Albert Quay - New Development

Michael..

Not a huge fan of the current building to be honest - very grey and out of place.
Maybe if they fixed it up a bit then I would warm to it.

I think Bam own the current site. I'd imagine if Heineken's event centre gets the go ahead then Bam will probably redevelop that site.

I think the purposed development looks quite nice.

ofcork

Another building which looks terrible is the farm centre just beyond Victoria cross so dull and grey

Michael..

ofcork wrote: »

Another building which looks terrible is the farm centre just beyond Victoria cross so dull and grey

The prize for the most ugly building in Cork has to go to Merchant's Quay. Somebody needs to knock it down quickly.

In my opinion it single handedly ruins the look of the city. Absolutely awful !!

whisky_galore

Michael.. wrote: »

The prize for the most ugly building in Cork has to go to Merchant's Quay. Somebody needs to knock it down quickly.

In my opinion it single handedly ruins the look of the city. Absolutely awful !!

The buildings that were on that site were on their last legs by all accounts, but the MQ centre was a fugly replacement. Acres of uninspired boring red brick.

whisky_galore

ofcork wrote: »

Another building which looks terrible is the farm centre just beyond Victoria cross so dull and grey

And the wreck that was the Crow's Nest.

BUNK1982

Michael.. wrote: »

The prize for the most ugly building in Cork has to go to Merchant's Quay. Somebody needs to knock it down quickly.

In my opinion it single handedly ruins the look of the city. Absolutely awful !!

Hadn't even thought of it - it is horrible now that I think about it.

I've always thought they should do something with the side of the Opera House as well - hold a competition to put a big mural on it or something.

Be better than a giant slab of concrete anyways!

evilivor

BUNK1982 wrote: »

Hadn't even thought of it - it is horrible now that I think about it.

I've always thought they should do something with the side of the Opera House as well - hold a competition to put a big mural on it or something.

Be better than a giant slab of concrete anyways!

They have a large banner covering it for the last number of years.

BUNK1982

evilivor wrote: »

They have a large banner covering it for the last number of years.

Yeah but that's an ad for toyota and it just gathers sh1te

evilivor

BUNK1982 wrote: »

Yeah but that's an ad for toyota and it just gathers sh1te

Not it's not.

phatmanwc

Here:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@51.900471,-8.472871,3a,75y,217.09h,98.56t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1st4uBGGaifJtJu4flq-X0SQ!2e0


:pac:

AugustusMinimus

whisky_galore wrote: »

The buildings that were on that site were on their last legs by all accounts, but the MQ centre was a fugly replacement. Acres of uninspired boring red brick.

No other way to put it, but they were in a very bad way. The whole area needed to be rebuilt. However, the red brick monstrosity was not what was required. We also lost 2 streets via the rebuild.

The next thing after that to go should be the bus station. The old plans were to integrate it with the train station. Having a single transport hub is the way to go I think. Removing the bus station and replacing it with something more relevant for the area is just a bonus.

BUNK1982

phatmanwc wrote: »

Here:

https://www.google.ie/maps/@51.900471,-8.472871,3a,75y,217.09h,98.56t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1st4uBGGaifJtJu4flq-X0SQ!2e0


:pac:

That's actually not too bad

whisky_galore

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

No other way to put it, but they were in a very bad way. The whole area needed to be rebuilt. However, the red brick monstrosity was not what was required. We also lost 2 streets via the rebuild.

The next thing after that to go should be the bus station. The old plans were to integrate it with the train station. Having a single transport hub is the way to go I think. Removing the bus station and replacing it with something more relevant for the area is just a bonus.

Don't think that will happen anytime soon. Pity as the old goods area around Kent is turning into an awful howling wilderness of dereliction. Used to think the bus station was an awful kip (or maybe it was just the characters hanging around it:pac:) but the new awnings and renovations have brightened it up a bit. It's certainly better looking than Busarus, kip central.

calnand

Busaras is one of the most important buildings architecturally, in Ireland. It just hasn't been maintained very well over the years.

vince

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

No other way to put it, but they were in a very bad way. The whole area needed to be rebuilt. However, the red brick monstrosity was not what was required. We also lost 2 streets via the rebuild.

The next thing after that to go should be the bus station. The old plans were to integrate it with the train station. Having a single transport hub is the way to go I think. Removing the bus station and replacing it with something more relevant for the area is just a bonus.

That was a massive project for its time knocking and building the new centre is there anymore pics during construction

Knob Longman

vince wrote: »

That was a massive project for its time knocking and building the new centre is there anymore pics during construction

It looked awful, Thank god they knocked it. Merchants Quay centre does look out of place though due to the hideous condition of the opposite quay, Its a miss mash of ugly buildings with no co ordination between them.

As for Albert Quay, What is there now wouldn't look astray in Detroit, The new building will fit in well with its surroundings..

whisky_galore

calnand wrote: »

Busaras is one of the most important buildings architecturally, in Ireland. It just hasn't been maintained very well over the years.

I've seen pics of it new and it looked like sh!t then as well.

Lambofdave

Back page of the examiner today, A development company in NAMA has objected to the Albert Quay development

vince

2 steps forward 3 back

Michael..

The grounds on which they are appealing seem daft.

For starters, it's right next to the Elysian which is obviously big in scale. Across the river there's buildings of similar size too. You can't hold up a development because it's big relative to the sextant. There's potentially going to be an event centre in that area and Carey's will be developed over time as well and I've no doubt it'll be another big office block of some sort.

They also mention that they're worried about the affect it will l have on other offices (ie their own). Well, unfortunately, that's just tough luck. John Cleary seems to be able to build offices, and, more crucially, fill them.

zetalambda

Sounds like a case of sour grapes from the 2 clowns that have made the complaint. Typical Irish begrudgery by two other property developers.

vince

The city hall would have been out of scale whit its suroundings when built and stone henge may have been seen as a blot on the landscape some folk need to move on.

Dave47

zetalambda wrote: »

Sounds like a case of sour grapes from the 2 clowns that have made the complaint. Typical Irish begrudgery by two other property developers.

yep and the fact is it's delaying this project and costing the owners money- they already have tenant committed etc. and deadlines to reach.

Besides the project is completely in fitting with docklands development scheme etc.

phatmanwc

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/commercial-property/builders-face-off-over-tower-1.1732387

Looks like it's Michael O'Flynn of the Elysian fame who has objected. As mentioned in the linked article, you would think the AQ development would only serve to increase the value of the Elysian apartments? Such a frustrating set-back; let's hope it doesn't affect the commercial viability/agreements with potential tenants...

zetalambda

I'd say worst case scenario, they'll knock two floors off.

ofcork

I assume o Flynn wanted to develop that site in future to complete the block as such.

Michael..

zetalambda wrote: »

I'd say worst case scenario, they'll knock two floors off.

That's probably what will happen. Absolutely stupid though. The city should be high density. Look at the state of Dublin - urban sprawl on a grand scale.

Some of the objections are laughable. Others may cause issues though. For instance if Flynn insists on no access from the Elysian site then I'd imagine they're going to have to redesign the building. More time, more money.

Red Nissan

ofcork wrote: »

I assume o Flynn wanted to develop that site in future to complete the block as such.

You bet. O'Flynn had a bigger project planned for that entire block, it never happened, he basically got his tower in a different location to where he wanted it, and more or less limited to the old marshaling yard area.

The whole thing does look funny for something designed, but it was something like this, plan put before the authorities, they said you can have that and that, not that, or that, or that and we want the tower here and not where you have it and we want it facing the street to make a street scape and that's yer lot, now gimme the money.

Lambofdave

Is it three objections now?
Still on development theme, is there any plans to change the road infrastructure in Mahon with all the new jobs and the future plan to increase the size of mahon point at some stage?

AugustusMinimus

Lambofdave wrote: »

Is it three objections now?
Still on development theme, is there any plans to change the road infrastructure in Mahon with all the new jobs and the future plan to increase the size of mahon point at some stage?

Yes. One new entrance sliproad. Two new exit sliproads (one out of the shopping centre) and a new link road to help traffic flow in the area.