Poolbeg chimneys at risk of corrosion

Billgirlylegs

PhilOssophy wrote: »

I completely agree, personally I'd get rid of both and do something decent as per earlier post

Is the Spire connected to the chimneys in some way?
They were constructed as working buildings. If they aren't being used as planned, can they be used for some other reason?

If not, how much is the maintenance involved in retaining them as decoration?
What if the maintenance leads to an accident / injury / death?

Probably an easy conclusion to be reached.

PhilOssophy

Billgirlylegs wrote: »

Is the Spire connected to the chimneys in some way?
They were constructed as working buildings. If they aren't being used as planned, can they be used for some other reason?

If not, how much is the maintenance involved in retaining them as decoration?
What if the maintenance leads to an accident / injury / death?

Probably an easy conclusion to be reached.

"Several million euro" apparently, probably end up costing us what the Children's hospital is costing.

Harry Palmr

You're full of silly chat aren't you?

VonLuck

How about a compromise. Demolish them and replace them with two slender towers. Although it's not exactly a residential development zone, it could be some sort of tourist attraction like some observation decks... just ignore the incinerator on your way there.

Raytown Rocks

Billgirlylegs wrote: »

Is the Spire connected to the chimneys in some way?
They were constructed as working buildings. If they aren't being used as planned, can they be used for some other reason?

If not, how much is the maintenance involved in retaining them as decoration?
What if the maintenance leads to an accident / injury / death?

Probably an easy conclusion to be reached.

There will always be people for and against their retention. that's a given

But you ask
What if the maintenance leads to an accident / injury / death?

Same question could be asked
what if the demolition leads to an accident / injury / death?

Just curious on your opinion, thanks

VonLuck

VonLuck wrote: »

How about a compromise. Demolish them and replace them with two slender towers. Although it's not exactly a residential development zone, it could be some sort of tourist attraction like some observation decks... just ignore the incinerator on your way there.

The whole zone is industrial. It’s right beside the shït farm as well. Not an upcoming tourist attraction. The most you’d expect the ESB to do is to maybe open a little park with some informational signs at the front of the complex.

timmyntc

chef wrote: »

There will always be people for and against their retention. that's a given

But you ask
What if the maintenance leads to an accident / injury / death?

Same question could be asked
what if the demolition leads to an accident / injury / death?

Just curious on your opinion, thanks

A controlled demolition is much easier and safer than a long drawn out maintenance works

EB_2013

If they cleaned them up they wouldn't look that bad. I'm always fascinated by them probably because we don't have many tall structures/buildings in the city. The good thing about them is that they take away the attention from the monstrosity that is the Poolbeg Incinerator.

listermint

As a Dubliner I have some affection for them. However I wouldn't be too pushed it they were taken down.

What I do find ironic of the 'their a local land mark for local people' brigade. Their mothers and fathers would have been giving out absolutely bloody murder when they were built in the first place.

It's nostalgia and not really anything else. There for the sake of there.

Raytown Rocks

timmyntc wrote: »

A controlled demolition is much easier and safer than a long drawn out maintenance works

Not if done by a professional company, sorry but I have to disagree

Every job will be checked and double checked, prior to anything happening

You cant just expect a demolition company to have safer work practices than a company tasked with their maintenance/upgrade

odyssey06

EB_2013 wrote: »

If they cleaned them up they wouldn't look that bad. I'm always fascinated by them probably because we don't have many tall structures/buildings in the city. The good thing about them is that they take away the attention from the monstrosity that is the Poolbeg Incinerator.

Yes, I mean the incinerator and its steam plume is going to be there for a long time so it's not like without the towers there, we will suddenly have a vista of natural beauty.

VonLuck

Deleted User wrote: »

The whole zone is industrial. It’s right beside the shït farm as well. Not an upcoming tourist attraction. The most you’d expect the ESB to do is to maybe open a little park with some informational signs at the front of the complex.

I wonder if there's much of a smell there? You would image there is but I've never been down that way.

I always thought that the old Pigeon House power station would make a great location for an industrial style nightclub, similar to Berlin.

Raytown Rocks

VonLuck wrote: »

I wonder if there's much of a smell there? You would image there is but I've never been down that way.

I always thought that the old Pigeon House power station would make a great location for an industrial style nightclub, similar to Berlin.

Yep Smell can be terrible somedays, and non existent other days
Generally comes from the water treatment plant that's right beside the road as you head down that way.

Also comes from the beach sometimes too

VonLuck

VonLuck wrote: »

I wonder if there's much of a smell there? You would image there is but I've never been down that way.

I always thought that the old Pigeon House power station would make a great location for an industrial style nightclub, similar to Berlin.

Ya, it gets pretty ‘funky’ down there at times. Certainly not the sort of place you’d be bussing down thousands of Chinese to have them use a skywalk between two dodgy chimneys.

The ESB commissioned a report on the site a number of years ago. It’s not just the maintenance of the towers - it’s the entire complex that must be considered - the old turbine rooms, offices, tunnels, tanks, pumping stations etc. They were decommissioned 11 years ago. There’s also a newer ESB generation station on the site; the safety of which must be considered.

PhilOssophy

It would also possibly be cheaper to re-build some replica with cladding to match than repair what is there if they are in such poor condition. You'd wonder why the incinerator didn't just have red chimneys and knock down the old ones!

Thelonious Monk

To be fair to the new one, it usually blends into the usual grey slate skies, I don't mind that building too much. The steam is mad looking when you're up close to the incinerator by the way, worth checking out if you haven't been near it. It's also how I gauge what way the wind is blowing when I'm cycling somewhere, there's a grand vista of poolbeg just around the corner from me.

HeidiHeidi

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

To be fair to the new one, it usually blends into the usual grey slate skies, I don't mind that building too much. The steam is mad looking when you're up close to the incinerator by the way, worth checking out if you haven't been near it. It's also how I gauge what way the wind is blowing when I'm cycling somewhere, there's a grand vista of poolbeg just around the corner from me.

It makes for a great wind sock when we're out racing on Dublin Bay!

0lddog

VonLuck wrote: »

...make a great location for an industrial style nightclub, similar to Berlin.

Whatever about that, the old pigeon house hotel just beside the old power station is an amazing building

Did anything ever happen on this :

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/five-companies-competing-to-redevelop-dublin-s-pigeon-house-site-1.3749361

LollipopJimmy

0lddog wrote: »

Whatever about that, the old pigeon house hotel just beside the old power station is an amazing building

Did anything ever happen on this :

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/five-companies-competing-to-redevelop-dublin-s-pigeon-house-site-1.3749361

That building was the set for many tv shows and movies

BonnieSituation

PhilOssophy wrote: »

If the port is moved, there will be thousands living down that way in no time.

Re the towers, they are pretty but maybe Dublin needs to look at a decent landmark - put it this way, I'd rather see a decent structure (e.g. a small version of the Eiffel Tower or the like) have money spent on it, than spend a fortune saving 2 old chimneys which are falling asunder.

No I'm not referring to The Spire, I am referring to a decent landmark!

In no time? You're optimistic.

The port isn't going to be moved.

Bob Harris

IngazZagni wrote: »

Well this is the whole debate. They are in need of major repairs which will cost millions.

It's 100% Stockholm syndrome and nostalgia that people want these kept. Can you imagine the uproar if these were proposed now? Dublin doesn't have a skyline of note and Dublin City Council continue to try and block us from having a nice skyline so the chimneys are really the only things that represents Dublin from a distance.

Apart from these there is no Dublin skyline. It's not ideal that the most emblematic feature of the skyline are two old towers but they are emblematic and for that very reason should stay. Pony up a few million, make them safe and spruce them up and what harm are they doing?

highdef

They are ugly (subjectively speaking), especially now that the paint has faded so much and there are massive rust stains running down them. They are nearly 4 times the height of Liberty Hall (the towers are 207m tall, Liberty Hall is 59m tall) and yet people complain that they can't see the towers from more places in Dublin but if someone wanted to build an arguably prettier building/structure that actually functions as something, at the very eastern end of the Financial district (where moderate to high rise should be the norm) that was less than half the height of the towers, it would be shot down immediately.

However, there is scope to return the towers to their previous "splendour". The massive Pigeon House Power Station and ex-Pigeon House Hotel (https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/five-companies-competing-to-redevelop-dublin-s-pigeon-house-site-1.3749361) are likely to be redeveloped in the not so distant future. Pigeon House Power Station is a behemoth and striking building, Dublin's equivalent of London's Battersea Power Station. The Poolbeg towers could be brought into the redevelopment of the area. The wider tower could have a restaurant and/or museum built half way up by way of extending the diameter slightly to make it a usable width. A viewing deck could be installed at/near to the top of both towers with a glass walkway between the two, providing a stunning trip between the tops of the two towers.

If you visit Toronto as a tourist, you're almost certain to visit the CN Tower.
If you visit Seattle as a tourist, you're almost certain to visit the Space needle.
Seattle also has the Space Center to compliment the Space Needle however Pigeon house Power Centre could be brought into the mix as a complimentary attraction.

Fair enough, both of the above are located closer to the Downtown parts of their cities but the towers are only a few kilometres from Dublin city centre. Transport would be provided if the demand is there. You could even expand those Liffey boat tours to become actual transport to and from the city centre and the Pigeon House District. Approaching the towers via boat would be an experience in itself.

Across the road, there's a decent sized south facing sandy beach and indeed the only decent sized sand based beach in Dublin that faces south in its entirety. This beach has fantastic views of south Dublin, all the way to Killiney Hill, with the Poolbeg towers dominating behind. It also has Irishtown Nature Park literally beside it.

There are a good several large derelict sites in the general area that can be reused for housing or whatever would be most suitable.

odyssey06

highdef wrote: »

They are ugly (subjectively speaking), especially now that the paint has faded so much and there are massive rust stains running down them. They are nearly 4 times the height of Liberty Hall (the towers are 207m tall, Liberty Hall is 59m tall) and yet people complain that they can't see the towers from more places in Dublin but if someone wanted to build an arguably prettier building/structure that actually functions as something, at the very eastern end of the Financial district (where moderate to high rise should be the norm) that was less than half the height of the towers, it would be shot down immediately.

However, there is scope to return the towers to their previous "splendour". The massive Pigeon House Power Station and ex-Pigeon House Hotel (https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/five-companies-competing-to-redevelop-dublin-s-pigeon-house-site-1.3749361) are likely to be redeveloped in the not so distant future. Pigeon House Power Station is a behemoth and striking building, Dublin's equivalent of London's Battersea Power Station...
There are a good several large derelict sites in the general area that can be reused for housing or whatever would be most suitable.

I like your vision but I cant eh quite 'sense' residential close to the operational waste water treatment plant. Unless they can do something about the smell.

If the poolbeg chimneys were proposed tomorrow, not a hope they would be built. People like them out of nostalgia.

odyssey06

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If the poolbeg chimneys were proposed tomorrow, not a hope they would be built. People like them out of nostalgia.

The incinerator was built in the last 10 years.

LollipopJimmy

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If the poolbeg chimneys were proposed tomorrow, not a hope they would be built. People like them out of nostalgia.

And there's nothing wrong with nostalgia.

There are plenty of kips around the city being protected because a 1916 leader once had a sh1te there

HeidiHeidi

Deleted User wrote: »

If the poolbeg chimneys were proposed tomorrow, not a hope they would be built. People like them out of nostalgia.

They were built for a reason, they served their purpose, they're still there and people remember/look on them fondly.


Whether they'd be built today is neither here nor there.



And knocking them down and trying to build something better/more worthy/more iconic is a stupid idea.



Either keep them or don't (I vote keep), but judge them on their own merits.

Black Cloud

I am a regular at the Bull Wall and to me they scar the view towards the Dublin Mountains, as does the incinerator. I don't think any money should be spent preserving them. I'd rather see that money spent on somewhere like the Bull Wall - upgrading the walkway to the Statue, putting in place a proper traffic plan, improving bathing shelters, more cafes etc. The list is endless. Bull Island is a fantastic amenity which has become a magnet for more and more people since the Covid lockdowns came into force.

HeidiHeidi

Black Cloud wrote: »

I am a regular at the Bull Wall and to me they scar the view towards the Dublin Mountains, as does the incinerator. I don't think any money should be spent preserving them. I'd rather see that money spent on somewhere like the Bull Wall - upgrading the walkway to the Statue, putting in place a proper traffic plan, improving bathing shelters, more cafes etc. The list is endless. Bull Island is a fantastic amenity which has become a magnet for more and more people since the Covid lockdowns came into force.

You could say the same for the walk from Sandymount out to the Great South Wall

completedit

People act like they're unique to Dublin. The same chimneys are everywhere.