The GPO as a shopping centre?

parsi · 16-07-2007 12:44AM

nesf wrote:

Well wanting to maintain a shrine to failure is noble enough I suppose.

"Noble Failure" is a better description.

Like it or lump it it is the visceral location of our fight for freedom.

nesf · 16-07-2007 12:48AM

parsi wrote:

"Noble Failure" is a better description.

Like it or lump it it is the visceral location of our fight for freedom.

One of the many to be fair. A bit like how the burning of Cork is seared into memories down here and similar incidents around the country.

Kilmainham is a more visceral location imho since the executions were what arguably set the whole thing off countrywide. The GPO is glorified by romanticists but really it wasn't a glorious stand that won our independence but a much bloodier and uglier thing that wasn't in any way "honourable".

Time Magazine · 16-07-2007 12:49AM

It is part of our fight for freedom. And our elected officials want to make it a museum and a few shops. So what? They're not making it a brothel.

parsi · 16-07-2007 12:59AM

nesf wrote:

One of the many to be fair. A bit like how the burning of Cork is seared into memories down here and similar incidents around the country.

Aye. And how would Corkonians like City Hall being converted into flats ?

Kilmainham is a more visceral location imho since the executions were what arguably set the whole thing off countrywide. The GPO is glorified by romanticists but really it wasn't a glorious stand that won our independence but a much bloodier and uglier thing that wasn't in any way "honourable".

Kilmainham is a much underplayed location - it is where the potential leaders of our state were murdered but yet the GPO has a political importance (as well as a transport importance in that it is the central point for mileage) seeing as that is the symbol of Insurrection...

Can you imagine the French turning the Bastille into an apartment blxok for some corrupt developer ?

nesf · 16-07-2007 01:05AM

parsi wrote:

Aye. And how would Corkonians like City Hall being converted into flats ?

Yeah, but City Hall and the GPO are hardly comparable tbh.

parsi wrote:

Kilmainham is a much underplayed location - it is where the potential leaders of our state were murdered but yet the GPO has a political importance (as well as a transport importance in that it is the central point for mileage) seeing as that is the symbol of Insurrection...

Can you imagine the French turning the Bastille into an apartment blxok for some corrupt developer ?

Yes, but it doesn't sound like the GPO is being turned into an apartment block. If they did it up nicely with a decent museum and galleries then it could work very well imho. I'll wait until I see a definite plan before forming an opinion on it. If they wanted to knock the place I'd agree with you but they don't.

PeakOutput · 16-07-2007 01:10AM

ye my bad aswell nesf although its the first time anyone has ever said i'v "been around long enough" refering to anything so not quite sure how thats gonna sit :cool:

Dr_Teeth · 16-07-2007 01:10AM

The idea sounds good in theory, but clearly the place will be filled with nothing but branded clothing shops and mobile phone kiosks within a year of opening.. urgh

nesf · 16-07-2007 01:14AM

PeakOutput wrote:

ye my bad aswell nesf although its the first time anyone has ever said i'v "been around long enough" refering to anything so not quite sure how thats gonna sit :cool:

I tend to expect better behaviour from people who've been around for a bit. Or at least for them to accept the punishment. Sometimes calling an idiot an idiot is worth taking a ban for it and all that.

PeakOutput · 16-07-2007 01:18AM

god damn it i missed my 1000th post

TwentyOneEleven · 16-07-2007 01:28AM

I think it should be turned into a complete slutfest trashy shopping centre. It's 2007 ffs, let's modernise.

Feral Mutant · 16-07-2007 01:51AM

The plan to celebrate it's two hundred years of existence and the hundredth anniversary of it's historical significance is to turn it into a shopping centre?

eo980 wrote:

This is shocking news. I can't believe the government could be serious in attempting to cheapen the image of this important and historic building.

I agree but I'm less surprised than I would have been before the Tara/motorway thing.

coyote6 · 16-07-2007 02:42AM

A museum, cultural center, writer's museum (like the one on Parnell Sq.), art gallery etc. sound like viable options if done right, but a shopping center? It would create the opposite of synergy. And would a 15 story structure fit with the streetscape? I hope they really think this through and it's not something that's looked back on with regret.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 16-07-2007 03:03AM

"At present, An Post uses the GPO building as a company headquarters - and although it is a famous meeting point in the centre of Dublin it is generally considered that its presence has 'deadened' the area rather than adding to the vigour and attractiveness of O'Connell Street and the surrounding area. "

Sweet Jesus what a thing to say.

randylonghorn · 16-07-2007 03:37AM

" ... turn the iconic building and its huge interior courtyards into a mixed development of museums, restaurants, galleries, shops and performance areas for the arts."

Not so sure about shops, but a mix of a museum, performance areas and galleries wouldn't be bad ... and I could cope with a couple of restaurants to service visitors.

However, I think the front / ground floor part should remain as a working post office as it is now, and that this should be incorporated in the design. Move the An Post HQ elsewhere by all means. If you think about it, this would mean that the public would be able to access much more of this historic building than at present.

PeakOutput wrote:

what tourist wants to visit a post office??? but they will be more than happy to visit a historical building that has something extra ie museums galleries shops etc.

Strangely enough quite a few tourists do visit it, probably more so than Irish people (and not just to buy stamps for their postcards!

) but I agree, there's not much for them to do except walk in, look around and walk out. A good / sensitive development of the buildings could be a very positive thing ... but can we trust our government and their "super-trendy architects" to get it anywhere near right?

TwentyOneEleven wrote:

I think it should be turned into a complete slutfest trashy shopping centre. It's 2007 ffs, let's modernise.

If that's what you mean by modernise, it speaks for itself, tbh! I'm hoping you are being ironic ...

Reku · 16-07-2007 08:29AM

Considering the difficulties in doing anything with a victorian house due to preservation laws I would've thought something as significant to the Republic's history as the GPO would also be protected. I'd have no problem with them closing it and just having it as a museum, but any significant changes to the interior/exterior should be put up for referendum IMO.

jjbrien · 16-07-2007 09:32AM

farohar wrote:

Considering the difficulties in doing anything with a victorian house due to preservation laws I would've thought something as significant to the Republic's history as the GPO would also be protected. I'd have no problem with them closing it and just having it as a museum, but any significant changes to the interior/exterior should be put up for referendum IMO.

Look at the old town hall in Bray a very old building that now houses a Mc Donalds. They kept most of the old stuff but its still a horrible Mc Donalds.

BuffyBot · 16-07-2007 09:41AM

Ermm, doesn't it already have a shopping centre lopped on to the back of it anyway? I can't really see what difference it makes if they don't maker changes to the building itself.

AlmightyCushion · 16-07-2007 09:54AM

jjbrien wrote:

Look at the old town hall in Bray a very old building that now houses a Mc Donalds. They kept most of the old stuff but its still a horrible Mc Donalds.

Please tell me that is a joke.

jjbrien · 16-07-2007 09:56AM

AlmightyCushion wrote:

Please tell me that is a joke.

Nope very ture.

AlmightyCushion · 16-07-2007 10:06AM

jjbrien wrote:

Nope very ture.

What is the world coming to?

Seth Brundle · 16-07-2007 10:22AM

Victor wrote:

National monument tbh.

Maybe they could re-route the M3 through it then!

PeakOutput wrote:

we are all entitled to our opinions and my opinion is your talking crap.......if they are doing as is claimed in the article they are not only not cheapening / degrading the building they are revamping it and renewing it which will bring more people into the building and therefore they are more likely to take an interest in its history........

It will bring in shoppers - not heritage buffs! Do you really believe that people will have more interest in the architecture than the McDonalds?

PeakOutput wrote:

the area will be better off for it and the city will be better off for it (what tourist wants to visit a post office??? but they will be more than happy to visit a historical building that has something extra ie museums galleries shops etc.

In what way will it be better off? Just because there are shops there does not automatically mean its better.

PeakOutput wrote:

also it will make the gpo alot more economically viable to keep going in the long run

It will be economically viable because of the shops. Having a museum there won't make it economically viable.

PeakOutput · 16-07-2007 11:04AM

kbannon wrote:

Maybe they could re-route the M3 through it then!
It will bring in shoppers - not heritage buffs! <snip>
. Having a museum there won't make it economically viable.

the plan reads that it will have BOTH museums galleries AND shops.

the shops will bring in income to keep the place going and in good repair and the museums will be a public service. personally i dont mind if it is a commercial art gallery or not. also you are focusing on the fact there will be shops there and forgetting about the museum which was part of wh i said the place would be better for it

also why should the building only be a place that heritage buffs can enjoy? while lot of the shoppers will only be interested in shopping if they get it right it could encourage them to do something alot of them would not normally do like go to a museum and learn about the history of the place.

i agree that more than likely the government will fuk it up BUT i just dont think the idea is automatically a bad one.

also to the person who said about the building being protected the people who protect it are the council / government so they can change the rules whenever they want really

flogen · 16-07-2007 11:41AM

I'd like to see it turned into a Museum or gallery, but nothing else.

If they want destination retail on O'Connell St., maybe they could replace one of the 2 McD's, 2 Burger Kings, 3+ Spar/Centra/Mace outlets, open the Carlton site, do something with the old Eircom building (I think they're turning into offices for Irish Aid... great...), close down and replace all the cheapy "factory outlet", "liquidation sale" etc. shops that pop up on it and move CIE's HQ to... I dunno... Busaras?

O'Connell St. has been deadened by a lack of forsight, and the same thing is happening to Grafton St. It doesn't matter what kind of shop is set up as long as they pay the most rent possible.

Punchbowl · 20-07-2007 01:35PM

Why does every 'landmark' development in the kip need to include apartments? I'm all for encouraging living in the city, but this is typical Fianna Fail.. Apartments in the GPO???

Can we not just develop civic spaces, for people?

The GPO as a shopping centre?

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