-want image: reinforcing their established positions.
And a current case in point being the National Irish Bank on Upper O’Connell St, who have just applied for planning permission soley for the purpose of removing the green star symbol from their main sign on the facade, barely measuring 12″ square, and the removal of the same from the projecting sign!
Could the contrast be any more stark between the two?!
It is good to see the Special Planning Control Scheme in action – as far as I know this is more detailed with regard to signage and other similar features than the ACA guidelines.
The fact that NIB applied for such an insignificant change, presumably just for rebranding purposes, proves that at least there is a strong awareness of the now protected status of O’Connell Street amongst some owners – hopefully most.It’s largely neoclassical, but with Baroque elements, including the broken arched pediments not often seen by the public as they’re located inside the complex, as well as on the exterior walls of the sides of the building down the long passages.
It is under the right-hand one of these that the Taoiseach’s car pulls up as far as I know.The screened facade part is quite Baroque in nature in that it is perhaps excessively/exaggeratedly decorated, and powerful in design; Power’s figures atop generating a particularly Baroque skyline.
It’s interesting how this building doesn’t seem to have won the affections of most people – perhaps an indication of the Baroque influences in its architecture, not to mention the early emergence of modern elements such as the clean chunky lines of the parapet that almost look like cast concrete.
I’ve never been a fan of the elevated pediment on the central block of the building:
…but otherwise I like the scheme overall. The view through the screen wall with railings in front is very striking – no doubt a lot of pain and effort went into designing that so the screen element and the central block inside hung well together from that important street perspective.
You probably know that much of the street elevation is derived from the Custom House, notably the twin column formations with windows in the centre, and the heavy dentiled cornice – not to mention the Tuscan order employed obviously 🙂
Yes – and the percentage-indexed occupancy an appropriate solution.
Look at this article plonked on a hill in Kilkenny:
Features including:
. Commanding views of scenic rural landscape – as long as I don’t have anything to do with it
. ‘Cathedral style’ ceiling to living room – well something has to make up for the exterior
. Easily accessible; Dublin 1 hour 40 minutes, Rosslare Harbour 1 hour, Waterford 40 minutes – handy commutes indeed
. Decking to the front – slash beach-hut
. 6 acres with excellent views – well at least there’s space to extend this squalid little property
. Electric Gates – all important living in a filed in the middle of nowhere
How very smug to scoff and scorn at developments, but sure what the heck – look at these gems :rolleyes:
Luckily, if that isn’t quite your cup of tea, there’s a varity of designs on offer to cater for all executive tastes:
(top of page photo-link)http://www.sherryfitz.ie/sf2003.exe?pageref=res_property&propid=LKP00716&pagemode=res
This is my favourite:
😀
I’m glad the CC decided not to go the advertising route – maybe only because they’d contravene their own ACA legislation 😉
But seriously it was a good move – they’re practicing what they preach. Just looking at the hoardings today they would have looked very unpleasant with advertising attached, whatever about the ideology of sticking commercial material to hoardings surrounding monuments to national figures.
Also have to remember that these are going to be here for 3 solid months: 3 solid months of potential revenue more like – well, there’s exceptionally few areas now where money ought not pull the strings – I think this is one of them.Enforcement Notices were issued against Burger King and the English school with regard to the removal of their banners last Tuesday – they’re both still there as of Saturday.
Is the post really that slow even with the GPO across the road or is there something else?
This ought to be a swift and immediate process.Monty, surely all replacement windows do not have to conform to such regulations, especially considering such a huge, allbeit minority amount, of existing windows do not conform simply by virtue of the size of the wall openings, or the position of the window.
Surely in such cases, i.e. with the majority of older buildings protected or not, these regs do not apply, as some if not all window openings would have to be changed in every single case.
Likewise how the current requirement of double-glazing in new-builds as far as I know does not apply in the restoration or re-insertion of sash windows….?Agreed that energy efficency ought to be encouraged via tax incentives, indeed on a much broader scale than just windows!
From what I have seen thus far ACAs are simply not being enforced, or properly at least.
They are completely and utterly useless if people do not know about them, they are literally not worth the paper they’re written on.
At the moment it seems not only is the awarness aspect amongst owners not being promoted, but the owners are also likely to get away with their alterations as nobody notices – nobody brings them to the attention of the CC, not least the neighbours where it’s probably in their interests to keep quet so they can get away with more of the same themselves.A property’s status ought to be stamped onto the deeds or similar permanent measure undertaken, and owners informed of the status upon change of ownership via one of the state agencies.
The main aim of ACAs is to protect areas of architectural merit, and in historic areas a related aim of preserving original exterior fabric. What is the point of taking proceedings subsequent to the damage being done, when the fabric has already been lost?!
The problem needs to be tacked at source via informing owners – as cumbersome a process as it may be – or at least until a sufficent culture has built up in this country which is going to take a long time…Monty what building on O’Connell St do you refer to with PVC. There is a myriad of buildings with shiny PVC that are not but a few years old, much of which is borderline in terms of ACA and protected building legislation introduction, a lot of which more than likely tips well over into the post-intro period but it’s difficult to prove just by looking…
Agreed that telephoto generates this effect, but this wasn’t taken with a tight lens – this is the view from O’Connell Bridge! – allbeit slightly cropped originally:
It still looks very cluttered when standing at the crossing – people’s first introduction to the street.
I don’t think the lampposts would look so messy of they didn’t have the mini-heads attached to the rear – they could look quite stately.
But the biggest problem I think is the median clutter – it’s way too close to the statement that the lampposts on the side pavements are trying to make.There is no doubting the works have been superb regarding the quality materials used and the standard of workmanship – and agreed about O’Cll St never looking better, I was only thinking the same walking along the median this morning!
But there’s too much clutter and too little a statement being made.Of course a ‘statement’ street isn’t everything – human scale timid planting schemes like that executed can be just as favourable.
Just not what I wanted for O’Connell St 🙁I hope the side pavement’s trees mature into a sweeping line – they ought to. Perhaps if it is intended that these will grow quite tall and contrast with the small scheme on the median, this will help hugely.
Likewise if the median trees fill out, the poley leggy element may go, though a rigid linear effect still won’t be there….Welcome news if it happens.
Why would its restoration be contingent on the refurbishment of Kildare House? Does it have many parking spaces?
And how is a situation of having tens and tens and tens of parking spaces being reduced to presumably nothing going to work on a practical level, whatever about staff & union objections?Well their car is pretty crappy anyway 😀
That ‘planning’ case is just ghastly, not to mention the design of the structure.
How could that have possibly been let though any sort of planning system?! Has a qualified planner even looked at this case?!
No doubt there’s a string of them alongside it too…Excellent article as ususal by McWilliams as posted by Ewan – this just about sums it up:
“Minister Dick Roche has been bullied and he has bowed to political pester power in the same way as a jaded mother buys peace at home with a Kit Kat, knowing well that the rapid ingestion of sugar will only lead to a short-term kick that will soon wear off.
The decision on one-off housing will cost us a fortune in the years ahead.”
You make an interesting point jimg, and I agree with you to a large part – think the aquatint above from 1818 just about sums it up 🙂
The O’Connell Street of old had a magnificent untamed grandeur to it: it’s almost as if the authorities couldn’t grapple with the sheer size of the place and eventually gave up, instead focusing their efforts on just lighting the side pavements and maintaining the statues 🙂There’s an uncontrollable wild element evident in contemporary images that’s quite bizarre and difficult to explain.
But I’ve often wondered if the appeal of this stems simply from nostalgia and a longing for the days of old with horses and traps and sedan chairs and all the rest, or is there a genuine beauty in it and could it be workable today?I see what you mean about the linear element today, but I’d argue that this is as equally worthy as the elongated square model – but it must be decided which way to go, and to stick to that.
I don’t think this has happened – certainly there is no plaza-like elongated square, which is fair enough, but the linear mode chosen has not been executed properly either.
There is way too much clutter on the median, and as said before I think the mish mash of trees there is disastrous.
There was a bold plain simplicity to the old plane trees – they alone defined the nature of the whole street. Whereas now I think there’s too much going on, so one gets neither the ‘width effect’ nor the ‘linear effect’ in full.I think that this incoherence is added to by the fact that everything is now gravitating towards the centre of the street, something perhaps not eveident when looking at the plans. There is nothing at all on the broad expanse of the side pavements – as should be the case – but as soon as you get to the line of trees and lampposts along the edge, all that there is between this focus point and the others on the median is two narrow traffic lanes.
So whereas on most streets you have a narrow pavement on each side and two simple rows of trees along a wide central road, here you have everything gravitating towards the middle, not least the lampposts which are virtually in the middle of the street.
If you think of the 1930s arched lampposts that lined the street – they worked fantastically well as they merely flanked the street, acting as a powerful marching backdrop – not standing in the middle cluttering the place up like the current ones do.
Exactly how you get around this given the width of the new pavement I don’t know…
It is difficult to ditch the median to allow visual breathing space given the monuments there and the precedent the 1980s one set – but a complete lack of trees at all may be an idea; either have them along the pavements or just along the median…But the biggest problem as I see it is that the CC have applied the format of the Champs-Elysées to O’Connell St, placing trees at each side of the street, forgetting that the Paris version does not have a median.
The Champs-Elysées’ power is derived from the two simple rows of trees with acres of traffic in the middle.
By contrast O’Connell Street’s power used to be generated by a single row of ‘power-trees’ down the centre.
(Ciarán Cuffe)This has been removed and replaced by a dispersed planting scheme which has destroyed this cohesion, which for all its faults gave O’Connell Street a unique identity.
Perhaps this argument is as premature as the trees just planted, i.e. just wait and see what happens both in terms of the trees maturing and the plans for Upper O’Cll St emerging. Even so, I think the median thus far does not work full stop.
As for for the ‘wide model’ and using it today – would it be immediately negated just by traffic lanes and pavements alone?
Attached are two images of the empty street of old – one from http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com:Great pictures there – College Green being particularly pertinent.
Walking around so much of Dublin city centre 2-4 times a day, I experience so much of what you speak Brian, i.e the priority of traffic over pedestrians.
And I don’t mean that in the usual ‘why aren’t the traffic lights programmed in favour of us’ strain of thought (although it plays an important role), but rather in the way we have all grown up in a culture where car is best.It is perfectly summed up in something I experience virtually every day. Take the example of being in a car and being stranded in a yellow box on the road, blocking a whole stream of traffic and everyone starts honking etc. The fear of God is put into most motorists – gasp shock horror I’m holding up ten cars behind me etc. Likewise if a pedestrian, or group of pedestrians hold up traffic, the unthinkable is happening – you’re holding up ‘The Traffic’. Angry fists appear out of windows, expletives often shouted etc.
Now consider the reverse senario which one sees every single hour of every single day in Dublin (and around the country) of a monster truck straddled across a pedestrian crossing, notably at the likes of O’Connell Bridge, Westmoreland, Pearse St etc, where anywhere of up to 80-100 people at the junction can be blocked from crossing, or at best be inconvenienced – and often put in danger by having to walk between vast vechicles.
Our reaction to the situation is completely different, the pedestrian might grumble in their head but that’s about it!We’ve been brought up in a car culture, a culture where on no accounts do you block The Traffic – not people but ‘Traffic’ – an alien force not to be reckoned with – despite the fact that in most urban environments pedestrians hold the clout numerically. How is it that if traffic is held up, war breaks out, yet if many more people who just happen not to be in cars, on the pavements are held up nobody cares?!!
Some dedicated pedestrians do take it into their own hands – I occasionally give dirty looks but that’s about it – others shout, clap their hands at the driver’s handiwork etc. On one occasion on St. Stephen’s Green I saw a man with an umbrella give a taxi driver’s bonnet an almighty whack, much to the pleasure of everyone else 🙂
I think this practice sums up our attitudes towards pedestrians not only in road and street based locations, but on a much broader level: in how we design our buildings’ outdoor spaces and environments to cater for the pedestrian, or indeed the person.
Agreed that those are the four tenets of AT’s policy – although the first one also encompassing the much broader issue of settlement patterns etc.
It is unfortunate that the full side of the story is not delivered on the few brief occasions that AT have the opportunity to air their views – notably the three other issues other than the water quality aspect.Roche is indeed verbose, grandiloquent I’d say :), and he certainly has honed the art of the flowery time-wasting introduction down to a tee (though I must admit to liking him on a personal level). But all the more reason for his opposing counterparts to be concise and direct in their responses, or more to the point, in the adgendas they set for him to respond to.
That is, the three/four other equally important parts of the debate that don’t get the coverage they deserve.Eanna NÃ Lamhna did well though considering the short time available – her popularity with housewives cannot be underestimated in worth 🙂
I find this whole ‘who has a right to live on the land’ debate deeply unsavoury. How is it now that those who have a link to the land simply by Daddy being a farmer, yet they work in Intel and their wife in the local town, has a greater right to live in rural areas?
Every case should be judged on its own merits, with the single exception being for those who work the land, essentially those that need to be there. Otherwise every case should be considered individually.
If the current logic were to be extended to urban areas, prices for housing in the capital would fall through the floor as those who weren’t from Dublin could not buy a house there.As for the ‘debate’ this afternoon – what a pity it got bogged down (excuse the pun) in an arguement about putting Domestos down the pan. Even so, this raises a fundamental question: if the efficent septic tank technology in use elsewhere in Europe was to be used here, along with inspections and ‘desludging’ legislation etc – what’s AT’s position then on one-off housing?
It’s all very well to talk about the current state of affairs, and yes of course they should be concerned about the onslaught of problems that current one-off building practice brings, but in an ideal world of wastewater treatment what then about one-off housing?
It is an important point considering the majority of the public debate on the issue revolves around this very point, even if it doesn’t in policy documents – but on the public level it is the central hinge of the whole issue.
If one applies the ideals of wastwater treatment to every house built, the public face, I emphasise the public face of AT’s debate fall flat on its face.Irish Georgian – a term perhaps not used often enough, was quite different from the architecture of Europe or England of the day. It was a simpler form – presumably derived from a lack of funds, a lack of the direct influence with other countries which others were exposed to, and perhaps from a genuine desire to stay ‘pure’ and simple; more true to the forms of Greece and Rome.
Hence the Baroque you see emerging in the mid/late 17th centrury in the (now) UK, such as the likes of Vanbrugh’s fantastical Castle Howard never quite made its way over here.
Perhaps others can elaborate on this, but I would assume that the most influencing factor in all of this is that when baroque was at its height in the 17th century, Ireland was in turmoil. Considering little of note or of fashion was built here before the second quarter of the 18th century, baroque was well and truly out of fashion by the time stability and prosperity came along.
