What is the ugliest structure in Dublin?

constitutionus

smurfbaby wrote:

I dont really like Liberty Hall- y'know the tall building beside the bridge at Custom House Quay? Just think it looks awkward and out of place, as well as old fashioned and grubby

But one of the ugliest buidlings I've seen in Dublin is one on Tara St-think its called Apollo House. Its so grim and dated, I almost feel depressed just looking at it

should do man, thats the revenue comissioners building

johnnyrotten

Dept of Health building - Hawkins House, Poolbeg Street

Apparently it was earmarked for a major facelift with new glazing a few years back but it was scrapped because of fear of a political backlash of Dept spending money on it rahter than spending on health service

PICTURE

Zebra3

Not sure how much it would cost, but it would look so much better if they could 'glass' the railway bridge over the Liffey.

And demolish the Dept of Health and Liberty Hall and Busaras.

Dublin needs more squares!!!!! (No crap jokes please!).

Cantab.

As well as ruining any signs of life from those lovely Georgian houses on Westland Row, the building is falling apart on the inside and looks ugly/worn out on the outside despite the fact that it's only about 10 years old.

senordingdong

Zebra3 wrote:

Dublin needs more squares!!!!! (No crap jokes please!).

Eh, how do you mean?

Crash

Cantab. wrote:

As well as ruining any signs of life from those lovely Georgian houses on Westland Row, the building is falling apart on the inside and looks ugly/worn out on the outside despite the fact that it's only about 10 years old.

There's also the lovely fact that one of the stairs inside is being held up by a pole - its pretty much half dead. The integration between the Hamilton and the original street facade generally hasn't held up as well as they hoped, methinks.

Amalgam

Buildings, plural, built in one go, I loathe.. the shop units on Grattan Bridge, the person that put their signature to that needs old school spanking, with a switch or a paddle of some sort, preferably bent over one of the benches on the bridge, taking in the fine view of post-mehh metal cubes.

Grattan Bridge was strangely relaxing, even with traffic, great view, covered in strong light and most days, a hefty breeze.

Shame.

Keedowah

Liberty Hall, Liberty Hall & Liberty Hall!
Pewwwwww.

KTRIC

I noticed Hawkins House pop up alot here. I used to work there and I would like to add that it is possibly the worst office building in the world. Its drafty , no air conditioning and smells like an old hospital. But if you go to the top floor where the minister is its like a palace.

oflahero

Amalgam wrote:

Buildings, plural, built in one go, I loathe.. the shop units on Grattan Bridge, the person that put their signature to that needs old school spanking, with a switch or a paddle of some sort, preferably bent over one of the benches on the bridge, taking in the fine view of post-mehh metal cubes.

Grattan Bridge was strangely relaxing, even with traffic, great view, covered in strong light and most days, a hefty breeze.

Shame.

Seconded, they're shockingly bad. It makes the bridge look like a Noughties version of Checkpoint Charlie. (Afterthought: perhaps kind of appropriate when travelling south to north... Wha Wha Wha)

Táck

ugly: cadburys in coolock. driving by it makes you feel like ur back in the 80's

raheny red

T&#225 wrote: »

ugly: cadburys in coolock. driving by it makes you feel like ur back in the 80's

Absolutely shocking alright.............:eek:

fly_agaric

Amalgam wrote:

Buildings, plural, built in one go, I loathe.. the shop units on Grattan Bridge

So true. I remember they'd just finished the nice new paving on that bridge, and I was thinking - good job city council, good job! Then the tools [assuming it was the council] went and ripped about half of it up to site those stinking little shacks on the bridge.

There were signs on them saying that they were not to be rented to businesses selling food at one stage - but I think one of them has a sweet shop/newsagents in it now! :rolleyes:
Suppose they must have caved due to lack of interest from other types of business.

Raskolnikov

Landsdowne Road stadium, it badly needs refurbishing.

Funkstard

Also, any of the simply glorious mass-produced offices on Nassau St. or anywhere in the city. Absolutely disgusting, depressing, grimy, repressive...

To bring in some positives to the thread, Dundrum shopping centre is absolutely fantastic. The piped music, lights & fountain at night time are beautiful. Reminds me of a ski resort or somewhere on holiday.

py2006

Some say I am the ugliest structure in Dublin!!!

I guess the spike has to be the most ridiculous looking thing!

Húrin

Ikky Poo2 wrote:

Luas Bridge in Dundrum....

I agree.

Húrin

smurfbaby wrote:

I dont really like Liberty Hall- y'know the tall building beside the bridge at Custom House Quay? Just think it looks awkward and out of place, as well as old fashioned and grubby

But one of the ugliest buidlings I've seen in Dublin is one on Tara St-think its called Apollo House. Its so grim and dated, I almost feel depressed just looking at it

I agree, Apollo House is terrible. From the same school of architecture as the arts building in UCD. Liberty Hall is OK though. Especially with that big banner that SIPTU put up on it now.

DublinWriter

H&#250 wrote: »

Liberty Hall is OK though.

I'd agree on that, it has character, as opposed to any of the Sam Smith designed Eastern-European-influenced crimes against humanity buildings such as the Wood Quay 'bunkers', the Central Bank in Temple Bar and the ESB offices on Fitzwilliam Sq.

Liberty Hall is probably the best of 'post-modern' that we have.

Interestingly enough, Ireland had quite an Internationally respected cadrè of architects in the 1930's.

I think the ultimate example of this is the old Dublin Airport building, which was entirely shaped like an ocean-going liner.

Sadly by the early 1970's it had proven to small for purpose (sounds familar?).

It's still there, and is to the right of the 1970's monstrosity of a terminal building. You can see it from the higher levels of blocks B and C of the short term car park.

I'm not sure what the D.A.A. use it for now, but it's a listed building.

Victor

Its still in use as part of Pier A. I'm not sure what the upper stories are used for.

quon

Down on the quays, the Building stuck on to the side of the Sunlight building. Feckin' hideous.

That and them apatments at the corner of North King Street and Church Street, just at the traffic lights as you're facing south. Wooden front meant to look arty but are starting to rot and make the building look derelict.

I shudder to think about developers plans for the docklands. Soulless.

peter1892

Victor wrote:

Its still in use as part of Pier A. I'm not sure what the upper stories are used for.

The upper floors contain some DAA offices. There is a plan to build an elevated walkway from the terminal to pier D which will obscure the view of the old CTB from the car park side.

Vas_Guy

The Spire

pburns

Has no-one mentioned the Abbey Theatre? A hideous box-like structure. The Irish Life Shopping 'arcade' is pretty crap, like a mini-Ilac Centre inside.

Liberty Hall definetely.

That new bridge on the Quays opposite the house from 'The Dead'. Doesn't fit in with the surroundings at all...

Don't understand why the spire gets so much stick, I like it a lot. It's really simple, unusual and a talking-point for visitors to the city.

snickerpuss

raheny red wrote:

Northside Shopping Centre........................

T&#225 wrote: »

ugly: cadburys in coolock. driving by it makes you feel like ur back in the 80's

Man coolock isn't doing very well in this. Northside Shopping Centre is kinda lame/old fashioned but i don't think its bad enough to be the ugliest building in the whole of Dublin.

funk-you wrote:

EDIT: The Ilac centre is looks terrible.

Have you not seen it lately? They have it all done up its quite nice.

Personally i've always hated central bank.

DublinWriter

pburns wrote:

Don't understand why the spire gets so much stick

Because that's what it is...a stick, a great big 3 million Euro metal one with a light on the top.

It only gives tourists something to talk about because it's at such juxtaposition with the rest of O'Connell St.

At least Nelson's Pillar complimented the neo-classical look of the GPO and you could actually go up it!

The Government of the time should have replaced Nelson with Pearse, maybe then the stickies wouldn't have blown it up.

BendiBus

pburns wrote:

Has no-one mentioned the Abbey Theatre? A hideous box-like structure. The Irish Life Shopping 'arcade' is pretty crap, like a mini-Ilac Centre inside.

Liberty Hall definetely.

That new bridge on the Quays opposite the house from 'The Dead'. Doesn't fit in with the surroundings at all...

Don't understand why the spire gets so much stick, I like it a lot. It's really simple, unusual and a talking-point for visitors to the city.

Got to agree with you about the Abbey. I like the spire too.

The Calatrava bridge would look really good in another location (I believe he's doing the new Macken St bridge too) but again you're right about the location. Problem with Calatrava is everything looks the same. Useless factoid - he did the buildings for the Athens Olympics, and the similarity is clear. So the new bridge won't bring any surprises I suspect. But his style is far more suited to Docklands.

senordingdong

Not wild about those new sculptures that have appeared on O Connel street.

snickerpuss

I don't think they're permanent though i think they're just on loan from the Hugh Lane or some such.
They kinda creep me out tbh.

Info on them: Scary Sculpture Press Release

spurious

The new O'Connell Street statues are a bit strange. They're not to everyone's taste I suppose, but I think we should have a lot more 'public art' statues around the city.