urbanisto
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Yes I think you are! They’re ugly – plain and simple.
Inverting them will simply reduce pedestrain space further….but it sounds like a better setup alright.I’d say the OC St kiosks are lost in the ether somewhere…never to be seen again. Much more important to remove trees and leave a great swath of the street bare and stick in a tacky Jesus statue.
“Claires” a couple of dorrs down the street probably provides a better example of what shold be achieved here. I also think the actual Guinness facade is of much lower quality that the proposed. It looks temporary.
This from today’s Times (much anticipated):
Council to move kiosks as book market idea fails
Aodhan O’FaolainDublin City Council is being forced to relocate four kiosks that were originally erected on the Grattan bridge over the Liffey as part of a scheme designed to give a more continental flavour to the city centre.
The kiosks, which were constructed in 2004 as part of a €2 million project aimed at turning the bridge linking Capel Street with Parliament Street into a European-style book market, have been unoccupied for some time.
A spokeswoman for Dublin City Council confirmed that it intends to relocate the kiosks to another part of the city because they “are not viable in their current location”.
She said the concept behind the kiosks “had not worked” for a number of reasons, including an insufficient number of pedestrians crossing the bridge and the weather conditions.
While a new location has yet to be identified by the council, she said they were in the process of “looking at various options”. There is no timetable as to when the kiosks will be taken off the bridge and re-erected.
“We won’t know when they are coming off the bridge until we can figure out a suitable place to put them,” the council spokeswoman said.
Up until recently one of the four kiosks was used to sell sweets and newspapers but it has now closed. Earlier this year another was used on a temporary basis to sell tickets for a theatre festival.
The kiosks formed part of a €2 million project that included the reconstruction of the bridge deck, new granite paving and a set of benches with wooden seats and toughened glass backs.
The spokeswoman added that while the kiosks had not been a success the council was satisfied the overall works to the bridge had enhanced the view of the Liffey.
© 2007 The Irish Times
Where should they go? Apart from the scrapheap….
Guess whats making a comeback according to The Evening Herald last night…..? The sacred heart statue formerly at the old taxi rank will be reinstalled over the next two weeks. According to the report it will get a new housing with solar panels and LED lighting at night.
Perhaps some cosmetic changes can be put in place. For example can the overhead wires be removed and replace with an electricity source at track level? And an imagnative lighting display could at least make more of a feature of the bridge.
Im not sure the “Hungerford” idea is any use though as a predestrian route already exists between Tara and Connolly (Butt Bridge) and Pearse and Connolly (Shaw Bridge)
1 is on Dorset Street anyhow. Those are the new lamps. Around Eccles Street maybe
4 same street
7 is Cork Street?Sorry but that is just rubbish. Im no fan of these large units (have no problem with the smaller ones) but objecting to this on the ground it somehow impinges on Newcomen Bridge is utter nonsense. The bridge shouldnt even be on the RPS – its a disaster and of no merit at all as far as I can see, at least at street level.
What are you asking the question for! If you know the answer. The building has a row of shops at ground level all along Henry Street and the rest including the Post Office part is being used by An Post as offices.
Passing by yesterday the paving is almost complete and the trees are definately a thing of the past. The lamp posts have been replaced though and the ugly phone box obviously isnt too much of an inconveninec to annual cleaning. Its the latest in a list of failure with this project, including:
- the length of time it took to complete the project
- the failure to implement street improvements in any other part of the IAP area, especially forgotten side streets like Cathedral St and Sackville Place.
- the failure of the kiosk initiative
- the compromise taxi rank
- the failure to provide a logical bicycle lane
- the need to retrofit the street with tactile paving rather than at design stage
- the failure to remove old street lighting from buildings
- the lack of a coordinated approach to street furniture and signage despite this being a key element of the design
- the dissappointing lack of fllodlighting for the Spire
- the failure to encourage the redevelopment of derelcit sites on the street, most especially the Carlton
- the disgrace of bicycle stands littering the central median
- the lack of attention to O’Connell Bridge
- the failure to date to continue the works around Parnell Street
The observant of you will have noticed the Loop Line getting its long awaited overhaul. The first section of the Loop Line bridge has been repainted from Beresford Place to the Quay. Its the same colour…dark grey but looks all the better for a smartening up. The scaffolds are now being erected for the section at the Quay. I presume the exsiting colour scheme will remain in place there.
The Indo had a piece yesterday on a new BID (Business Improvement District) to take effect over the next 12 months from Grafton Street to O’Connell Street. Perhaps many of the serious issues highlighted above can be solved with a few flower baskets. Then again maybe private businesses will be able to see the situation clearer than DCC can and actually take some action.
I’m sure the original design was thrown out by DCC and a redesign required due to this buildings prominent location and sensitive Georgian surroundings….. aaah yes here it is:
4215/04 Condition 3. The principal elevations Granby Row, Dorset Street and Bethesda Place of the proposed hotel shall be redesigned in a contemporary manner to integrate successfully with the streetscape Granby Row, to reflect the architectural character of Parnell Square / Dorset Street, to provide in form, design and material finish a signature building at the junction of Granby Row / Dorset Street and to protect the Parnell Square / Granby Row vista from Parnell Street / Parnell Square West. Revised elevation and floor plans that would comply with this condition shall be submitted to the Planning Authority for written agreement and such agreement shall be obtained prior to the demolition of the existing structure on site. Reason: In the interests of urban design and streetscape integration and in order to provide a signature building at the gateway of the inner north Georgian city and in the interests of the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
A very effective condition. I wonder what the original was like.
