Reality of Dun Laoghaire Library

jcon1913 · 02-07-2014 3:13pm

Bits_n_Bobs wrote: »

The overwhelming majority of people are giving out about it. Your sole defense of it is that it's grand looking when seen from the end of the pier...I keep thinking of Father Ted explaining to Dougal "Small" & "Far Away"

Exactly - even my 10 year old gets the ''Small, far away'' perspective thing.

josip · 02-07-2014 3:19pm

jcon1913 wrote: »

...
All I am saying now is that they made a hash of it, they could have easily eliminated one storey of the building, AT A MINIMUM, and not blotted out so much of the skyline at the edge of the water.

Rant over.

I have heard that while the council were trying to get the proposal approved they referred to it as "4 storey" building.
Most people were unaware that the "4 storeys" would top out at 125 feet.

Tabnabs · 02-07-2014 3:23pm

Yeah, perspective's a bitch.

The building at the front is tall, the buildings behind are just as tall, but far away

A simple mistake for a child to make

jcon1913 · 02-07-2014 3:52pm

Tabnabs wrote: »

Yeah, perspective's a bitch.

The building at the front is tall, the buildings behind are just as tall, but far away

A simple mistake for a child to make

There, you've got it now. The other buildings which are as tall as the Library are far away from it e.g. the Shopping centre. The Library is too close to the port, not close enough to the other tall buildings in the centre of Dun Laoghaire.

See, it's not so hard to see someone elses point of view.

Now go troll someone elses thread like a good chap

Larbre34 · 02-07-2014 5:27pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

I agree, but the eastern side viewed from the coast road looks like this.

I hate to quote my own post, but we all know to debate the front elevation of the building, especially from a distance is just spurious, it is the eastern elevation viewed from Sandycove back to DL that is the issue.

Fratton Fred · 02-07-2014 8:42pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

I hate to quote my own post, but we all know to debate the front elevation of the building, especially from a distance is just spurious, it is the eastern elevation viewed from Sandycove back to DL that is the issue.

How anyone can describe that as appropriate I do not know.

Great idea, really bad execution.

zagmund · 02-07-2014 8:55pm

I quite like it.

But I wouldn't like to be in the house right beside it.

z

ted1 · 03-07-2014 11:12am

schemingbohemia wrote: »

You were suggesting that the building bisects the town and would discourage people from travelling beyond the building (ie as they couldn't see what would lie beyond it) which I thought was a rather foolish position to take so ridiculed it.

No it's not a foolish position. There's plenty of studies on human behaviour and how they perceive barriers. Before you attemp to ridicule a person you should educate yourself

carpejugulum · 03-07-2014 8:22pm

annoying NIMBYs is a welcome bonus

ted1 · 04-07-2014 12:33am

carpejugulum wrote: »

annoying NIMBYs is a welcome bonus

Idiot

Ron DMC · 04-07-2014 9:25am

ted1 banned for a week for personal abuse.

Everyone needs to calm down, we're talking civil engineering so try and remain that way.

schemingbohemia · 04-07-2014 10:32am

Well I saw it up close after going to a great play in the Pavilion last night, I still think it looks great, I like the prow of a ship style they've gone for.

josip · 04-07-2014 11:44am

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Well I saw it up close after going to a great play in the Pavilion last night, I still think it looks great, I like the prow of a ship style they've gone for.

Unless someone else has proof to the contrary I'm claiming ownership of the prow of a ship comparison.

The architects make no mention of it.
http://archiseek.com/2007/carr-cotter-naessens-win-dun-laoghaire-library-competition/#.U7aDvbGmUuA

2 things they do say are interesting
"The building form is to be kept low by using the entire length of the available site."
That's a matter of opinion/marketing. I don't think even those in favour of it would describe the building's form as "low"

"The reading room of the library is expressed as a pavilion that relates directly to the bowling green; the building is lower at the end of the park, so as not to compete with the Royal Marine Hotel"

Some posters here said how they were looking forward to being able to read their books and look up and take in the sea view. From this description it would seem they'll have the same view as the methadone addicts used to have until recently. Have the plans changed?

Larbre34 · 04-07-2014 1:16pm

Yeah I have heard it mentioned that it resembles this........ By all means feel free to claim that comparison!!

Aard · 04-07-2014 1:36pm

My issues with the design are its massing and fenestration. The bulky building is incongruous with the historical fabric of DL where even the terraced houses have vertical rhythm. It also seems that there are a lot of blank walls, which gives the impression of the building as a divider rather than a unifier. There's nothing wrong with a landmark building per se, it just needs to address its surroundings well, which I fear this one does not.

josip · 04-07-2014 1:38pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

Yeah I have heard it mentioned that it resembles this........ By all means feel free to claim that comparison!!

The Titanic's deck was only 58 feet above the waterline, not 125.
And they managed to get 7 decks into that 58, compared to 4 into the 125.
Will the people responsible be like Ismay or Andrews?

Larbre34 · 04-07-2014 2:54pm

Ismay has already left the building, so to speak.

Andrews doing a lot of drawn out fireplace leaning...

Lanaier · 05-07-2014 2:42pm

I like it.

DL has always been a weird mix of architectural styles, this fits with it's eclectic nature.

EricPraline · 06-07-2014 12:33am

Tabnabs wrote: »

It was open to public scrutiny. They held a public consultation. Did you submit your objections then?

In fact:

http://mariebaker.net/2014/dun-laoghaires-new-library/

In fact... you quote a blog post from a local councillor who has always stated that she is strongly in favour of the development. Not quite sure what that achieves. All you point out is that people objected, and their objections were ignored. QED?

RainyDay · 06-07-2014 12:05pm

EricPraline wrote: »

In fact... you quote a blog post from a local councillor who has always stated that she is strongly in favour of the development. Not quite sure what that achieves. All you point out is that people objected, and their objections were ignored. QED?

If there was to be no development where anyone objected, there would be no development at all.

Tabnabs · 07-07-2014 9:25am

EricPraline wrote: »

In fact... you quote a blog post from a local councillor who has always stated that she is strongly in favour of the development. Not quite sure what that achieves. All you point out is that people objected, and their objections were ignored. QED?

You're the one who stated it should be open to public scrutiny and I pointed out that it was. Now you complain that a democratically elected councillor goes into detail on the hows and why of the project and you shift the goalposts again... :rolleyes:

Bits_n_Bobs · 07-07-2014 9:57am

If you're going to make a (fairly obvious and rather lazy) architectural reference to the prow of a ship in a landmark building I think the lads in Belfast beat us to it and really did a rather better job of it http://www.titanicbelfast.com/video/homepagedefault.jpg

zagmund · 07-07-2014 11:00am

I think the lads in Santona beat them all to it - https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.442014,-3.461423 & https://maps.google.com/maps?q=spain&hl=en&ll=43.442014,-3.461423&spn=0.000031,0.027788&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.076329,113.818359&t=h&hnear=Spain&z=16&layer=c&cbll=43.442035,-3.461392&panoid=fF93CPF7ZYd7o0mFoZtaIQ&cbp=12,287.17,,0,2.02

It looks like it makes for a great skateboard ramp too.

Just don't rock up there looking for food before about 2100 in the evening. They don't do "a quick bite to eat in the evening" around there.

z

Tabnabs · 07-07-2014 11:08am

The NEMO building in Amsterdam uses the same theme also

Tabnabs · 10-07-2014 4:18pm

So updated photos of the landscaping around the new library

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329014413929749&set=a.329014313929759.1073741975.176928339138358&type=1&theater

Bits_n_Bobs · 10-07-2014 4:33pm

Tabnabs wrote: »

So updated photos of the landscaping around the new library

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=329014413929749&set=a.329014313929759.1073741975.176928339138358&type=1&theater

I'm betting that grass looks awesome from the end of the pier....

Tabnabs · 10-07-2014 4:39pm

Bits_n_Bobs · 10-07-2014 4:46pm

Just scanned through the images on the DL facebook page. Judging by the number of photos they seem much more enthusiastic about the grass than the building. A position I share.

Aard · 10-07-2014 5:18pm

I'm still so surprised by all the blank walls. Mainly because DLR are pretty good compared to other couties about encouraging active frontage.

Larbre34 · 14-07-2014 12:11pm

The PR charm offensive is in full swing.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/librarian-hopes-new-d%C3%BAn-laoghaire-library-will-wow-public-1.1865186

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/d%C3%BAn-laoghaire-council-architect-surprised-at-criticism-of-new-library-1.1865009

'Give it a chance' just isn't good enough for a building and location of this significance when its obvious the emperor has no clothes.

Reality of Dun Laoghaire Library

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