The old Savoy cinema was class

buried

Bambi wrote: »

It would be nice if we could shoot architects and city planners

Be even nicer if we could hold them to some sort of account.

MRnotlob606

Another "it's a Dublin thing thread" us outside the pale are clueless and are bewildered by such technology that can perform an act that can animate pictures in a chronological order to appear as though we are seeing something really moving before our eyes.

jungleman

Bambi wrote: »

It would be nice if we could shoot architects and city planners

Agreed. This monstrosity is quite possibly the worst offender of all.

AllGunsBlazing

Some of the buildings that were erected in this country in the second half of the twentieth century are absolute monstrosities. Grim, concrete boxes that would put you in mind of cold war eastern europe.

Mind you, some of the generic, pre-fab shi te that was thrown up during the tiger years isn't much better - and will probably age just as badly.

buried

The reason these old buildings and interiors look so well is because at the time the architects building these sctructures were using actual craftsmen, stonemasons, stonecutters, carpenters etc, employing them to do the required building and craft work, all under the watch of an actual clerk of works. Nowadays its just a bunch of cranedrivers and fitters literally stitching together bits of steel, concrete and glass.

nokia69

jungleman wrote: »

Agreed. This monstrosity is quite possibly the worst offender of all.

its bad

but the department of health and children is a building that makes people sick just by looking at it

it really is amazing

nokia69

buried wrote: »

The reason these old buildings and interiors look so well is because at the time the architects building these sctructures were using actual craftsmen, stonemasons, stonecutters, carpenters etc, employing them to do the required building and craft work, all under the watch of an actual clerk of works. Nowadays its just a bunch of cranedrivers and fitters literally stitching together bits of steel, concrete and glass.

its more than that

they got their proportions right which is something modern architects just don't care about, or understand

Smidge

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

Another "it's a Dublin thing thread" us outside the pale are clueless and are bewildered by such technology that can perform an act that can animate pictures in a chronological order to appear as though we are seeing something really moving before our eyes.

I thought it was a "look at this beautiful old building thread" no matter where in the country it is?

conorh91

Anyone have any pics to the interior of the Savoy cinema today?

Or is it just your generic Dundrum-esque cinema?

One more question, does anyone know why cinemas and theatres were sometimes called 'the Savoy'?

Savoy was a statelet of the old Roman Empire, I know, but what's the relevance, if any?

bb1234567

Chucken wrote: »

What O' Connell street would that be?

that street with that thing the gpo on it

Guy:Incognito

jungleman wrote: »

This is the old Metropole building, also O' Connell Street. Ya know, the one with the old Metropole on it.....

This was taken in 1923. It was knocked and replaced with that crappy Penneys. It's amazing the difference O' Connell St has been through. In it's hey-day it was opulent and had a bit of class about it. Now it's the go-to place for heroin.

Would it have made a difference? Did the old buildings have heroin repelling properties?

bb1234567

Bambi wrote: »

It would be nice if we could shoot architects and city planners

As an architect I avoid any threads about Dublins beautiful old buildings because reading them has me close to tears sometimes..Dublin was quite literally one of the most beautiful cities in the world for a time but the planners saw to that Its still a fine looking city, but what could have been...

bb1234567

jungleman wrote: »

Agreed. This monstrosity is quite possibly the worst offender of all.

Ah could be worse. At least its an interesting building. It has a lot of merit, mightn't be a stunner but it is definitely different.

OU812

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Love the Savoy. Seen Superman in there when I was 5. Class thread, OP, cheers for posting.

Superman (the original 1978 movie) was only shown in the Adelphi in Dublin. Back then each cinema had exclusive agreements with distributors to screen specific films before they became what was called "Second run" whereby the print used in Dublin (or other large city), would be moved out to the country, this would be months later, sometimes the following year. Movies didn't play in each cinema like they do now.

jungleman

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Would it have made a difference? Did the old buildings have heroin repelling properties?

I don't believe they did, no. As far as I know, they didn't have heroin repellent buildings back then, although I could be wrong.

I was referring to the general affluence that imbued O' Connell St back in the early part of the 20th century. There were grand buildings - such as the Gresham (obviously still in use), the Rotunda Cinema (now the Ambassador), the Carlton cinema, the Metropole. O' Connell St used to be a landmark, a statement of grand Dublin.
Whereas now it has experienced great decline, and grand buildings have been replaced with inferior retail spaces. Wealth has been replaced by open drug dealing. My point was in regards to the gradual decline of a once great piece of Dublin.

ger vallely

Jungleman- I remember being in the Savoy quite a bit. My uncle worked for the corporation and they used to have kids Christmas parties in there. We used to get crisps and Club Orange and watch a movie. I remember as a young kid , using the bathrooms and remarking on how beautiful they were. Love the pictures, thanks for sharing them.

jungleman

ger vallely wrote: »

Jungleman- I remember being in the Savoy quite a bit. My uncle worked for the corporation and they used to have kids Christmas parties in there. We used to get crisps and Club Orange and watch a movie. I remember as a young kid , using the bathrooms and remarking on how beautiful they were. Love the pictures, thanks for sharing them.

I would have loved to have seen it in its old form.

Lapin

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

Another "it's a Dublin thing thread" us outside the pale are clueless and are bewildered by such technology that can perform an act that can animate pictures in a chronological order to appear as though we are seeing something really moving before our eyes.

What are you raving about?

jungleman wrote: »

Agreed. This monstrosity is quite possibly the worst offender of all.

I really like the Central Bank I think it's actually quite a spectacular structure and well ahead of its time.

The location is all wrong though. It would look great in the docklands and even enhance the place.

It also deserves to be double the height to do it justice.

buried

Lapin wrote: »

The location is all wrong though.

Yeah, That's the problem I have with it also. Its stuck on that street down the road from the trinity college area and that classic old building that now houses the BOI across from it. It's built and overshadows the cobbled streets of old Temple bar, it just doesn't suit the area. A Total psychogeography disaster.

FalconGirl

Awful decisions by Dublin city planners over the years. The decision to plonk the new monstrosity that was ESB HQ in the middle of Fitzwilliam Street in Dublin in 1965 was arguably the worst of them all.

Fitzwilliam Street was the longest row of beautiful Georgian Houses in the world at the time. Absolutely criminal behaviour.

http://archiseek.com/2010/1965-esb-headquarters-fitzwilliam-street-dublin/

NachoBusiness

OU812 wrote: »

Superman (the original 1978 movie) was only shown in the Adelphi in Dublin. Back then each cinema had exclusive agreements with distributors to screen specific films before they became what was called "Second run" whereby the print used in Dublin (or other large city), would be moved out to the country, this would be months later, sometimes the following year. Movies didn't play in each cinema like they do now.

I think someone said that to me before but have always associated that night with the Savoy but I guess because Adelphi 1 and Savoy 1 where large screens, as a child I wouldn't make a distinction. I think the last film I seen in the Adelphi was Back to the Future II or maybe Malcom X. The original Lighthouse Cinema was right next door at that time. Remember seeing My Own Private Idaho there.

Another great cinema was The Ambassador. Remember seeing Return of the Jedi there on a school trip. You could sit upstairs in the front row of the balcony, one of the only cinemas I was ever in that had a balcony.

Is there anyway to check records online to see which cinemas screened which films?

FalconGirl

bb1234567 wrote: »

As an architect I avoid any threads about Dublins beautiful old buildings because reading them has me close to tears sometimes..Dublin was quite literally one of the most beautiful cities in the world for a time but the planners saw to that Its still a fine looking city, but what could have been...

Agree, I think with our rapidly rising population we should try any preserve what we have left of Dublin to the best of our ability and maybe try regenerate the docklands with a New Dublin with high rise buildings consisting of a CBD and good quality apartments.

Therefore we would in effect have a new city with the modern business districts and accommodation and the old city with all the retail, night-life and preserved charm of old Ireland. These concrete monstrosities don't age well!

Unfortunately in our brown envelope culture I don't think any thinking goes into this kind of thing.

buried

FalconGirl wrote: »

Awful decisions by Dublin city planners over the years. The decision to plonk the new monstrosity that was ESB HQ in the middle of Fitzwilliam Street in Dublin in 1965 was arguably the worst of them all.

Fitzwilliam Street was the longest row of beautiful Georgian Houses in the world at the time. Absolutely criminal behaviour.

http://archiseek.com/2010/1965-esb-headquarters-fitzwilliam-street-dublin/

Its actually crazy when you think about it. Where were these "architects" being trained or schooled at that time to make them come to these kind of plans and conclusions? Does anybody know?

DoYouEvenLift

Threads like this are fuking depressing. Limerick's streets used to be beautiful too and I'd imagine Cork and Galway also had some great architecture that got "updated". Don't know why they felt like these buildings suited the areas better than the originals.

Lapin

FalconGirl wrote: »

Awful decisions by Dublin city planners over the years. The decision to plonk the new monstrosity that was ESB HQ in the middle of Fitzwilliam Street in Dublin in 1965 was arguably the worst of them all.

Fitzwilliam Street was the longest row of beautiful Georgian Houses in the world at the time. Absolutely criminal behaviour.

http://archiseek.com/2010/1965-esb-headquarters-fitzwilliam-street-dublin/

The ESB hired an 'expert' from the UK to give his professional opinion on the houses. A Sir John Summerson. His verdict - "It is merely one damned house after another.....”

And with that the fate of Fitzwilliam St was sealed. Neil Blaney as minister for Local Government signed the planning permission for the place.

Anytime I pass it by now I can't help but observe on how neatly the building is enveloped between brown buildings at either end.

Very apt.

Rough Sleeper

Lapin wrote: »

The Theatre a Royal, Dublin c1910-30

Once one of the grandest theatres in Europe.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/exhibition/dublin/social/M_TheatreRoyal_HawkinsSt_eas1700.html

Demolished for this piece of 'progress'.

http://archiseek.com/wp-content/gallery/ireland-buildings-dublin-south-t/screen_lge.jpg

Woah, that second thing there existed in post-millennial Dublin? It would have looked drab in 1960s Bucharest.

Eutow

buried wrote: »

Its actually crazy when you think about it. Where were these "architects" being trained or schooled at that time to make them come to these kind of plans and conclusions? Does anybody know?

A lot of the Georgian houses became derelict slums housing tenements. Those in power, such as Fianna Failure, viewed them as a British thing and something to be got rid of, despite been built by Irishmen.

What makes the ESB thing even more annoying is the fact that they say their headquarters are too small and now have to move. The pointless destruction of the Georgian mile could have been avoided.

They could have been saved because a new law was passed not long after their destruction.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/esb-to-tear-down-dublin-block-that-ruined-georgian-mile-1.1558103

zom

bb1234567 wrote: »

.Dublin was quite literally one of the most beautiful cities in the world

Pity we don't have that spiky mountain sourroundings like Hallstatt:
http://cdn.tourismontheedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Hallstatt-Austria.jpg

medicine12345

Rough Sleeper wrote: »

Woah, that second thing there existed in post-millennial Dublin? It would have looked drab in 1960s Bucharest.

Its still in use now!

ROAAAR

Lapin wrote: »

The Theatre a Royal, Dublin c1910-30

Once one of the grandest theatres in Europe.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/exhibition/dublin/social/M_TheatreRoyal_HawkinsSt_eas1700.html

Demolished for this piece of 'progress'.

http://archiseek.com/wp-content/gallery/ireland-buildings-dublin-south-t/screen_lge.jpg

That is absolutely shocking. It's such a shame most new buildings are such an eyesore.