urbanisto
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More repro standards on College Green. It must be said that improved lighting here is very much needed…its very dark at night. Looks like they need to do a bit each Sunday due to traffic volumes….so it may be a while before we see the finished scheme. I hope the take the awful standards at Grafton Street down while they are at it – 1970s industrial park chic.
Finally some energy into the last phase of the Wayfinder scheme. 20 new posts, mainly in the western part of the city centre are currently being installed so hopefully the full scheme will be completed in the next week or so. The teams are even retro-fixing some units where the signage didnt quite point in the right direction
This morning sees the unveiling of the map panels…at least the map panel at the top of Grafton Street. See http://www.dublincity.ie/Press/PressReleases/PressReleasesSeptember2011/Pages/Pedestriansfindinganewwaytogetaroundcapital%E2%80%99sstreets.aspx
The panel will look great I’m sure. They seem to be a panel and a signage post combined. Other locations for these units include O’Connell Street (3), the rail stations and College Green.
All in all taking in the dublinbikes and the on street advertising the public realm has received a real boost from this unified scheme. Apart from the point about distance/walking time not being shown on signs, the design of the whole suit of street furniture is first class.
Alas the need to update the signage regularly can already be seen with the many “Lighthouse Cinema” signs…perhaps Smithfield would have sufficed. And the Docklands scheme, once the standard to be met, now looks increasingly ragged. Some signs are broken to missing and no one has yet thought to update the map panels and units to show the Dublin Convention Centre! Surely most obvious?
If I have one comment on the street its fix the feckin public lighting! The scheme put in in 2006 remains unfinished all the way from College Green into Irishtown. It looks a mess.
Two spanking new additions to Pearse Street which seem to have elicited little or no comment here. Are there any Archiseekers still out there….?
First up its the new Biosciences Building which looms large over the Pearse Street skyline. Surprisingly from street level it has a very satisfactory appeal. Its very urban, well proportioned (I think) and really quite a nice addition to this fast changing street.
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Generous public domain
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I love this side elevation….looked great in the light
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At last someone is feeling the heat
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0820/1224302759665.html
What the paper doesn’t say is that all of these new Tourist Offices are without planning permission. At least for their shopfronts. All 5 from O’Connell Street to Grafton Street are within ACAs and yet not one applied for permission to replace their frontage or to add their clutter of signs, banners and stickers. In some cases the units are within protected structures…again a requirement to gain planning permission.
Im not exercised enough to trawl through the ACA policies. Cant imagine they would be of help anyhow.
No I suppose I’m not surprised. I’m resigned to it at this stage.
Never looked at the wayfinder as a source of free advertising to institutions in the city. Interesting take. I am sure however in the true Irish tradition these institutions feel that DCC is obliged to advertise their premises/businesses. Its worth stating however that Wayfinder was meant to have a cultural slant to help tourist navigate the city. Its not really commercial in the true sense.
Oh dear….seems like we are getting Phase II of the Wayfinding Signage on the cheap.
Just to refresh everyones memory. This project was meant to happen when the bikes were rolled out in 2009. It didnt start until May last year when the prototype was installed at City Hall. The promise then was that all would be in place by Sept 2010. Then we had the pallaver of the Irish language prominence on the signage even though mainly tourists use the signage. Phase I finally rolled out in March 2011 with the expectation of a fully completed scheme by June 2011.
Fast food is quickly becoming the only show in town for many streets…
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0810/nandos.html
That and Tourist Offices (as mentioned before)
Dublin’s latest shop craze appears to be Tourist Information Offices. Apart from the official offices on St Andrews Street and Upper O’Connell Street there are now unofficial offices at the corner with Henry Street (former JWT shop), Batchelors Walk (the big lurid green building) and no less than 2 side by side at College Green/Lwr Grafton Street.
Yes a lovely building. Displays some of the best qualities of the rebuilt O’Connell Street. Lets hope it doesn’t stay vacant for too long and, as you say, its new owners realise its undoubted potential.
I understand that Enforcement Proceedings have now been taken by DCC against the Nokia signage. Perhaps some progress can be made.
Unfortunately one of the host buildings of the Nokia sign – the lurid green one – continues its spate of unauthorized development with a new Tourist Information office (another one, to add to the recent addition at the corner Henry Street and O’Connell Street – unauthorized again – and the long standing one further along Upper O’Connell Street).
I understand that Enforcement Proceedings have now been taken by DCC against the Nokia signage. Perhaps some progress can be made.
Unfortunately one of the host buildings of the Nokia sign – the lurid green one – continues its spate of unauthorized development with a new Tourist Information office (another one, to add to the recent addition at the corner Henry Street and O’Connell Street – unauthorized again – and the long standing one further along Upper O’Connell Street).
Still driving you mad Alek? I am sure you’ve written all those emails and letters and been told its all in hand. The wildly optimistic corner of my mind hopes that since Sierra…sorry DCC are taking so long to put back the lamps on College Green that perhaps we are to see a step up in civic design at this location.
Meanwhile Roads are on the march again. After the astonishing mess that was made of Parnell Square West (cultural hub of north city) the team turn their attention to another high priority route…eh Sackville Place. Not on everyones list to be sure but important none the less. DCC Roads have taken up all the flagstones of their “asset” and replaced with cement, literally smothering the granite kerb stones. Its the ugliest thing you have seen…since the last Roads initiative. Public Realm Strategy anyone?
BTW,I was advised that the overgrown trees on Westmoreland Street will be prunned…in tandem with Metro North works
The plans can be viewed here
http://www.dublincity.ie/AniteIMWebSearch/Results.aspx
