Are Irish people aesthetically challenged?

whisky_galore

Just wondering. Driving through the countryside over the weekend, I was struck at the amount of really ugly houses. Concrete Roman columns and pediments stuck onto houses in rustic villages, great big fcuk-off houses the size of mini hotels, crappy stone cladding. Spiky palisade fencing everywhere to beat the band.

What do people think?

keithclancy

whisky_galore wrote: »

Just wondering. Driving through the countryside over the weekend, I was struck at the amount of really ugly houses. Concrete Roman columns and pediments stuck onto houses in rustic villages, great big fcuk-off houses the size of mini hotels, crappy stone cladding. Spiky palisade fencing everywhere to beat the band.

What do people think?

Planning office did a bad job.

End of story.

The Backwards Man

Most people don't know what aesthetics is, never mind finding it challenging.

NachoBusiness

We have to be. Have you seen heads on us. Sure we'd have died out long ago if we weren't.

ThinkProgress

whisky_galore wrote: »

Just wondering. Driving through the countryside over the weekend, I was struck at the amount of really ugly houses. Concrete Roman columns and pediments stuck onto houses in rustic villages, great big fcuk-off houses the size of mini hotels, crappy stone cladding. Spiky palisade fencing everywhere to beat the band.

What do people think?

We're not big on imagination or uniqueness on this island.

Having said that, there are also more important things in this life than aesthetics.

We tend to put more value in functionality and efficiency of stuff in this country I think, rather than wether it's pleasing on the eye.

Menas

Not aesthetically challanged, but very fond of 'build it cheap as possible , it will be grand'....

suicide_circus

It doesn't get more classy than concrete roman columns on the front of a bungalow outside tTuam

whisky_galore

ThinkProgress wrote: »

We tend to put more value in functionality and efficiency of stuff in this country I think, rather than wether it's pleasing on the eye.

I don't know about that. Building a massive house and having only a couple and maybe two kids rattling around inside it doesn't strike me as being efficient. More a case of Johnny down the road put up a massive gaff, so I'm gonna build an even bigger one.
Fair enough if you intend having 10+ kids.

mickydoomsux

We love our Mac Mansions and there seems to only be 5 different plans for them available.

Aongus Von Bismarck

suicide_circus wrote: »

It doesn't get more classy than concrete roman columns on the front of a bungalow outside tTuam

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

crockholm

If you are going for a queen Anne type residence with a portico-you would really want to be minted to be able to do it in a granite or marble.Doubtless the old Georgian manors and piles like Russborough House,Slane castle and Muckross house must be an awful strain on your delicate eye as they are all so impractical too.

whisky_galore

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

Sweet Jesus, and I thought calling estates things like The Cotswolds, Grange This and Downs That was bad enough.

suicide_circus

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

Ah shtop

NachoBusiness

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

There's an estate in Tuam called Bel Air Drive.

Can't be remember where it was now but back in the late 80's there was a B&B someone on the east coast (maybe Waterford) that was called Ocean View.

ThinkProgress

whisky_galore wrote: »

I don't know about that. Building a massive house and having only a couple and maybe two kids rattling around inside it doesn't strike me as being efficient. More a case of Johnny down the road put up a massive gaff, so I'm gonna build an even bigger one.
Fair enough if you intend having 10+ kids.

But it seems the size of the dwellings are what you find most austhentatious, rather than the architecture?

A large house, with plenty of light and space is very good for clarity of thought and mood.

But I thought you were critiquing the style of the dwellings?

Galwayguy35

There's a house in Craughwell that has a full size ships anchor in the front lawn, kinda takes a way from the house a bit.

darkpagandeath

It's my man made one off and you are not allowed to put any other man made object in the view I purchased... Say the Nimbys with not a jot of Irony on looking at fields and walls.

kneemos

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

keithclancy

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

And people wonder why the Postman cant find their house ..

Grayson

ThinkProgress wrote: »

But it seems the size of the dwellings are what you find most austhentatious, rather than the architecture?

A large house, with plenty of light and space is very good for clarity of thought and mood.

But I thought you were critiquing the style of the dwellings?

Size doesn't matter?

riffmongous

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

Me too, although if it actually references the local area or history it can be a nice idea, but mostly it's just something pretentious or generic

Hoop66

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

There was a house near me when I was growing up, modern (60s) built semi with a beautiful wooden nameplate on it.

Inscribed in italic text was the word "Itskintus"

QuantumP

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about .

darkpagandeath

QuantumP wrote: »

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about .

What where the Americans expecting ? 20 People in a horse and cart ?

anncoates

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

It's sounds better than addressing mail to the Big Cream House Past The Crossroads Towards The Lug.

junior_apollo

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Can't be remember where it was now but back in the late 80's there was a B&B someone on the east coast (maybe Waterford) that was called Ocean View.

Bloody easterners down in Waterford... oh wait... I gave it away didn't I?

kneemos

anncoates wrote: »

It's sounds better than addressing mail to the Big Cream House Past The Crossroads Towards The Lug.

How do they find the unnamed houses?

CelticRambler

QuantumP wrote: »

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about .

Last time I drove through Connemara I thought exactly the same. Unfortunately, this was after I'd invited a French friend to come along for the drive to appreciate the unspoilt landscape as I remembered it from pre-Tiger days ...

That said, the French can out-do the Irish in rurban ugliness any day of the week.

anncoates

kneemos wrote: »

How do they find the unnamed houses?

Telepathy, perhaps.

kneemos

QuantumP wrote: »

I was on a bus through Connemara and I overheard American tourists talking about their disappointment with how ugly the houses were (they were expecting thatched roofs everywhere :rolleyes:).

Anyway, I decided to try see them from a tourists perspective and was amazed with how ugly most of them are. Mustard yellows and peach pink everywhere too wtf is that about .

The Americans have boxy skyscrapers and timber houses that blow over in a breeze or get eaten by bugs.

c_man

Yeah, in general I think Irish houses are ugly. Also poorly built and designed imo.

I never understood how no thought is put into aspect/what side of the house will be facing the Sun etc. Rather it seems the main thing is to have the house facing the road, usually parallel to it.

Day Lewin

Beauty is a difficult thing to define, yet most of us have little difficulty in recognising it. Those exquisite villages in England, for instance: serene city streets in many towns.
But architecture always has something to do with the surrroundings - what one Irish architect called "mannerly in the landscape"
(It was a phrase that caught my eye immediately on some TV programme, years ago: unfortunately I can't remember who it was, some guy who had a practice in rural Cork, maybe)
Your house ought not to deface the natural landscape, or make a vulgar attention-seeking statement. It ought to be suited to its purpose and of compatible style with the local architectural tradition and materials. It ought to be part of the community - sustainable - partake of the village street or the country watersupply. Not invade beautiful views with aggressive novelty. Not squat as if glaring at passersby. Should occupy its own space gracefully, enjoying the sunshine, a bit of garden, making the best of what it has.

Ah, but do designers, builders, architects and planners know all this? And if not, why not? Who gets to veto?

kneemos

katemarch wrote: »

Beauty is a difficult thing to define, yet most of us have little difficulty in recognising it. Those exquisite villages in England, for instance: serene city streets in many towns.
But architecture always has something to do with the surrroundings - what one Irish architect called "mannerly in the landscape"
(It was a phrase that caught my eye immediately on some TV programme, years ago: unfortunately I can't remember who it was, some guy who had a practice in rural Cork, maybe)
Your house ought not to deface the natural landscape, or make a vulgar attention-seeking statement. It ought to be suited to its purpose and of compatible style with the local architectural tradition and materials. It ought to be part of the community - sustainable - partake of the village street or the country watersupply. Not invade beautiful views with aggressive novelty. Not squat as if glaring at passersby. Should occupy its own space gracefully, enjoying the sunshine, a bit of garden, making the best of what it has.

Ah, but do designers, builders, architects and planners know all this? And if not, why not? Who gets to veto?

They know it but who can afford it?

darkpagandeath

katemarch wrote: »

Beauty is a difficult thing to define, yet most of us have little difficulty in recognising it. Those exquisite villages in England, for instance: serene city streets in many towns.
But architecture always has something to do with the surrroundings - what one Irish architect called "mannerly in the landscape"
(It was a phrase that caught my eye immediately on some TV programme, years ago: unfortunately I can't remember who it was, some guy who had a practice in rural Cork, maybe)
Your house ought not to deface the natural landscape, or make a vulgar attention-seeking statement. It ought to be suited to its purpose and of compatible style with the local architectural tradition and materials. It ought to be part of the community - sustainable - partake of the village street or the country watersupply. Not invade beautiful views with aggressive novelty. Not squat as if glaring at passersby. Should occupy its own space gracefully, enjoying the sunshine, a bit of garden, making the best of what it has.

Ah, but do designers, builders, architects and planners know all this? And if not, why not? Who gets to veto?

No one gets a veto hence the amount of one offs.

Day Lewin

@kneemos - a fair question: but I think it is applicable even to very small and modest homes, just as much as to flashy new-builds.

Even blocks of flats, in theory at least, (heaven help us, LOL)

@darkpagandeath - I think someone, or some well-qualified group, OUGHT to have a veto. (Not one that can be bribed out, either)


-But that returns us to the sage words of the OP - who, in this nation, has the aesthetic credentials to be believable as a veto?

smash

I'm always amazed when someone builds a nice big house and then doesn't bother to paint it. Feckin concrete coloured houses all over the place.

The Backwards Man

smash wrote: »

I'm always amazed when someone builds a nice big house and then doesn't bother to paint it. Feckin concrete coloured houses all over the place.

I wouldn't paint a house until at least five years after it was plastered.

QuantumP

Re: the Americans, they obviously had an idealised preconception about what the Irish houses would be like - that I'm not defending. Its just their conversation got me thinking differently about how I viewed them myself and that's when I realised how ugly they are!

darkpagandeath

QuantumP wrote: »

Re: the Americans, they obviously had an idealised preconception about what the Irish houses would be like - that I'm not defending. Its just their conversation got me thinking differently about how I viewed them myself and that's when I realised how ugly they are!

When was the last time you heard of people building a house out of stone and then rendering the outside and thatching it ?

partyguinness

Well the Celtic Tiger certainly did not help. There was such a rush to build that any old design rubbish was good enough.

No thought or imagination whatsoever. TBH- I don't think we really cared.

Sure we were all going to sell on for a huge profit in a few months anyway so why waste the time...:rolleyes:

Teyla Emmagan

As a nation, we have feck all taste. Houses with big eagles on the pillars, and sunbeams on the side, cabbage palms in the gardens and PVC doors. And cobbledash! Feckin cobbledash everywhere! With probably a rusting old car around to the side of the house, leaning up against the doric columns. Not to mention the hideous colours we paint our houses - peach and green and pink FFS. And miles of ugly ribbonny bungaloes coming into every town, the entire driveways of which are covered in tarmac or wall to wall cobblelock.

You should be fined for having any of those things IMO.

ThinkProgress

darkpagandeath wrote: »

What where the Americans expecting ? 20 People in a horse and cart ?

Does that qualify as a dwelling?

Pikey mansion!! lol

Pumpkinseeds

ThinkProgress wrote: »

Does that qualify as a dwelling?

Pikey mansion!! lol

Pikey mansions, sounds like the name of an inner city Dublin council estate.

Yamanoto

The proliferation of various shades of vomit beige pebble-dash bungalows has left us with some of the ugliest rural housing stock anywhere in Europe.

We're the Moldova of the north.

DeadHand

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I wouldn't paint a house until at least five years after it was plastered.

Why?

darkpagandeath

Yamanoto wrote: »

The proliferation of various shades of vomit beige pebble-dash bungalows has left us with some of the ugliest rural housing stock anywhere in Europe.

We're the Moldova of the north.

Is there not some place down near cork famous for day glow coloured house's.

ejabrod

kneemos wrote: »

Naming houses something I've always found slightly odd.

I called my first house 'John'

kneemos

smash wrote: »

I'm always amazed when someone builds a nice big house and then doesn't bother to paint it. Feckin concrete coloured houses all over the place.

I heard someone state that if they painted the house once they'd have to keep painting it .

QuantumP

darkpagandeath wrote: »

When was the last time you heard of people building a house out of stone and then rendering the outside and thatching it ?

Are you serious? I don't know how to make this any clearer. I know their preconception was ridiculous. Their conversation simply prompted me to look at the houses objectively, which were ugly as fu*k.

The Backwards Man

DeadHand wrote: »

Why?

Two reasons.

Give the walls plenty of time to dry out, but more importantly, once you start painting you have to keep painting. A house that needs painting is a lot uglier than one that has never been painted.

loveisdivine

The amount of grey houses in Dublin is so depressing. Its bad enough that the skies always grey, why not make the houses a little brighter?