ShaneP
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Where did the image of the new Royal George come from? Think someone said it was actually a new office on Henry st., some time back. It couldn’t be of O’Connell St., because the present elevetion is much narrower and is taller than it is wide. Is that the Shannon St. elevation? Also there is/was a for sale sign on the Henry St. side of the GPO, does anyone know anything about it? I believe the building was known as Roches Hanging Gardens which sounds like it must have had a fairly interesting history (again – sorry for the lack of pictures) It’s a redbrick single storey building just around the corner from the main part of the post office.
No, no inside info. goin on here Tuborg, Was referring to the fact that the whole inside of BT’s has been done up which means there’s a better choice of things on sale and that along with the other new shops that have opened, there’s less need to go to Roches now, so that might force them to up their standard a bit. As for the facade of BT’s – well it’s hardly alone in warrenting criticism. Most of the buildings around there (which at present marks the very centre of the city) convey the image of a very drab place, Dunnes Stores on O’Connell St, Bank of Ireland, Ryans Jewellers, penneys/ Burger King, Arthur’s Quay SC are all fairly depressing and it would be fairly optimistic to think that they’re all going to change overnight into some kind of spectacular architectural marvel. But if they do, here’s a couple of interesting precedents that go a little beyond Georgian pastiche
Ta – although i’m still perplexed, it just doesn’t make any sense on a number of levels, still dont know if it’s the same project – surely Murray O’laoire couldn’t be responsible, what with having designed so many other great projects, tourist office, shannon airport, and the box in King john’s caslte etc. Shocking altogether – and it seems they did the new one at the top of William St. too. What’s going on?
As far as I know the properties on Liddy St all belong to Roches, so it’s entirely up to them what happens there. IS there any plans for the Dunnes stores site? All that’s been mentioned in the local press is that the remaining traders in the area are having a pretty diifficult time keeping the doors open. I tihnk there may have been some talk, a few years ago about relocating the Belltable down there, which sounds like a great idea -think a few Bolton St. architecture thesis explored the issue too, might see if there’s any possibilty of getting them on line.
As for the Edward St. apartments – got a few questions about that image – where did it come from? It appears somebody was fairly creative on the auld photoshop or else it’s an entirely different project to the one that has just been completed there. The apartments that have just been built, face directly onto Carey’s Rd (overlooking the Junction with Lord Edward St.) and so the houses in the background should not be visible in the image or else would be to the right of the apartments as viewed from the park!
Have to say, Baker PLace is a great success, a really nice surprise to greet anyone going from the station downtown. The addition of those apartments and shops will work well with the existing church and hotel etc. The new landscaping is seemingly a sampler for the whole pedestrianisation project, and although it might not be the most progressive looking fantastic super dutch design that’ll be splashed over the covers of every trendy design magazine, it’s very much suited to its context. Tree planting and public benches seem to have lost favour with local authorities thruoughout the land, but it’s great to see the trend being reversed here. Have some decent images and maps, but scanner is down at present so will get them on line asap. Any more photos of William St? There’s so many fine old shops and department store buildings there, it’s a shame to see it in such a shabby state now, it’s hard to see it changing any time soon though, with all the traffic congestion etc.
I think the new Roches facade ( from the 1940’s ) is probably an improvement on what went before – half arsed spanish looking classical motif is just not very Limerick, or maybe it is! Real shame what happened to the old Cannocks shop – think the appearance of the clock changed a few times over the course of its existance, if anyone has different pictures? It’s certainly different to the one that I remember from the early 80’s prior to it taking on its present hideous form. Also read an article somewhere recently in which the bit of left over road in front of penny’s was described by one of our erstwhile council officials as an ammenity area ( sorry no pictures of it at present, although the state of the place would probably shatter the lens) Bring on the Shunnel and pedestrianisation!
Found this image, courtesy of the good people at Newenham Mulligan – cant actually make out what part of Roches Stores it relates to, seeing as there’s a truck emerging from the corner entrance, must be a the rear of the building. Don’t know that the design is of any great architectural merit, but it would certainly improve the curent state of the place. I think the proposal has been put on the long finger, but with Brown Thomas getting their act together and a number of other decent clothes shops after opening in town recently, maybe that will be enough to give Roches a nudge in the right direction.
Fantastic – just read the thread about homophobic bouncers in Naas, not to mention the directions someone else was kind enough to give to their house, must pay them a visit to see their reaction. The future of Kildare planning is in safe hands, – must get back there now to see if anyone in Monasterevin has any thoughts on the economic situation in Uzbekistan.
Sounds like its a bit too early to dismiss it completely just yet. I think most people would agree that large single use speculative developments can and do usually impact negatively on their surroundings.
However there are at least 10 listed buildings in those few blocks and the development plan maps show that the area in question is of archaelogical significance. I would imagine that would prevent the wholesale demolition of the entire area. (even if all the other relevant issues are overlooked) The granary is a great building, one of those ones that made me want to do study architecture, and the Ormstons building on the corner of Ellen St. is another gem among others. I think Arthur’s Quay and the Dunnes Stores on Sarsfield St certainly set a bad precedent, but on balance, the new Dunnes Stores on Henry St. and the apartments facing the river constitute one the few decent developments in the city in recent years.
The area around Patrrick St has great potential especially, the Cahill May Roberts building and the shed looking structures at the corner of Michael St. There’s a real opportunity to create successful public space in the area and there’s a need for shopping to be part of it. The junction of Rutland St/ Charlotte Quay is the natural centre of the city – where English Town, Irish Town and Newtown Perry meet along with the Shannon and Abbey Rivers. There’s a great mix of buildings and uses in the area, the city hall, St. Marys cathedral, Hunt Museum, Potato Market, the Art College, The Granary as well as plenty of bars, restaurants and offices and the marina too. At present though, the area seems a bit overlooked by most people visiting the city centre, the focal point being at O’Connell St./ William St. – not exactly the most inspiring image to greet anyone, be they native or visitor. On the other hand, wouldn’t be great to sail down from Kilaloe passing by the wilderness along the Shannon and Park canal to be suddenly in the middle of a busy city centre, I can just see the 2010 Limerick all Ireland hurling champions pulling up in their boat to be greeted by cheering thousands along the river, confetti streaming from the rooftops, fire works over the Shannon and all the rest of it.
I guess what i’m getting at is that; for any public space to function succesfully, there needs to be a sufficient concentration of people and activities in the area to support it, among other factors .That is why Arthur’s Quay Park does not work at present and why new shops (especially a large department store) in the area around the Granary could be good for the area and the city as a whole. A new development perhaps incorpoating a hotel and apartments ( they aren’t all bad) , senstive to its context could be a very exciting project a the end of the day.
Hopefully we won’t be greeted some day with Willie O’dea rambling on to some property page editor about Dundrum style atriums (ugh) and 20000 car parking spaces etc. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
It’s them alright. Just found it on their website. There’s a few other images,( still trying to figure out how to insert them on this site) not that that they really explain anything – it’s as vague and waffly as the accompanying shpiel. It’s a huge area – wonder what it all means. Any other entries been published? I knew the city council had commisioned a masterplan but never heard anything about it being a competition. As for the new block beside the park – past it last weekend, can’t believe that’s the finished product, you’d think with all the controversy surrounding the site, they’d have made a bit of an effort. The timber cladding, I can only presumed glued on, looks like it’s seen better days, although maybe it’ll fall off soon to reveal something much more pleasing, sort of like a a Carl Scarpa design on speed. It’s a real wasted opportunity there, although I don’t think it was wrong to build on a bit of the park. It would probably be best to sell off the big wedge shaped piece of land at the Wolfe Tone St. side along with the other bit of left over space near the station and complete the Georgian Square plan that was originally intended by Mr. Pery and others in the 1830’s.
Sounds like a fairly scary scenario. As a student exiled to Dublin for the last few years – have to say I didnt realise that the negative side-effects of poor planning in the city centre would come about so fast, although it’s easy to see how. The fact is, that the health board etc. has to apply to the city council for planning permission for any of these facilities, be they new buildings or renovations etc. Unfortunately wet hostels etc are only one symptom of a much broader problem that exists in Limerick and elsewhere -that of ghettos. The whole city has, since Georgian times become compartmentalised into vast zones of single use – zones for students, industry, shopping, poor people, rich people, hospitals etc, all facilitated by the policies or lack of them of our government and its agents in city hall. This sort of planning policy flies in the face of all that is required to bring about the conditions for a sustainable city environment – diversity.
However on the up side, just as it only takes a few people to destroy a neighbourhood, so too a small number of people can start the process of reviving depressed areas. Had the oppoprtuntiy of living in Brooklyn a few years ago – ended up in what can only be described as a bit of a dodgy neighbourhood – our house was a recently converted mafia social club, nuclear waste was being stored less than a mile away and was offered drugs six times on the two block walk home from the subway station, the day i moved in. In the two years I stayed there – the transformation was staggering. Seems some civic minded locals decided to form a residents committee to pressure the borough council, the police, schools board,developers etc into providing better services and facilities in the area. Local parks were improved, the streets kept clean, zero tolerane policing enforced and as far as i know property taxes and rates were changed so that ,rather than all the users in one area paying the same rate – each property was assesed on its own merits so that a diverse gruop of people and businesses could afford to exist in the same area. The situation is now such, that i’d highly reccommend any visitor to New York to hop on the L train and take a trip to Williamsburg.
As for how that situation relates to Limerick – look at the People’s park since the playground was installed a couple of years ago, there seems to always be people around it, and i certainly don’t perceive it as the no go area it once was. On a broader level, I think there are plenty of people who share the the same concerns as expreesed on this forum. If enough people can organise themselves and make their concerns known to politicians,( who will be relying on your vote to hold onto their well paid jobs in a year or two) as well as presenting their own ideas and solutions to the problems facing us – it wouldnt take long for a more desirable vision of Limerick to emerge. Will have to end it for now – but i’m sure ther’ll be plenty more to follow.
Fairly depressing description there, Ash1, but sadly I have to agree with you. Tim O’Malley wrote an interesting article in “Business Limerick” magazine last month ( will try and get it online soon) expressing similar views, which was good to see, as he’s probably in a better position than most to take action on the issues. As for addressing the problems/ opportunities facing Limerick at the moment, where do you begin? – Has anyone read “The Death and Life of Great American Cities?” It’s a fantastic book, more or less provides step by step instructions on how to create a sustainable city centre, however I’ll have to leave it at that for now – head is racing with too many thoughts on this thread so will get back to you when i manage to have a few more coherent thoughts on the subject.
