notjim
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@ctesiphon wrote:
The only other building of Libeskind’s that I’ve liked as much as the Jewish Museum is the Boilerhouse Extension of the V&A (but I’ve yet to see that one in the flesh ;)). Love it, hate it, or both at the same time, at least it appears to have been thought out on its own terms, not in the context of a house style. But I’m digressing.
I thought that was never built?
I am sure the penthouse isn’t finished and it will be clad as with the rest; the main objection is to the depth of the reliefs and the and the non-baryolithic quality of the cladding.
Baryolithic is a new, mongrel, word meaning resembling heavy stone.
Won’t it be ironic if the best of three buildings around this square turns out to be least anticipated, the already-built office block on the right as you face the water. It is at least honest and the funny coloured glass is pleasingly playful.
This one had the ballroom in the backgarden, it is the building in the middle of the ground flood eatery.
But it was clear from the start the stairs were dangerous; they should designed them to be safer rather than have an ugly rail retro-fitted. I hate the way the extension is gradually deteriorating, partly through poor maintenance, please fix the doors, repaint the doors, get the inappropriate change box out of the foyer etc and partly because it doesn’t work: the untreated render scuffs to easily, the stairs was dangerous and the circulation is terrible.
Today’s times: not what I expected.
Arnotts plan for ‘Northern Quarter’ rejected by board
OLIVIA KELLY
Artist’s impression of the planned “Northern Quarter”: 47 shops and 14 cafes, restaurants and bars and around 175 apartments and a 149-bedroom hotel were planned
Artist’s impression of the planned “Northern Quarter”: 47 shops and 14 cafes, restaurants and bars and around 175 apartments and a 149-bedroom hotel were planned
Photograph: The Irish TimesPLANS FOR a new “Northern Quarter” on the site of Arnotts department store in Dublin will have to go back to the drawing board following the rejection by An Bord Pleanála of several major elements of the development, including a 16-storey tower.
The board has told Arnotts that the plans could not proceed in their current form and has directed them to reduce the height of the tower by nine storeys and ensure that no other building in the development was higher than seven.
In its letter to Arnotts, the board said the development would be “unduly obtrusive on the skyline” and would “seriously detract from the balance and architectural coherence of these streets”.
The wording of the board’s letter is a powerful signal that it will not allow any high-rise buildings in the historic core of the city. While it is sure to come as a major blow to Arnotts who had its plans passed almost in full by Dublin City Council last year, it also sets a marker for future developments in the area, including the redevelopment of the Carlton site a short distance north of Arnotts.
The company is proposing a €750 million redevelopment of a 5.5 acre block bordered by Henry Street, Middle Abbey Street, Liffey Street and O’Connell Street, into a new shopping, entertainment and residential zone, called “Northern Quarter”. The quarter would include 47 shops and 14 cafes, restaurants and bars, around 175 apartments and a 149-bedroom four-star hotel.
In addition to limiting the height of the development, the board has told Arnotts to significantly scale back its overall plans, ordering it to reduce the footprint of the buildings, half the number of parking spaces sought, restrict entrance to the car park and completely eliminate its plans for redesigning the facade of the Penney’s building on O’Connell Street.
The board is particularly scathing in relation to the plans for Penney’s.
Arnotts was seeking to introduce large projecting glass screens over the existing facades of the building on O’Connell Street. These would “seriously detract” from the design and character of these streets, but particularly the GPO building, the board said.
Most significantly for any future developments in the street, the board said the facade alteration would detract from the “architectural heritage value of this nationally important streetscape”.
Arnotts had sought 683 car parking spaces and to have access to the car park from both O’Connell Street and Middle Abbey Street. The board has said this was excessive and has ordered Arnotts to keep car parking at its current level of 350 spaces and restrict access to Middle Abbey Street only. The board also said inadequate public outdoor space had been provided and directed that the footprint of two of the four blocks included in the scheme be set back by 10m.
The company paid €26 million in 2003 for Independent House, the former premises of Independent newspapers, and is understood to have paid in excess of €100 million to acquire all the property required within the 5.5-acre site. Arnotts has until June 5th next to submit all the amendments required, but it is unclear whether the project will still be economically viable.
The Arnotts situation is likely to be watched very closely by Dundrum shopping centre developer Joe O’Reilly, who owns the derelict Carlton site at the other end of O’Connell Street.
Mr O’Reilly is shortly expected to seek planning permission for a development which is to include about 6,503sq m (700,000sq ft) of retail premises with restaurants, bars and other leisure facilities, a 150-bedroom hotel and apartments. He has also signalled that he will be seeking tall buildings on the site.
As with Arnotts the Carlton development is likely to find favour with the council’s planners. City manager John Tierney has repeatedly said that he wanted to see a far greater intensification of use of land in the city centre. However, given that most projects involving height and major redevelopment are appealed to An Bord Pleanála, it is the board that will have the final say.
I used to hate driving into Rochfortbridge for this reason, on one side you had a BnaM development, charming terrace or well-built well-designed housed layed out logically, the other a field scattered with ugly semi-d’s: what had gone wrong between then and now? Luckily Rochfortbridge is now bypassed.
Ah the joy of an institutional subscription!
Irish Times 26 March 2008
MOTORWAY WORKS AT TARA
Madam, – I was very disappointed to read in last Friday’s Irish Times that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, declared himself satisfied that the National Roads Authority proposals, if implemented, would result in the protection of the monument at Rath Lugh.
This is not so as the monument and its environment have already been mutilated by work carried out on the proposed route of the motorway.
Rath Lugh and its environment is an integral part of the Tara archaeological and cultural complex. Its environment includes the significant Gabhra Valley to the west towards the Hill of Tara. The latter area is now reduced to a strip of rubble as a result of work carried out by and with the authority of the present Government of which Mr Gormley is a member. Furthermore, Rath Lugh is now divorced from the archaeological complex of which it formed a part from its construction many centuries ago.
As a result of the destruction, which I witnessed a couple of days ago, a “new” environment has now emerged, the personality of the area is being destroyed.
Standing on Rath Lugh and looking across the Gabhra Valley the main feature of that area is now the equivalent of a “race track” with heavy machinery driving up and down at considerable speed and creating vibrations which can be felt on Rath Lugh.
In the area that I visited three lines of defence were in place.
The outermost is a spiked iron fence up to eight feet in height and secured in concrete, next came security personnel and further inwards were members of the Garda SÃochána.
For me, this was an intimidating experience and one that I never expected to see in order to facilitate the destruction, by our own Government, of a key portion of our own great archaeological inheritance. – Yours, etc,
GEORGE EOGAN, Brighton Road, Rathgar, Dublin.
@PVC King wrote:
Pure concrete fantasy
Makes you wonder what they would think of the abovePVC King: I hope you are not against Goldinger’s Trellick Tower somehow, it is a fantastic building; also, an interesting lesson since people have learned to love it since they introduced decent caretaking and surveillance.
from today’s times
GPO may become setting for presidential inaugurations
THE GPO in Dublin may become the setting for future presidential inaugurations, following its transformation to accommodate a museum commemorating the 1916 Rising, The Irish Times has learned. FRANK McDONALD , Environment Editor reports.
Plans being drawn up by architects in the Office of Public Works (OPW) envisage demolishing part of the building to create a glazed courtyard to the rear, two-thirds the size of the Upper Yard of Dublin Castle.
The two existing courtyards within the GPO are “rather mean”, according to a spokesman, so the plan is to demolish the cross-block between them and create a much more impressive civic space.
Beneath this courtyard, there would be a vast concourse – “something like the Louvre [ in Paris] rather than Clery’s basement” – which would be accessible from the front and sides of the building.
The concept being worked on is to retain the existing post office, but reconfigure it to create a processional route from the neoclassical portico on O’Connell Street to the courtyard and concourse.
“This could become the ‘front room of the nation’ within a building that’s central to the foundation of the State,” the OPW spokesman said. “It could even be used for presidential inaugurations.”
Traditionally, presidents have been inaugurated in St Patrick’s Hall at Dublin Castle, “with 500 people crammed in, so it would be lovely to have these ceremonies in a space that could accommodate 2,000”.
The proposed concourse beneath the courtyard would be a large, column-free exhibition space similar to the central concourse of the Louvre museum, with roof lights above to flood it with natural light.
Apart from a 1916 museum, it would contain a philately museum and possibly also a museum of Dublin. A working group headed by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is examining the options.
The National Museum is advising on the content of the 1916 museum, which is likely to be broader than the Rising itself and its aftermath, but it is likely that professional exhibition designers will also be involved.
It is envisaged that shops would be installed at ground level, along the Prince’s Street frontage of the building, to complement plans by Arnott’s for a major redevelopment of this “back street” area.
The proposal to demolish the cross-block, which is located halfway between the front of the building and the GPO arcade, means that many of An Post’s 1,000 staff will have to relocate to other offices.
However, the OPW spokesman emphasised that the GPO would continue to house the “headquarters function” of An Post as well as the post office, which dates from 1814 and was rebuilt in the 1920s.
The OPW’s in-house design team is headed by assistant principal architect Michael Haugh, with Charles Moore as project architect, and overseen by commissioner David Byers, who is also an architect.
The sketch scheme they are preparing is expected to be presented to the Cabinet in May, with a view to getting approval to proceed to planning application stage and finish the building work by 2013.
© 2008 The Irish Times@PVC King wrote:
The concrete base
The paint finish
Tha gaudy lights at night for air safety
Ok; repaint and light it better, the base isn’t really visible and we all agree, they are lovely.
As for redevoping that area, I am sure the current port area is more likely to get the old navy pier treatment, not least because it will continue to be where cruise ships dock and the area around the pidgeon house has the sewerage works and is an important bird habitat. It would be good though if something interesting was done with the old power station.
Again, PVC King; what is ugly about them, they have a pleasing sculptural form, and the distance between them is somehow perfect. CAn you explain what about them you find ugly?
What is ugly about them?
Similar chimneys can be seen elsewhere; but the precise location of ours, their particular setting is distinct, storied and dignified by the common memory of the cities inhabitants.
If the DIT move is to work it needs a Luas line; it also adds huge value to the broadstone bus depot land bank, it is hard to see it not happening.
So the Grangegorman/Liffey junction line will terminate on OCS and the Lucan line at College Green? Won’t that mean an awful lot of separate depots etc
