The revamped Central Bus station in Cork looks great.

simu

I'm very impressed with how it's turned out so far. Especially, as this used to be one of the most hideous buildings in the city. What do others think?

Nukem

Must admit looks a damn site better but should have been one of the first things done though.But still looks great.

radiospan

Yeah I think it looks great. I haven't had a proper look yet, cos they've moved my bus to one of the quays, but it's promising. Any idea when it will be finished?

el Bastardo

Ever seen the lovely bus stations of Great Britain (spec Bradford, Leeds, Liverppool). The new one in Cork is a dead ringer. I sometimes think that there's a secret velvet invasion going on here (?) Still, it's a vast improvement on the hole that was there before (even if they downed tools now!)./

dahamsta

I think it looks well too, mother disagrees. So we'll prolly have damien.m along in a mo to damn it to hades.

adam

damien

dahamsta wrote:

So we'll prolly have damien.m along in a mo to damn it to hades.

You rannnnnnng.

Got off the train yesterday and walked over to it. I like the roof that looks like sails but as has been said it's something that was done and overdone in the UK. Connolly in Dublin has a design like this too.

It's impressive enough as is at last getting away from the really boring shíte like the top of the college of Commerce and the UCC Biosciences Building.

I like the bits of redbrick at the side of the station though as you walk towards the Merchant's Quay traffic lights.

What I don't like about the station though is the bloody cream colour they used and it seems they kept the old crappy doors. They could have modernised this a bit. Seems like they skimped on it. I wonder will the men's jacks still be a cruising ground ? With the new look it'll probably get a better class of cloested disease ridden married man looking for sex off another man.

Happpy now Adam ?

Wanna post any pics?

dahamsta

Delirious Damien.

My least favourite building in Cork at the moment - he said politically - has to be the arse of the Crawford, i.e. on Matthews side. Because it looks like an arse.

I'm not mad about this timber thing that's going on at the moment either. It doesn't look too bad on the new building on George's Quay* - what I wouldn't give for the penthouse - but the timber on the one on Boreenmanna Road just looks silly and pretentious.

adam

*Notice anything odd about the navigation?

comet

They're making a good job of the bus station alright. Nice to see they have proper bus lanes that bring the bus into the pavement as is done all over the world. The old setup was an accident waiting to happen amazing no-one was ever killed, i know there were accidents though and certainly plenty of people missed their bus because they just didn't know where to go. For many people the bus stationis their first impression of cork so hopefully now it will be a good one. Train station is next on the city plan for a makeover but thats a few years off i think.

nesf

In my honest opinion they could only improve on the old place, which was truly ugly. The train station tho, has a bit of an "old world" appeal to me. Kinda like the old Mountjoy

comet

That old world appeal was probably the reason the makers of The Great Train Robbery used the station in that film (i think they did anyway)
The plans for the train station are to make it so the entrance will be quayside making it a shorter walk to the city center in the process.

Victor

damien.m wrote:

You rannnnnnng.

...

Everyone's a critic.

the new building on George's Quay

Actually thats scary.

simu

damien.m wrote:

I like the roof that looks like sails but as has been said it's something that was done and overdone in the UK.

Oh really? That kind of sucks.

Nukem

Just passed the bus station about 20mins ago and see what ya mean about the doors and the windows. Poor form although might be waiting for better weather. They still seem to have all that old style tiling in there as well. But couldnt see was driving.

Also about the train station

Cork is the only place in the world that someone would build a train station on a bend

Where did i here that quote recently. Bust my ass laughing caus its so true.
Needs a face lift as well but so does the whole rail system so thats another arguement for another time

Stark

The train station tho, has a bit of an "old world" appeal to me. Kinda like the old Mountjoy

Yeah, I like that "old world" style too, I was never in the Mountjoy so I can't comment on that though It's a pity they got rid of that old green engine that was there. I used to love it as a child because it reminded me of "Percy" from "Thomas the tank engine"

Blackjack

I haven't been in Cork since August of last year. I do recall that the toilets in the Station then were without doubt the worst (yes, comparable to the "worst toilet in Scotland" from Trainspotting) I ever had the misfortune of of having to use.
Glad that would now appear to be something of the past.

Stark

God yeah those toilets were so bad, though I don't think they were ever as bad as those Trainspotting ones They're probably clean now because they're new but I can't imagine them staying too clean for long. The portacabins they had outside the bus station were absolutely disgusting, the smell would knock you out.

iceman_2001_ie

Re: Bus Station

The exterior is a massive improvement - a spit-shine of the concrete would have improved it.
I like the way they kept the original mosaic columns.
The doors at the Merchants Quay end are new - not sure about the others, but I can only assume they are.
The windows upstairs are the original metal frame windows.
The colour is okay, but like the tunnel with its cream walls, they will get very dirty very quickly.

The interior is cleaner and feels more open, with its white walls, and new ticket desk.
As far as I can see, the original stairs to the upstairs toilets, offices and canteen remain - they were slippy, so I hope they have been given a new sticky surface.
The upstairs remains out-of-bounds, up until Sunday, when I had a look, so we'll have to wait and see, unless somebody else has a perspective.

Overall, it is a massive improvement.
The bus lanes and the yard at the back are excellent.
The whole building is cleaner and sleeker in appearance.

Overall, I like what I have seen.
But I will reserve final judgement until I have seen the new canteen and toilets.

Re: Kent Station

Kent Station certainly has an old world feel to it, especially on the platforms with wooden roofs and red-brick facade.
A number of complaints were leveled against the place a few weeks ago, especially about cleansliness and water dripping from the roof.
Management appear to have taken notice and renovations of the roof over the foyer are taking place.

The foyer itself is a huge improvement from a few years ago - nice café style seating, ticket machines, vending machines that actually work.
However, a few more improvements are necessary - more benches behind Easons (the Lower Road entrance), luggage lockers that work and an ATM machine.

The toilets aren't the worst anymore, they are airy, well lit (during the day, due to the skylight), and don't (always) smell of urine. However, I've had it up to my eyeballs with the cheap chip-board "walls" that divide each cubicle. These should be replaced with tiled, concrete walls. Each cubilce should have its own dedicated light.
Two major changes and one minor change would certainly improve that quality.

By the way, that Green Train is still on tracks inside the station, its just not clearly visible anymore from platforms due to Easons and the Café.

Rant over

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Chad ghostal

all my thumbs are vertical for this bus station, the old was seriously embarrassing..

all we have left to do is demolish, the city library and the CIT main campus building and we can make a start shinning up city real proper

dahamsta

City Library probably wouldn't look so bad with a bit of a cleanup. The North Wall now, that's another matter entirely.

dam

parsi

Re; Great Train Robbery (Sean Connery ??) - that was Heuston with a bit built in to add effect...

Re: "green Train" it's a loco not a train :-)

Re; Railway Station - cramped, dirty, last time I was there one of the new doors to the platform was missing. Also location of the oldest postbox in Ireland.

Re; Bus Station - was there last night, the bus bay area seems cramped, what's with the sails - they worked ok in Waterford but not here. I seem to be alone in liking the old building - it had good lines, nice mosaics but was undermaintained and left to rot really - a good cleaning and polishing would have done wonders I think...

Re ; wooden things - better than the awful redbrick in Blackpool (at the right, going outbound, after the brewery)..

7mountpleasant

That building across way from the office bar(at the bank of the Bank of Ireland Offices) is the worst building in Cork. How the hell can a building like that be allowed to remain in an Irish City is beyond me. You know the one the really shabby grey dilapadated building

dahamsta

I've lusted after that building for years, imagine what you could do with it!

Pretty sure BOI has been sitting on it all this time. Greedy bastards*.

adam

*Even if they haven't been.

daveirl

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7mountpleasant

If that is a listed building I need
1) A .44 rifle
2) 16 hollow point (dum dum ) bullets
3) A bus ticket to city hall (7,6 however I will accept the fare for a cab journey)

dahamsta

What 7mountpleasant said. It looks like a grain store, has no aesthetic value whatsoever.

I should have added that there does appear to be something happening there, in that some containers have been stacked outside and some construction company's signs have been put up on the front of the building. However they've been there for months.

adam

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

7mountpleasant

My other pet hate is those manky warehouses across the way from the new Lapps Quay Development. Hopefully they will go now that they are promising to "redevelop the docklands"

munkeehaven

i definitely think its an improvment..and i have seen a similiar design in germany when i was in around frankfurt..seriously though it was needed..i mean cork bus station is a very busy place..i dont know where it ranks after dublin but it is used a lot...i wish they had changed the tiles that lead up to the bathroom....but hell i shouldnt complain its so much better than it was!!

Victor

dahamsta wrote:

North Wall

North Mall?