urbanisto
Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Wow! I was actually thinking of the new Broadcasting House but that looks fab.
They’re also already hugely valuable sites. Sure the interconnector will add to that but not in the same was as new infrastructure in rural areas inflated the price of land.
Poor Cullen….such a muppet. He seems to go out of his way to antagonise people.
Since you’re looking farther afield than Ireland perhaps the new BBC complex in London? off Regents Street.
Wolfe Tone is still in place although the large expanse in ront of him looks a little bleak. I hope that the fountain at the Davis memorial will finally be truned on…its quite an attractive feature although unfortunately very few people get to appreciate the statue stuck as it is on a traffic island. I think some lighting of the monument would be welcome as well. I presume the fact that the monument is boarded up means that major works as going on. They were originally scheduled for completion in Spring 2005 but I think the fountain’s plumbing proved more problematic than expected.
I have to say I like both these monuments….they were both put in place in 1966 to mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising. Its interesting how much ‘monument building’ went on that year….G of Rememberence, all those plaques, various statues.
I sincerely hope that just because you posted this message on this site Thomond Park that Kildare County Council do not infer that your original query is in anyway connected to the forum here. By posting this you are only giving a one sided view – is this in response to your own query. If so then you should post that so that Charlie Talbot’s comments can at least be read in context. Highlighting FOI and Arhus is all very well but at the end of the day the planning departments consist of people just like you and me just trying to get on with a job…hardly the cloak and dagger stuff suggested here.
The OPW are repairing the fountain and renovating the area around the Thomas David memorial. Its been like this for a while. Should be near completion soon.
StephenC wrote:poor old Fitzwilliam Place. QUOTE]I meant this in regards to ESB’s contribution to maintaining Dublin’s Georgian heritage
Is it going to be a coffee shop. There is a circular copper clad counter at the front.
Across the road is 25-26 Fitzwilliam Place. Work just started on a revamp. I saw a proposal earlier this year to remove the 4th floor and build two new floors including a hideous mansard roof was refused. It looked terrible and entirely out of scale with the rest of poor old Fitzwilliam Place. The developer seems to have come back with an altered scheme to remove and build a new single storey, keeping the existing height. Its under consideration.
Its a pastiche this building isnt it…. not original.
Why such a gripe about the taxi rank being completed first? The rank has to go somewhere. While its not the most aesthetically pleasing place its still probably a necessary service on the street..just like cycle parking, bus stops and car park signage. Besides I dont recall the the taxi rank being treeless – the pavement will be narrower but thats it. I am sure its not only the taxi drivers that lobbied for the rank to be retained…The Gresham, Royal Dublin, Savoy and probably a majority of businesses on Upper OC Street see the taxi rank as a valuable service to their customers.. And if you are going to get worked up about the taxi rank wait until work on the outer pavements starts…they have bus parking bay (and these will affect the treeline).
I suspect developmental pressure will force a redevelopment soon enough. Doesn’t Z6 allow a certain percentage of residential?
Id like to see that Altovetro scheme updated to include the new Grand Canal develpments across the street. It would give it a better context.
I agree Morlan…the arguement that ‘I dont care what they build a long as its highrise’ is nonsensical. You are also contradicting your apparent desire for good quality architecture. A similar arguement led to the development of all the ugly 60s and 70s additions to the city that so many people decry such as Hawkins House, College House and the ESB offices on Fitzwilliam St – I dont care what they build (or replace in these cases) as long as it looks ‘modrin’.
The Barrow St scheme is truly awful and a testament to the fact that so much new building in the city is developer-led rather than part of a controlled planning framework. Linking to other arguements, would the developer come back in 10 years time to assess how the building has fared and whether in hindsight it was the best design he could have promoted for this site. I dont think so!
You put forward a very good arguement here Brian. I think I would have to agree that the actual physical design of most of the new developments in Dublin has been quite good. Most of our new spaces, streets and public areas look very well and have been finished off very well. But it is true that the actual management of these spaces is very poor..Temple Bar is a very good example despite the fact that a whole company was devoted to its management until recently.
You make the point about shopping centres and their management of their customers. I suppose the difference here is that shopping centres are money-making machines which seek to extract every possible cent from their customers. To do this they employ a variety of psychological methods particularly in relation to how their customers percieve their shopping environment – colour, sound, layout, sensual images all combined. Im not sure I would feel happy about a local authority working at the same subliminal level. Not that they could. Their role is much more complex than that I suppose.
Perhaps this notion of BIDs will change the was we manage our public arena (Business Improvement Districts). Perhaps some of that shopping centre know-how could be targeted into managing urban spaces better.
Good debate – thanks
Interestingly about the kiosks I would LOVE to see the deigner returnto the scene of his crime in light of how awful these are beginning to look.
Yeah I think its a bit dissapointing how uninspiring the whole Docklands scheme is although it is quite a pleasant area from ground level. There are plenty of good elements in the completed schemes but a bit more height and variety of would have been welcome. The diagram with the IT article highlights this very starkly I thought.. I think the new tower at the Point Village (note to architects: can we please move away from these dreadful generic names for schemes) should go higher. Interesting that the original height was set by the then Minister of Environment (Dempsey). Might answer your question Morlan. Its astounding how much intereference from national politicians there is in the planning process. Like he had nothing better to be getting on with!
Have to say I agree with your observations on Montevetro. Its very clumsy looking. In fact I think the whole building itself is terrible…anywhere architecture strikes again. Alto Vetro (whats with all these Italian names) is much better. I think its holarious that it will occupy such a small site. I would imagine this is going ahead as the original buildingon the site was demolished last year. Perhaps they are waiting for more details on the new MacMahon Bridge before they start construction.
I think this is an excellent idea. What better way for the County Council to learn about all these niggly little issues which may not seem big but can affect the quality of life in the area. It also saves on having to write letters to residents and councillors on small issues, something which I am sure most council staff would prefer not to have to do so much of.
I would go so far as to recommend one for every council. Certainly half the things we discuss here on Archeire would benefit from being posted on the City Councils’ (Dublin, Cork, wherever….) websites. They might even get addressed!Theres no plans for thsi at present. I guess it will come later once the straegy for Westmoreland St is agreed.
I am sure I read somewhere earlier in the year that work on Phase II would happen over weekends as well to ensure its all complete by end of year.
