Why is UCD's campus so ugly?

NoCrackHaving

Riamfada wrote: »

I graduated from UCD in 2009 and now I am back doing another postgrad. One thing that has really stuck me this time is how run down the arts block has become.

I left UCD two years ago so don't know how it has gone downhill since then but I reckon the easiest thing to do to spruce the place up, at least on the exterior would just to give the whole outside a coating of pint. Something like a dark beige even, just brighten up the horrible bare concrete. Unlike most people I actually don't hate the Newman building architecturally, in some cases I quite like brutalism but not the grey colour, brighten it up a bit, it's in Ireland, not the south of France.

Arthur Rimbaud

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

It may be the case that "most people find Trinity more appealing because they don't know anything about architecture", but that doesn’t necessitate that the university is architecturally unimpressive

You have totally misunderstood the point. I have not said that Trinity is not architecturally impressive, i.e. 'not at all, in any way'.

This misunderstanding makes the bulk of your post redundant.

To re-cap, I have said that most people find Trinity more appealing because they don't know anything about architecture. In that sentence, the pronoun more refers to the measure of appeal relative to UCD.

It is not that Trinity is not appealing, it is that a preference for the architecture of Trinity is generally not predicated on any real understanding of art or architecture.

It is like some illiterate old fishwife who loves dreary landscape art with roses, and would rubbish Matisse's Landscape at Collioure. Architecture is not merely a rose garden.

People are free to prefer the architecture of Trinity to UCD, just as fishwives are free to prefer DIY shop-bought art over that of Matisse. That's fine, it's a free country. But lets not pretend there's any serious thought or intellect supporting it.

In my experience, the man on the street dislikes modern architecture for the same reason he dislikes modern art: lack of understanding.

Mr Pseudonym

Arthur Rimbaud wrote: »

It is like some illiterate old fishwife who loves dreary landscape art with roses, and would rubbish Matisse's Landscape at Collioure. Architecture is not merely a rose garden.

People are free to prefer the architecture of Trinity to UCD, just as fishwives are free to prefer DIY shop-bought art over that of Matisse. That's fine, it's a free country. But lets not pretend there's any serious thought or intellect supporting it.

In my experience, the man on the street dislikes modern architecture for the same reason he dislikes modern art: lack of understanding.

Would you, by any chance, consider yourself a snob?

deluded_matt

That's all well and good to talk about architecture but some the UCD building's look grotesque, inside they are dark and dreary. (I'm looking at you Ag Science/Newman)

Think about what they are designed for: students, education, community. The buildings lack light and on the outside they resemble poorly designed prisons.

NoCrackHaving

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

Would you, by any chance, consider yourself a snob?

Ha it's been edited since.

Sierra Oscar

Riamfada wrote: »

I graduated from UCD in 2009 and now I am back doing another postgrad. One thing that has really stuck me this time is how run down the arts block has become.

As far as I remember the Newman building is earmarked for a major refurbishment over the next few years, in line with the construction of an entire new building in the space between Newman and the library. If that is the case then it is not surprising that the Newman building has become run down, it probably is the case that college authorities do not want to spend money on the building if it is to be renovated soon.

Maldesu

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

As far as I remember the Newman building is earmarked for a major refurbishment over the next few years, in line with the construction of an entire new building in the space between Newman and the library. If that is the case then it is not surprising that the Newman building has become run down, it probably is the case that college authorities do not want to spend money on the building if it is to be renovated soon.

Think you're right. They've cleaned up some of the rooms in the A block, but I was talking to one of my lecturers last year and he was telling me they were going to be trying to have the Geog block merged with the Planning office, but did say it was going to be a good few years in the future.

SpaceTime

It was originally built in the very early1970s and Brutalism was all the rage at the time.
You just have to embrace it's 1960s -1970s vibe and appreciate the bare concrete look.

Sanguine Fan

Having been an Arts student in both TCD and UCD in recent years, I would agree about the overall aesthetic superiority of the Trinity campus.

However, I spent most of my years there in the hideous Arts Block which must be the most 'brutal' of all the Brutalist architecture in this country. Try participating in a tutorial in a tiny, windowless, airless, concrete-enclosed bunker for a couple of hours, and you soon forget about the Campanile outside. In comparison, the Newman Building is like the Alhambra.

SpaceTime

Of Irish universities Trinity and UCC definitely have the best looking campuses. They're both absolutely idyllic looking places with a blend of old world and very tastefully (mostly) new buildings.

Trinity's Berkeley Library and UCCs Kane Science block aren't exactly inspirational though.

They really need to completely renovate the older blocks in UCD to make them a bit less 'soviet' looking.

Better use of lighting and maybe actually going with the retro futuristic look might be big improvement. Funky lighting, interesting art and fittings etc can make a huge difference. They're basically blank canvases.

There are some examples of ugly 60s / 70s buildings in France that have been made much more attractive by working with the original concepts.

Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 1 for example was taken back to its roots and looks a lot better than it did.

I think though you really need an inspirational setting to learn in.

I wonder though did students in The early 70s think 'wow funky and modern' where as we think 'grim soviet inspired bunkers' ?

Reb1000

All the new construction in UCD has really helped the place look more aesthetically pleasing. although i think its true about the old buildings they should be putting emphasis on those that are going into disrepair as well new construction

gubbie

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

... which happened in early 00's.

... Late

Terrace Ball was in 2007 and I don't think Medicine moved out until the end of that year

ucdperson

Sure it was lovely back in the day, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
http://www.irisharchitectureawards.ie/gold-medal/winner/the-administration-building-ucd

abhayveer02

I am from India recently got an offer to study MSc Biotechnology, seriously the offers I got from other universities have marvelous Pre-victorian and Gothic style of campus, which is stunningly beautiful, despite the fact that UCD is one of the elite university, has one of the ugly looking campus. Just concrete, glasses and cemented buildings. Are there any old architecture remaining in there campus, kindly reply.

Mycroft H

abhayveer02 wrote: »

I am from India recently got an offer to study MSc Biotechnology, seriously the offers I got from other universities have marvelous Pre-victorian and Gothic style of campus, which is stunningly beautiful, despite the fact that UCD is one of the elite university, has one of the ugly looking campus. Just concrete, glasses and cemented buildings. Are there any old architecture remaining in there campus, kindly reply.

Richview, the architecture building is old enough.

Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Quite like UCD. Brutalist architecture ftw

Muff Richardson

abhayveer02 wrote: »

I am from India recently got an offer to study MSc Biotechnology, seriously the offers I got from other universities have marvelous Pre-victorian and Gothic style of campus, which is stunningly beautiful, despite the fact that UCD is one of the elite university, has one of the ugly looking campus. Just concrete, glasses and cemented buildings. Are there any old architecture remaining in there campus, kindly reply.

Sorry, I don't buy this s*it

OneOfThem Stumbled

abhayveer02 wrote: »

I am from India recently got an offer to study MSc Biotechnology, seriously the offers I got from other universities have marvelous Pre-victorian and Gothic style of campus, which is stunningly beautiful, despite the fact that UCD is one of the elite university, has one of the ugly looking campus. Just concrete, glasses and cemented buildings. Are there any old architecture remaining in there campus, kindly reply.

http://conneallymr.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/2795507949_34b96dd392.jpg
http://www.johnodowd.net/images/Picture1.gif
http://images.ratemyarea.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/0081/5110/photo_2_large.jpg?picture=815110
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6098/7024117245_59fc12f2d5_o.jpg
http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/NovaUCD_Panorama_Banner.jpg

Alan_P

OneOfThem Stumbled wrote: »

http://conneallymr.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/2795507949_34b96dd392.jpg
http://www.johnodowd.net/images/Picture1.gif
http://images.ratemyarea.com.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/0081/5110/photo_2_large.jpg?picture=815110
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6098/7024117245_59fc12f2d5_o.jpg
http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/NovaUCD_Panorama_Banner.jpg

Are numbers 2 and 3 down on the Carysfort campus ? I don't recognise them as being on the Belfield campus.

shark sandwich

Roebuck Castle and Richview Library

Mr Pseudonym

errlloyd wrote: »

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

One has a nicer experience walking through Trinity.

This is a sentence I generally disagree with.

UCD feels like a campus - everyone is young happy relaxed and optimistic. Trinity feels like a tourist attraction. The only thing I dislike about UCD is the flagstones, and even those have mostly been ripped up and replaced with either those tan coloured gravel paths or the tan coloured smooth tarmac paths.

I actually always feel good walking around UCD campus.

I just revisited this thread, and was surprised to see that the above response to a post of mine received nine Likes! Fair enough, you donn't have to agree with the contention in my original post, but that level of Likeage implies that posters think emphatically the opposite.

Would someone be willing to offer an impassioned argument in defence of the UCD campus experience in the hope that I'll see the light?

Mr Pseudonym

I (the OP) was in UCD yesterday, and I really liked the campus! (blushing!)

I went to school nearby, and we used sometimes to use the facilities, and I don't know whether that contributed to my negative perception of the place. Certainly, the new path surface has been an improvement; the student centre, which is so utterly ahead of anything in Trinity, is an intriguing looking building (I love the materials used); and the new lake has given another focus to the campus. But, it remains that I was much mistaken. Mea culpa.

A remodelling of the outside of the Newman may still be desirable, though

Any recipes to make my hat more edible would be more than appreciated!

Ruski

I don't know, I never noticed.