Dublin's Spike is shortlisted for the Stirling Prize

PH01 · 28-09-2004 4:31pm #1

I reckon this is probably the best place for this post seeing that there's no Architecture forum.

Love it or hate the Spike is shortlisted for this years Stirling prize http://www.architecture.com/go/Architecture/Also/Awards_3994.html. The winner of which will be anounced on October 16th. But which of all the listed do you like the most? Select you favourite in the poll, and try not to be biased

Kunsthaus, Graz

The Spire, Dublin

Imperial War Museum North, Manchester

Phoenix Initiative, Coventry

30 St Mary Axe, London EC3

Business Academy Bexley

fletch · 28-09-2004 4:33pm

None are that impressive tbh, the Business Academy Bexley is jus a building ffs

Emmmm...wheres the poll....if I had to choose, prob 30 St Mary Axe, London EC3

irlirishkev · 28-09-2004 4:33pm

Is that the Spire as seen from talbot street?
What time of day was that 'photo' taken? I've never seen a view like that...

K.

midget lord · 28-09-2004 4:39pm

I like the phoenix initiative, but the spire has its appeal. Once they finish off the street, which they have started on recently, we should have a main thoroughfair to be proud of. Also it looks good from both henry street and talbot street.

midget lord · 28-09-2004 4:41pm

irlirishkev wrote:

Is that the Spire as seen from talbot street?
What time of day was that 'photo' taken? I've never seen a view like that...

K.

its from henry street down at the penny's that stretches out to parnell street.

PH01 · 28-09-2004 4:42pm

irlirishkev wrote:

Is that the Spire as seen from talbot street?

yip that's the one alright - our very own.
Paddy Powers bookmakers has it down as second favourite, but we all know that it's a piece of sh###, right?

monkeyfudge · 28-09-2004 4:56pm

I think the Spire is great ( I hate when it's called 'the spike')

I'd have voted for the Spire... but the Kunsthaus is just so absolutely amazing looking...

4.Graz.jpg

The wall there can act as moving graphic display.

simu · 28-09-2004 5:04pm

They're all pretty unimpressive, as Fletch said. The spire looks good in the photo, better tthan it does in real life, though. However, I'd probably go for the Kunsthaus - it reminds me of the arcologies in Sim City 2000 even if it's not quite as amazing as the architects probably hoped it would be.

St. Mary Axe looks really stupid - like a giant penis!

jor el · 28-09-2004 5:30pm

irlirishkev wrote:

Is that the Spire as seen from talbot street?
What time of day was that 'photo' taken? I've never seen a view like that...

K.

I've never seen Henry street looking that clean. Maybe it's an artist's rendition?

The Phoenix Initiative looks impressive, though the Kunsthaus has a cool look about it. I wouldn't rate the Spire at all, I think it was a waste of money, like that Millenium clock in the Liffey or e-voting machines.

FX Meister · 28-09-2004 5:37pm

The Kunsthaus lokks like a mother pig on her back. I voted for 30 St Mary Axe, London EC3, or the Gherkin as the call it over there. It just looks so cool when you see it and stands out a mile.

impr0v · 28-09-2004 5:42pm

FX Meister wrote:

I voted for 30 St Mary Axe, London EC3, or the Gherkin as the call it over there. It just looks so cool when you see it and stands out a mile.

Yer, me too. Considering how visible it is from large parts of the city it was a bold move by the powers that be to sanction it's construction.

FX Meister · 28-09-2004 6:24pm

I remember last year I saw it from near Covent Garden and thought maybe I'd walk to a friends house in Bethnal Green where I could also see it from. So glad I got the tube as it's miles and miles. It just dosent look that big until you're right beside it.

Saruman · 28-09-2004 7:04pm

jor el wrote:

I've never seen Henry street looking that clean. Maybe it's an artist's rendition? The Phoenix Initiative looks impressive, though the Kunsthaus has a cool look about it. I wouldn't rate the Spire at all, I think it was a waste of money, like that Millenium clock in the Liffey or e-voting machines.

It is that clean, you should be saying empty!! At night when no one is around it looks cleaner as no people around. As for waste of money.. well something useful that someone could go up and draw tourists would have been better, its better than nothing and who else can say they have a giant lamp post in their city?? Complete with a light!!

Any except the last one are better than the spire though.

Cojofl · 28-09-2004 7:33pm

I do like the stegasaurous

MrNuked · 28-09-2004 8:55pm

I find all those buildings ugly, although the open-plan office space might be a nice work environment...or it might just make the whole place noisier than it would need to be. Hate noisy pricks in offices.

Pet · 28-09-2004 9:52pm

Any except the last one are better than the spire though.

Agreed. When you see what some of the other offerings are, the Spire really pales in comparison.

Gordon · 28-09-2004 10:46pm

I voted for the axe for the same reasons as above. From quite a distance away you can see it very well, the texture of the surface of the building looks quite beautiful when seen from way across the Thames. The place that I noticed it, simu, was actually where an extremely phallic building was (and also David Blaine). Check attachment. Thats pretty cool too, but way too phallic*

(the building, not David Blaine, but he can be a bit of a d*ck sometimes)

simu · 28-09-2004 11:15pm

MrNuked wrote:

I find all those buildings ugly, although the open-plan office space might be a nice work environment...or it might just make the whole place noisier than it would need to be. Hate noisy pricks in offices.

But it's not that unusual - why is it nominated for a prize?

impr0v · 29-09-2004 9:49am

simu wrote:

But it's not that unusual - why is it nominated for a prize?

There are some extra photos on the architect's
Foster and Partners web site, which show more of the project than just than internal shot which makes it look like a standard office block.

From the guardian:

Yawn, yawn - another sleek glass box from Foster and Partners. But at least it's for a worthy client and not another big corporation. Although it looks like a city office building this is actually a school in a deprived part of south-east London. Apparently, on its first day the same group of students who had trashed their previous classroom arrived voluntarily wearing suits.

Dr. Loon · 29-09-2004 9:57am

I'd go for that Phoenix initiative and then the Spire. All the rest are ugly. That Kunsthauz thing is the most ridiculuosly out of place piece of architecture I've seen in a long time. It's stupid. The yoke in London is just a big cóck, and the museum in Manchester is all over the shop.

PH01 · 29-09-2004 12:26pm

I voted for Gherkin myself. It's really impressive when you see it up close. Saw it first last year when I was coming into London on the train - a real eye catcher - makes ya smile as did the rest of the folks on the train.
I'm not sure if you can say the same about the Spire? You either hate it or really hate it, or love it - it should get marks for stimulating a strong emotional response.
As for the upsidedown sow in Graz, well, that's fabtastic too. Spaceship like - take me to your leader and all that.

bopper · 29-09-2004 1:33pm

as someone who has only been living in the dublin area for about a year now through college i have to say i find the spire very useful in finding my way around town. i no how to get to all the important places i need to go (eg.train stations, bus stops, nightclubs etc.) from the spire. However, the phoenix initiative looks really impressive in that photo so im torn between those two

Dublin's Spike is shortlisted for the Stirling Prize

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