Whatsup
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
http://www.meath.ie/Roads/NMPN2_FINAL.pdf
http://www.meath.ie/Roads/NMPN1_final_lo-res.pfd
http://www.meath.ie/Roads/nmpn3_final.pdf
These three web sites are worth a look. They give a good insight into the construction of the bridge along with some nice shots of the bridge under construction.
I don’t think it is really wise to compare Calatrava’s Blackhall Place bridge and the Boyne bridge, they are completly different in terms of scale, location ie. contextual response, structure and function.
This is certainly a wounderful piece of engineering.Its was designed by O’Donvan Rossa, and constructed by British firm Cleveland Bridge and Irish firm SIAC Construction, the same guys behind the spike.
Phil… there is nothing imaginative about this bridge in its current location. Sorry. As Zap stated it was originally designed Murcia in southern Spain and was adapted for Dublin. Two very different environments.
Secondly, I take GregF’s point that an improvement in the area could improve the manner in which the bridge sits in the landscape. It may act as an incentive for improvements to begin.
However realistly this is not going to happen. It would cost huge amounts of money which I cannot see the government willing to spend.
Lastly, with regards to the fact that Phil thinks it the surroundings that are the problem, not the bridge I think we all agree the surrounding street scape it not of the best quality. That is irrelevent. You don’t still go ahead and say f**k it i’m still going forward with the project dispite the obstructive nature it has on the city, because it in itself is a supurbly designed bridge. Get real.
If you go to google.com and type in “Blackhall Place Bridge” you will find some pics of the bridge. However the bridge looks rather well in them. They do my argument no justice. Go have a look at the bridge for your self in the flesh. You will be surprised by the contrast of the pictures, some of which are on Calatravas web site ( http://www.calatrava.com ) and make the bridge appear rather well, and the bridge in reality. Disaster!
With regards to Phil and the fact that it may look poor as a result of the poorly designes apartment blocks which surround the bridge… Phil I agree, the apartment blocks around this area are of a very poor design quality for the most part, nothing special. However this is no excuse to just come along and plant a bridge which dose not consider the surrounding environment.
Yes I agree with Iuxta, now that the thing is in place the only solution is to soften it up to the city, blend it in. Ireland is not hot bright climate, so get rid of the bright white.
Again with the risk of repeating my self, I think the bridge is wonderful as a single element, supberbly designed… but not for this site. Here it is grotesquely obstructive and does nothing for the area.
I must first state that I generally am a fan of Calatava and his wonderful work world wide… however I really think that he has got it wrong in Blackhall place. Big time.
It is far to dominearing for this part of the city. The span is only 40m at this point, and the arch ribs rise to 8.5m – 9m in height. The bridge looks wounderful if you were to delete the surrounding environment. The platform itself is sleek and slender. However at its present location it looks redicilious! It bears no relation to the surrounding city scape. I have a strong suspicision that Calatava and co never even visited the site. When approaching the bridge form either the Phenoix Park or from the city center the arch ribs stick out like a sore thumb restricting the view down the river. None of the other bridges along this narrow stretch of the river are structured in such a way. I was genuinely shocked when I discovered Calatava was behind this project.
I understand the bridge is required to take four lanes of traffic and that this may be a efficiant way to deal with it structurally, but there are many solutions to every problem. In my eyes this is certainly not one of them.
Wounderfully designed as a single ellement… disaster as the collective whole, in its location.
What do you guys think? Is this just Dublin CC opening its arms to an architect of such high esteem that they fail to look at what exactly the finnished product will look like, as long as his work is included in their city, adding some kind of a feeling of architectural achivement, up there with the big boys on a smaller scale!?
You decide. I for one have.
