What's your favourite building in Galway City, architecturally speaking?

Euro_Kraut

TristanPeter wrote: »

Why

How many potatoes died during the Famine?

It was a phrase coined by the English to distance themselves from events. The reason €1million people starved to death was not potato blight - rather the reaction of the authorities to that blight. There was food being exported from Ireland to mainland Britian at the time. Britain was the world richest nation yet still decided on this course of action. Retrospectively its a lot easier to blame potatoes and the stupid Irish who over farmed then.

Fact is blight occurred on many occasions (still does) and the impact was not nearly as severe. The Irish phrase 'An Gorta Mor' is what the natives called it at the time. 'The Potato Famine' is historical revisionism by people uncomforatable with the events.

Sorry, to derailing the thread.

My Favourite building is the new Museum.

Least Fav is the 40 year old Cathedral and the Bus/Rail Station.

inisboffin

TristanPeter wrote: »

Why

What do you think of the design that won the competition for the proposed docks development?

Because it's now pretty much recognised that the famine part wasn't because of potatoes.

*edit* yeah, just saw the post above. In addition 'over farming' was done without much choice as the land was so divided and spuds had a bigger yield per foot to feed starving families.

Back on topic
Nice pic

Sconsey

TristanPeter wrote: »

Why

Yeah as others have ponted out, there was plenty of other crops being grown by the Irish during the famine but the British took the crops and shipped them home.

Anyway....I'd have to say the Quad is probably the nicest building in Galway, interesting fact; apparently the plans for the Quad and Queens college in Belfast got mixed up, Galway was meant to get the original Queens building design and vice versa. Can't find any fact to back this up, just a story a teacher told us years ago... still I think it worked out well for Galway

TristanPeter

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

How many potatoes died during the Famine?

I am aware of what happened. Feckin Brits My old man is a Brit. I'll have to give him a wild beatin for his kind stealin our spuds and other edibles. No Christmas prezzie for him this year.

Back to the architecture: I really don't like the docks prize winner...but it is cool the way you can go fishing off the roof in a lightning storm, as in the picture :rolleyes: I'm surprised it won to be honest. It's very emmmm....unimaginative imo. Looks like a glass shed. They should just leave the shed they have there now and throw a few big glass windows into it.

Mrs OBumble

I'm more impressed by how functional a building is than how "pretty" it looks.

So I really hate the new museum. It looks great form outside, but is a right maze to be inside: you have to go back where you've come from to get to the stairs in several places. And I hate the private coach-station 'cos it's so stupid that it doesn't have a taxi-stand outside.

I've never been in it, so can't comment on the functionality, but the old grammar building on College Rd looks cool, and I like the story of how clever engineers/architects dealt with the lack of foundations by building a whole new building just inside the old one.

inisboffin

TristanPeter wrote: »

I am aware of what happened. Feckin Brits My old man is a Brit. I'll have to give him a wild beatin for his kind stealin our spuds and other edibles. No Christmas prezzie for him this year.

Ah now go easy on him for Chrismo. Nature stole the spuds, they only stole everything else

I loved Spanish Parade and was in shock years ago when the building that houses Thai Garden went up (Jury's too, but it didn't ruin the view) I disliked it so much that I considered wanting to live there so I didn't have to look *at* it! I know someone living in there though, and despite good windows, it's like living in a speaker at the height of summer!

biko

I like the old stuff but must say SAP looks good.
Wood saves another glass/concrete monstrosity.

Zapho

I'd be hard pressed to find a building I really like in Galway.
The Marine science building NUIG is nice enough and I do think the Catherdal is cool.

However, my favourite will surely be the NUIG's new engineering building.
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/ireland/jpgs/nui_galway_rmjm_070501_1.jpg

I may be a little biased......

I totally agree with you TristanPeter, that new building opposite the old engineering building is just AWFUL! The stone work on the ground floor is probably the nicest bit. They should have covered the whole building with that IMO.

TristanPeter

Magnus wrote: »

I like the old stuff but must say SAP looks good.
Wood saves another glass/concrete monstrosity.

That's a pretty cool looking building alright. I like the interior shot especially.

The new engineering building (NUIG) looks like an airport terminal. It's huge! I like it though and I suppose it's a good thing that it's big. It's amazing how stuck the uni is for space all the time despite the fact that buildings such as the IT building, the St. Anthonys extension and the Orbsen building are all relatively new. I do thnik they should have put an underground carpark in the new engineering building. As far as I know they have not included one in the design. Then again, maybe that's just encouraging lazy students to drive

lovelyhome

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dafunk

I like the old school house on Sea Road. It's sinister looking, appeals to my dark side.