urbanisto

Your dead right Pico, there a a huge range of projects that could be considered to boost this area.

I would like to see the new City Library go in the new building on Dame Street, beside City Hall. I thiunk its the perfect central spot for it.

I hope that NCADs decision to stay will be a great stimulus for the area (its hasnt been to now) but I think a lots more imagination is needed here and a lots needs to be done to keep the local community in the area.

Oh you are such a CYNIC! 😀

Its all going spiffingly….. although I do wonder what the most innovative thing the CC have done to the city is. Is it the Boardwalk, OConnell St-Parnell Square, Markets Area, Smithfield…..

I think the CC is criminally underfunded (like all local authorities) and make do with what they have. I imagine most of the delays with O’Connell Street were revenue related. One of the key achievements of the boom years though has to be the way we view the city and I think this is changing for the better although not quick enough. I would like to see a uch more pedestrian friendly city with spaces designed for people, not traffic (and I am not convinced that OConnell St had this at heart, despite the wide pavements). I hope that John Tierney will see this as a key objective of this tenure as City Manager (he was ‘confirmed’ in his position by the City Council yesterday).

The Hares have finally reached the pages of the Irish Times…..

Madam, – I visited Dublin the other day to view those much hyped monumental hare sculptures in O’Connell Street. They are certainly eye-catching and I suspect they make a lot more sense to most people than the spire. But I hope the sculptures could serve another purpose. Perhaps they might remind us that the animal so eloquently and ingeniously depicted by Barry Flanagan is one of the most wronged and persecuted creatures on this island.

It’s a pity one of the sculptures wasn’t installed right in front of the Dáil to remind the politicians that they have rejected every attempt to seek protection for Irish hares. The vote-conscious baby kissers voted for coursing every time. – Yours, etc,

JOHN FITZGERALD, Callan, Co Kilkenny.

Madam, – It was with some relief that I read in The Irish Times that the highly unattractive sculptures of hares in O’Connell Street are a temporary aberration. A question of hare today, gone tomorrow. – Yours, etc,

ROSEMARY GRAHAM, Muldowney Court, Malahide, Co Dublin.

Madam, – It’s a pity Dublin City Gallery did not install the hare sculptures facing the sun. It would make for better viewing and more interesting holiday photographs. – Yours, etc,

TOM LAWLOR, (Photographer), Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3.

Madam, – The hares on O’Connell Street are great (if only temporary) – but when are we getting back the statue of the Sacred Heart? – Yours, etc,

CHRISTOPHER McCAMLEY, Newtown, Drogheda, Co Louth.

I think this topic should probably best die a death because (as usual) it is becoming marked by generalisations and misprepresentations on both sides.

But some thoughts:

I have frequently alluded to the Dublin-centric bias in Archiseek IRELAND (yes – that includes all of us) both in terms of thread content and attitude towards development that is not focussed on the capital and at a stretch the four or five regional cities.

I agree with this to a point but the fact is there are just a lot more things happening in the capital – a result of our inability to properly develop regional towns and cities (with 40% one-offs being part of the bigger picture). There is as Thomnd Park mentions though plenty of debate on Cork and to a lesser extent Limerick and Galway.

i think all the talk about being infiltrated and the IRDA is a little paranoid. I’m one of those one -off posters you mentioned and I had no motive other than to have a discussion. The words architect and Ireland bring up this site on page one of Google.

All the talk? Or just mentioned by another poster. Also the point has been made that this topic regularly comes up for discussion and produces all sort of opinions and very little consensus. Thats the nature of this debate. There is no elite group on Archiseek who are looking to force their opinions on the god-fearing folk of rural Ireland. There is just debate, an exchange of opinions. Some contributors post regularly, some only once or twice (6 times in your case). The point about new posrts is that people are joining simply to get a bit of advice, not to contribute their thoughts regularly. Its not a problem, its just annoying when it is the same or similar questions being posed. This has been debated and dealt with by encouraging use of the SEARCH facility. IMO- I dont find people are generally disparaged on the site and many contributors will point out the importance of hiring a good architect and following best planning practice. The fact about McMansions is that many people choose NOT to hire architects. They simple choose the easiest and cheapest option and in too many cases the Govt and planning authorities do little enough to discourage this, like making it less expensive to obtain a well designed house, like offering clearer guidelines on best practice, like not engaging in shortterm politics regarding sustainable rural development.

however distasteful it may be to some living in red-brick apartments in Dublin

See! Generalisation. For the record I live with my parents in a former council house. I cant afford my own place. The market has priced me out. I do not have the benefit of ‘an attachment to the land’ excuse to help me buy one or more homes. I will admit to being a member of An Taisce (another favoured generalisation), but I imagine there are a handful of such members on the boards.

If there is an absence of appropriate architectural aestethetics in rural Ireland it is because the architectural profession has failed those it should serve – the general public. If there is a lack of proper planning in Ireland, it is because our political figures and planners have been deficient in fulfilling their duties and public responsibilities. If people favour ‘McMansions’ it is because they represent the socio-cultural desires of the Irish people at this point in time – deal with it, that is a fact however distasteful it may be to some living in red-brick apartments in Dublin. If people on this site have a problem with that then they should examine the reasons underpinning the problem as they see it and not simply and blindly castigate those who choose to fulfil their life-style dream no matter how barbaric it may appear to the eyes of a UCD educated dilettante.

There is a contradiction in what you say here PDLL. On the one hand you want greater architectural and planning input into rural development and yet on the other you seem defend people building without that input., Personally I find this doublespeak the most irritating facet of the whole rural development debate. Everyone wants to have their cake and eat it.

All in all this remains one of the most contentious items on the boards and in Irish society in general.

I dont think they can do very much about it, except in ACA and Special Planning areas such as O`Connell St and (soon) Grafton Street. The planning laws do not allow planning authorities to do very much. Dundrum is not really a good comparison tothe city centre in this case as it is a property wholey-owned by one company that can manage the mix of shops as it sees fit. The DCC cant do this in the city.

Yes you see a lot of this around. Its happened on Henry Street and Abbey Street as well. Some areas have been repaved but others remain as they were. I think it could also be related to basements under the street. Its unfortunate though, as it leave the area looking messy and unfinished. Perhaps they will be done at a later stage (as was the case with a numbe rof spots on Abbey Street). Unlikely though.

There were also comments realier on the thread about the glasstiled basement lights along the street which were left in situ and not replaced. You might have a scoot back if your interested.

God what a mess! To think that this has been sanctioned by the planners is deeply disappointing.

Amazingly here in Germany there seem to be no such scruples about installing uPVC windows in all building regardless of their age or conservation value. The few exceptions are prestige buildings such as the Rathus. PVC windows are the norm, although they never get to the ridiculous stage as in the pic above.

much of the fitout transferable if the new HQs were to be designed along similar floorplates which is entirely possible given that sites have not yet been selected.

Eh?:confused: Not sure what you mean here. The new HQ has been selected – its the cureent Dept of Education.

On the one hand, its seems logical that OPW should hold off a move from HH until Marlborough Street become available. Afterall why pay rent needlessly for a short period of time. On the otherhand, will Marlborough Street become available in 3 years? Will the decentralisation of Education go ahead? Desirable though it is for HH to be redeveloped sooner rather than later I think the OPW decision probably makes better business sense.