The Gasometer..

arybvtcw0eolkf

It was mentioned in a thread recently, which I can't find. But in the thread someone mentioned the new converence centre on the north quay and the new building which mirror's the Gasometer..

I took a photo of the building today, if someone could point out the thread maybe WBA could merge this?..





I think its a stunning sight.

spurious

I wish they'd left the bottom of the cylinder hanging menacingly in an 'I'm about to fall on your heads' manner, but yes, it's a stunning building.

AnonoBoy

You kinda want to see Richard Pryor go down it on a set of skis don't ya?

arybvtcw0eolkf

AnonoBoy wrote: »

You kinda want to see Richard Pryor go down it on a set of skis don't ya?

No.

WindSock

There's still a glass panel missing up at the top. I always notice that but.

stovelid

Never seen it before. It looks great.

Like a glass cylinder just fell on the building.

WindSock

Or a can of beans!!!!!!!!1!

arybvtcw0eolkf

WindSock wrote: »

Or a can of beans!!!!!!!!1!

Or the gasometer...



Which was Sir John Rogersons quay, opposite the new building photographed above. Its was demolished in 1998 as far as I can remember.

sagat

That's the Kevin Roche Conference Center, not surprising since he is one of the most famous architects in the world and if I'm not mistaken his only building in Ireland. Some of his other buildings are:

Ford Foundation, New York:


Knights of Columbus Building, New Haven:


UN Plaza, New york:


General Foods HQ, NY


Bank of America, Atlanta:


Shiodome, Tokyo:


60 Wall Street, New York:


and the modern wings of the MET museum, New York:


Beats the Lego esq rubbish that's been going up in the city over the last few years.

Fajitas!

I heard a rumour that it was actually designed early 90's, but the planning never went through until quite recently... Anyone know if that's true or false?

It's a fantastic structure alright. Very impressive.


That sculpture of the 60ft man is being installed quite near it, yeah?

sagat

I know the row was going on over it for 10 years, wouldn't be surprised if it was longer. Never heard of this 60ft man sculpture.

spurious

This is the proposed sculpture.

AnonoBoy

Mairt wrote: »

No.

Superman 2? Anyone? Anyone? No?

Bah!

It's a great building though. I love it. It was pretty impressive watching the guy's lowered down from the top to put in the glass.

loyatemu

spurious wrote: »

This is the proposed sculpture.

thats an old image - the new design he's facing the other way and no longer looks like he's taking a piss.

anyhoo - that sculpture was proposed back in the "we've got money falling out of our ass, lets build an escalator to the moon" crazy celtic-tiger days.

sagat

spurious wrote: »

This is the proposed sculpture.

That's actually rather tasteful, wonder what name we will christen it, the "squire made of wire" or probably something infinitly more amusing.

Degsy

Some bloke wants to stick a sculpture of a scumbag on a horse in the main thouroughfare of the "new" ballymun.
Not surprisingly his idea is being met with some opposition.
In his defence he says that ballymun people have a natural affinity with horses or some such shiite.
I hope the poxy thing gets pulled down in the first week.

Wishbone Ash

Mairt wrote: »

It was mentioned in a thread recently, which I can't find...... .......if someone could point out the thread maybe WBA could merge this?..

It was mentioned by boneless in the Poolbeg Chimneys Thread. I don't recall any other but perhaps it was in a different Forum.

Mairt wrote: »

Its was demolished in 1998 as far as I can remember.

I thought it was demolished around 1994/1995 but I could be wrong.

For anyone not familiar with it, it was located at the junction of Cardiff Lane and Sir John Rogerson's Quay beside The Ferryman Pub/Hotel and across the Liffey from the drawbridge on the North Wall Quay. I think it was in use until the arrival of Kinsale Gas in the mid-1980s.

Here's a 1988 pic with the Gasometer on the left.




And here's an interesting pic of Mr John Lang from Liverpool precariously balancing on a couple of planks while working on the demolition of the lift shaft of the Gasometer.

Wishbone Ash

Mairt wrote: »

Its was demolished in 1998 as far as I can remember.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I thought it was demolished around 1994/1995 but I could be wrong

We were both wrong! It came down in 1996!

Here's another nice image found on the net.

Gaspode

Its a nice building alright Mairt, one of the few recent ones I'd like. I havent seen it before either, and it makes me think somehow of something else....

Wishbone Ash

Here's a couple of present day pics of the old Gasometer site.

boneless

deswalsh wrote: »

Its a nice building alright Mairt, one of the few recent ones I'd like. I havent seen it before either, and it makes me think somehow of something else....

It's funny you should post this because one of the proposals for the old gasometer was to paint it to look like a pint of stout I think was during the 1988 "Mill anyone" (millenium ) celebrations.

Redrover1999

How did they demolish it/What was it built of?

Wishbone Ash

Redrover1999 wrote: »

How did they demolish it/What was it built of?

Acetylene torch by the looks of it - see post #17.

humberklog

After dis-mantling the structure the surrounding ground was excavated down about 7m. The ground was rancid and needed to be directly 'belted' onto a ship which then took the contaminated soil for washing in germany.
I took on the site-engineering of the piling and basement slab works. It was interesting for 2 other reasons. The piles were precast concrete about 8m in length that needed to be driven into the ground. With all the ground vibrations Mr. Harry Crosbie and Mssrs U2 were concerned about their properties. So we placed measuring equipment in Crosbies house and U2's studio. So twice a week I got to wander about their properties. Very nice people.

Wishbone Ash

humberklog wrote: »

After dis-mantling the structure the surrounding ground was excavated down about 7m

I recall wandering around there then while they were excavating the area. The ultimate 'brown field' site!

Were they spraying water over that site for ages also or am I confusing it with another?

boneless

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I recall wandering around there then while they were excavating the area. The ultimate 'brown field' site!

Were they spraying water over that site for ages also or am I confusing it with another?

The whole site had to be de-contaminated which involved digging the soil to the bedrock and shipping it to Germany for disposal. This was because of the fact that all types of by-products of the coal used to manufacture the gas are highly toxic. I know there were high levels of carconogenics present.

I spent two weeks on the site in a space suit monitoring for esturine archaeological features when the landfill used for reclaimation was removed. The most boring two weeks of my life!! As I was stuck on the south quays, the lads on the north quays found Mesolithic fish traps!!!:mad:


The site of the old paint factory was treated in the same way. That was on Cardiff Lane I think.

humberklog

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I recall wandering around there then while they were excavating the area. The ultimate 'brown field' site!

Were they spraying water over that site for ages also or am I confusing it with another?

There were a lot of sites around there needing in-situ spray downs. That site could have had it but there was a site further up towards Pearse St. that required constant dowsing. The pipe ran along the whole fence and it was there for a long, long time. That could be the one you're recalling. I think it was a Sisk site. White and red hoarding. The one at gasometer was MacNamara (Blue hoarding).

boneless

humberklog wrote: »

There were a lot of sites around there needing in-situ spray downs. That site could have had it but there was a site further up towards Pearse St. that required constant dowsing. The pipe ran along the whole fence and it was there for a long, long time. That could be the one you're recalling. I think it was a Sisk site. White and red hoarding. The one at gasometer was MacNamara (Blue hoarding).

I think that was the paint factory site I mentioned.

Wishbone Ash

While we're on the subject, here's a couple of pics of a Clayton Gasometer on South Lotts Road.

1980s (with the then ubiquitous Mk IV Cortina )



2008 (after they ruined it )

boneless

humberklog wrote: »

After dis-mantling the structure the surrounding ground was excavated down about 7m. The ground was rancid and needed to be directly 'belted' onto a ship which then took the contaminated soil for washing in germany.
I took on the site-engineering of the piling and basement slab works. It was interesting for 2 other reasons. The piles were precast concrete about 8m in length that needed to be driven into the ground. With all the ground vibrations Mr. Harry Crosbie and Mssrs U2 were concerned about their properties. So we placed measuring equipment in Crosbies house and U2's studio. So twice a week I got to wander about their properties. Very nice people.

I missed your post while replying, sorry... we could have met each other at some stage !!

boneless

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

While we're on the subject, here's a couple of pics of a Clayton Gasometer on South Lotts Road.

1980s (with the then ubiquitous Mk IV Cortina )



2008 (after they ruined it )

Considering that it was a last minute reprieve as they were going to dismantle it, I actually like the re-use of space as a dwelling one. But I am a bit wierd !!

RoyMcC

boneless wrote: »

The whole site had to be de-contaminated which involved digging the soil to the bedrock and shipping it to Germany for disposal. This was because of the fact that all types of by-products of the coal used to manufacture the gas are highly toxic. I know there were high levels of carconogenics present.

I spent two weeks on the site in a space suit monitoring for esturine archaeological features when the landfill used for reclaimation was removed. The most boring two weeks of my life!! As I was stuck on the south quays, the lads on the north quays found Mesolithic fish traps!!!:mad:


The site of the old paint factory was treated in the same way. That was on Cardiff Lane I think.

Out of interest, was The Ferryman pub there before and during all these works? If so I bet it was a good old local and not the upmarket deal it is just now.

And wow! re the Mesolithic fish traps. If indeed they were the real deal :rolleyes:

Ste.phen

How come they didn't keep the other Clayton gasometer?
Would've made quite the pair, wouldn't they?
I presume the second one was where Google's office is on Barrow St now?

Redrover1999

Ste.phen wrote: »

How come they didn't keep the other Clayton gasometer?
Would've made quite the pair, wouldn't they?
I presume the second one was where Google's office is on Barrow St now?

I never realised there were two of them before.

When was the other one removed?

Ste.phen

The first pic wishbone ash posted above shows the second one in the background. Not sure if there were more than 2 at any point? I presume the other one came down around the same time they started building around Barrow St, so late 90s?

arybvtcw0eolkf

boneless wrote: »

Considering that it was a last minute reprieve as they were going to dismantle it, I actually like the re-use of space as a dwelling one. But I am a bit wierd !!

I'm with you on this one.

I think its great too.

humberklog

boneless wrote: »

I missed your post while replying, sorry... we could have met each other at some stage !!

I was trying to think when I was there. Post excavation anyway but early on on the job. Early to mid '03 I reckon. I get all mixed up on dates of buildings I was on. Think it was before Dundrum sooooooo...'03.

boneless

RoyMcC wrote: »

Out of interest, was The Ferryman pub there before and during all these works? If so I bet it was a good old local and not the upmarket deal it is just now.

And wow! re the Mesolithic fish traps. If indeed they were the real deal :rolleyes:

The fish traps were the real deal okay :cool:!

They were perfectly (or as near as) preserved under a layer of sterile silt. The anaerobic conditions aided the preservation. Archaeology Ireland had an article on them in 2003 or 2004.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Found another of the Gasometer..





'Guaranteed Irish' adverts on the bus!..

.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I only noticed this yesterday while taking photos for another thread.

On the site of the old Gasometer ...




The glass structure on top of the building, I'm guessing its a nod to the old Gasometer?.

Excuse the bad photo quality, the photo was take from Northwall Quay through yesterdays torrential downpour.

Bluetonic

It was a big old gasometer.

sillymoo

Please excuse my ignorance but what did the gasometer do? Did it store gas? Somebody else mentioned getting gas from coal?

Bluetonic

sillymoo wrote: »

Please excuse my ignorance but what did the gasometer do? Did it store gas? Somebody else mentioned getting gas from coal?

You are a sillymoo indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder

sillymoo

Bluetonic wrote: »

You are a sillymoo indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder

Wow that sounds mighty dangerous :eek:

spurious

They made a lovely job of the ones in Vienna.

Wishbone Ash

Mairt wrote: »

I only noticed this yesterday while taking photos for another thread.

On the site of the old Gasometer ...




The glass structure on top of the building, I'm guessing its a nod to the old Gasometer?.

Excuse the bad photo quality, the photo was take from Northwall Quay through yesterdays torrential downpour.

Here's a better one Mairt although a few months old. I also managed to capture the reflection of the conference centre across the water.

Rashers

Just looking at your two photos above, Mairt and Wish, it's like looking at a reflection in time.

Now I wonder will they ever try to to bring the cranes that lined both sides of the quays back to life in some way, as they did with what appears to be a gibbet/gallows on that horrible building in Dame St.

The next big fright they have lined up for is is the Wire Man standing in the Liffey at Sir John Rogerson's Quay. Anyone see it in the papers? The artist's impression shows it looking like a figure peeing. And its going to be as tall as the Statue of Liberty!:eek:

Wishbone Ash

Rashers wrote: »

The next big fright they have lined up for is is the Wire Man standing in the Liffey at Sir John Rogerson's Quay. Anyone see it in the papers? The artist's impression shows it looking like a figure peeing. And its going to be as tall as the Statue of Liberty!:eek:

That has been shelved.

There's also a thread about it here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055465121

Rashers

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That has been shelved.

There's also a thread about it here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055465121

Oh thank god for that. The thread on Archiseek, when I last looked, seemed to show the planning all done and dusted. But I see now it's been updated since I last looked.

/sigh of relief... thanks Wish.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Going through the 'Historic Dub' thread and I found this one..



Just incase the younger guys here think we never had a skyscraper!..

Taken from the 27 steps in Summerhill.

TutuKaka

I think the main building part is rather dull. I like the glass front but just think they could have done more with it. Maybe there will be some exterior panelling added?