The Spire on O'Connell Street

star.chaser

What do you think the Spire resembles most?

Giblet

star.chaser wrote: »

What do you think the Spire resembles most?

A Big metal spike with lights on the top.

lord lucan

Giblet wrote: »

A Big metal spike with lights on the top.

I voted 'none of the above',as Giblet said,it looks like a big spike with lights!

arybvtcw0eolkf

Op had you put in a syringe as an option the northsider's would have had something to vote one!.

*edit, I gave the northisders an option

KoolKid

I agree a big spike with lights.
Come on ...own up, who said a Big Mac?

lizardfudge

I see a butterfly!

Flamed Diving

For a city with a heroin problem, it was meant to be ironic I guess?

lizardfudge

Flamed Diving wrote: »

For a city with a heroin problem, it was meant to be ironic I guess?

You're wrong! I'll have you know I never have any problem getting heroin.

Flamed Diving

lizardfudge wrote: »

You're wrong! I'll have you know I never have any problem getting heroin.

Whoops, I meant symbolic.

CrazyRabbit

...a spire.

karlog

a penis

KoolKid

karlog wrote: »

a penis

You mean Metal Mickey?

donvito99

I remember it had just opened and they had a report on the BBC interviewing the locals, one of the interviews went something like this,

Interviewer: So, what do you think of the New Spire?

Local (Ridiculously stereotypical Dublin accent): Sure wouldn't it be great if they stuck a restaurant on top, you know, it'd be great, you could go up there and eat'n'all...

Have to say I cringed to say the least.

kumate_champ07

Flamed Diving wrote: »

For a city with a heroin problem, it was meant to be ironic I guess?

which city, or even town doesnt have one?

kumate_champ07

I was thinking about this yesterday, its the spear that killed the celtic tiger

why wasnt their a public vote? is it art? is art not for the people? its our capital city, why werent we asked? maybe even a competition in schools to come up with a design. I hope someday they take it down and melt it then rebuild it with a better design/vision. I have no problem with the guy who designed it, its not is fault, or maybe it is

it would have been more interesting if they had it leaning at an angle, like it was gonna fall over

artanevilla

karlog wrote: »

a penis

I'd go see a doctor if I were you, or a wellman clinic.

Masada

Don't think it really reminds me of anything, but i think they could have but something better there. a fountain or something would have been more interesting even.

Closed ac

It kinda looks like a metal pole.

Wishbone Ash

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

why werent we asked? maybe even a competition in schools to come up with a design

There was an international competition to come up with something to replace Nelson's Pillar. Why didn't you enter if you feel so strongly about it? Or are you one of those fence sitters why complain about everything but won't get up of their arse to do anything about it, ....complain about the government but don't vote etc......

Closed ac

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

There was an international competition to come up with something to replace Nelson's Pillar. Why didn't you enter if you feel so strongly about it? Or are you one of those fence sitters why complain about everything but won't get up of their arse to do anything about it, ....complain about the government but don't vote etc......

http://rlv.zcache.com/angry_kitty_poster-p228598536141232563t5ta_400.jpg

kumate_champ07

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

There was an international competition to come up with something to replace Nelson's Pillar. Why didn't you enter if you feel so strongly about it?

Didnt hear about the competition, only moved up to Dublin last Summer, tho I lived in Tallaght for the first 12yrs of my life.

kumate_champ07

by competition do you mean a tender decided by a bunch of Council/government fatcats?

fuelinjection

da stilletto in da ghetto


It was supposed to be temporary and moved to the Phoenix Park by now but I think too many tourists come to see it now so it will be left there for good.

Dyr

It looks like a soulless brand logo, which is what it is.

Yawns

A big mac

nuff said

PCPhoto

fuelinjection wrote: »

da stilletto in da ghetto


It was supposed to be temporary and moved to the Phoenix Park by now but I think too many tourists come to see it now so it will be left there for good.

tourists come specifically to see the spire !!! C'mon ....which government dept did you get that information from ?

Hagar

I don't suppose the IRA would come back and blow that POS up for us as well?

Irish_wolf

I thought it was meant to represent Irelands booming economy, with the huge spike in terms of our wealth as a nation. I suppose its pretty accurate too because we then came crashing back down the other side as quickly as we went up. :rolleyes:

Coriolanus

Anything would have been better. A giant stone cross or round tower, something Celtic.

KoolKid

Nevore wrote: »

Anything would have been better. A giant stone cross or round tower, something Celtic.

Maybe a giant leprechaun so!:rolleyes: Would that be Irish enough?:D

Coriolanus

Honestly? Yes. That's how bad the Spire is.

Collie D

Ah, the old Spire discussion. I like it and I'm not just playin Devil's Advocate. Come on, there has to be more like me out there

KoolKid

Collie D wrote: »

Ah, the old Spire discussion. I like it and I'm not just playin Devil's Advocate. Come on, there has to be more like me out there

I don't see anything wrong with it either.

fuelinjection

PCPhoto wrote: »

tourists come specifically to see the spire !!! C'mon ....which government dept did you get that information from ?

I am not saying that tourists just come to Ireland because of it, but stand around it for 10 minutes and count how many tourists are there taking photos. It's madness.

Gaspode

I'm with Giblet - it looks like a big metal spike with lights on top. And yet I have come to like it over the past few years.

WindSock

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

why wasnt their a public vote? is it art? is art not for the people? its our capital city, why werent we asked?

No way. I don't trust my fellow country men and women to make any good decisions when it comes to voting.

star.chaser

Royal Unimportant Cylinder wrote: »

Op had you put in a syringe as an option the northsider's would have had something to vote one!.

*edit, I gave the northisders an option

Thanks, I like what you did with the brackets too. Any chance you could change "none of the above" to UFO? My first poll so I didn't know you could not edit it. :rolleyes:

Meeja Ireland

I like the Spire, but I still think they should have rebuilt Nelson's Pillar. Letting your city's design be altered by a couple of lampjawed morons with a crate of gelignite is just weak.

Does anyone know why the base of the spire is a different colour, and what that squiggly design is supposed to be? It looks terrible, I think, as if someone had pulled off a roll of adhesive tape and removed big flakes of the original.

I've heard that this part of the design was imposed on the architect by the city planners, but I don't know if that's true.

John_Rambo

PCPhoto wrote: »

tourists come specifically to see the spire !!! C'mon ....which government dept did you get that information from ?

I have a feeling fuelinjection might be one of those rare types of people like myself that uses their eyeballs to see and witness things. We don't rely on government departments or websites, but actually see things when we are out and about. Everytime I see the spire there are lots of tourists taking photos of it.

I like it. I like the fact that you can see it from loads of the suburbs, I like the fact that when you point it out people say "Jaysus, I thought that part of town would be over there!" I like that it's free standing and I often wonder will it be hit by lightning.

Ronan Keating

John_Rambo wrote: »

I often wonder will it be hit by lightning.

I'm sure they've made sure that won't do any damage if it does.

Collie D

Ronan Keating wrote: »

I'm sure they've made sure that won't do any damage if it does.

Never actually thought about ligtning..surely there is a hig chance it does get hit. As you say, they've more than likely made it safe but I dare you to stand against during a thunderstorm

Doop

Meeja Ireland wrote: »

Does anyone know why the base of the spire is a different colour, and what that squiggly design is supposed to be? It looks terrible, I think, as if someone had pulled off a roll of adhesive tape and removed big flakes of the original.

I've heard that this part of the design was imposed on the architect by the city planners, but I don't know if that's true.

Isn't it a map of the world? ... I could be wrong... it happened once before

Also I like it (the spire that is)

stellarartois

fuelinjection wrote: »

da stilletto in da ghetto


It was supposed to be temporary and moved to the Phoenix Park by now but I think too many tourists come to see it now so it will be left there for good.

This is a load of sh¡te.

Soul Cake Duck

Does anyone know why the base of the spire is a different colour, and what that squiggly design is supposed to be? It looks terrible, I think, as if someone had pulled off a roll of adhesive tape and removed big flakes of the original.

I've heard that this part of the design was imposed on the architect by the city planners, but I don't know if that's true.

I thought it the change in colour was the graffiti resistant surface but I suppose they would make the entire monument resistant...anyway this kind of explains it...

The base of the monument
The Light Monument cone will pass through a 7 metre. diameter circular base of Kilkenny black marble. The change from white Wicklow granite to the black marble was made in order to better present reflections and the pulsed mercury, and to dive the monument a visually stronger base. We confirm the incorporation of a raised Celtic spiral machined into the marble surface. We propose that this spiral will be hand drawn and transferred as a template to the stonemasons. Mercury will be pulsed onto the surface of the marble from the perimeter, and will flow towards the cone. There will be five zones corresponding to the protective glass joints above the marble.


Anyway I’m a fan of the monument…ok it doesn’t have major significance or represent the Irish cultural, history or life but it might represent a step away from our previous nationalist and religious identity.

Link to Design Summary...interesting actually!!

http://ireland.archiseek.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/northcity/oconnell_street/spire_competition/design_summary.html

Dyr

Supercroc wrote: »

Anyway I’m a fan of the monument…ok it doesn’t have major significance or represent the Irish cultural, history or life but it might represent a step away from our previous nationalist and religious identity.

Link to Design Summary...interesting actually!!

http://ireland.archiseek.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/northcity/oconnell_street/spire_competition/design_summary.html

Why would we step away from our "nationalist" past and what does that spire represent that we are stepping towards? Some bland multicutural ideal where every city can be the same nowhereville? Previously we put up monument's on O'Connell street to O'Connell, larkin and Parnell. Now while those works might not all be to my taste at least they commemorate people who embodied worthwhile principals. What does the spire stand for other than corporate ****etalk about light and space? It's a marketing gimmick, nothing more.

filthymcnasty

Meeja Ireland wrote: »

Does anyone know why the base of the spire is a different colour, and what that squiggly design is supposed to be? It looks terrible, I think, as if someone had pulled off a roll of adhesive tape and removed big flakes of the original.

Agree with this it looks terrible: as if some scumbag has been hacking away at it with a paint scraper.
Apart from this, I like the Spire though. It looks impressive when coming up Henry St and takes your attention away from the general tattiness of that street.

fryup

none of the about:cool:

problemchimp

Don't tell the culchies, but we have an underground cathedral in Dublin and that's the spire above ground.

tim0ney

I hear they're going to air-lift a gigantic club sandwich onto the spire next week.:pac::pac::pac: