When the commercial property market gets stable again I suspect this area will be among the first to see new development. Plans are already well advanced for several new blocks. The area is just down the river from the IFSC on the Northern side of the Liffey. Most of the site has already been developed with apartments and office blocks.


5 Spencer Dock

http://www.spencerdock.ie/rubylith/images/commercial_no_5.jpg


Location

http://www.spencerdock.ie/rubylith/images/sd_location_5_spencer_dock.gif

Looks good in that area IMO.

10 Spencer Dock

http://www.treasuryholdings.com/rubylith/images/banner_image/634/10_spencerdock_Aug_2011.jpg?1314100212

Location

http://www.spencerdock.ie/rubylith/images/sd_location_no10.gif

Clearly an older proposal rehashed there.

4 Spencer Dock

http://www.treasuryholdings.com/rubylith/images/banner_image/671/4_spencerdock_Aug_2011.jpg?1314099656

Location

http://www.spencerdock.ie/rubylith/images/sd_location_4_spencer_dock.gif

Apart from Anglo's yet to be completed shell it's a proposal I could see being attractive to the Central Bank in that it has a large footprint.

9 Spencer Dock

http://www.treasuryholdings.com/rubylith/images/banner_image/42/number9_Spencer_Dock_aug_2011.jpg?1312881648

Location

http://www.spencerdock.ie/rubylith/images/sd_location_no9.gif


I hope the linear park is completed next to the convention center soon. There was a competition for designs but I think they may be building something a bit more sober instead.

Those buildings look great but they would be greater if they were just a bit taller.
Maybe an extra 5 or 6 floors to each one and they would be great.

An extra five or 6 floors on each would give us a monotonous blocky docklands of ~12 storey buildings instead of the current 7ish storeys. :lol:
I would personally like to see a bit of innovation and one or two high-rise buildings of different heights. None of the designs posted are ugly as such, but they are just bland and even. Number 10 could look interesting if they reduced the footprint and increased the height.

An extra five or 6 floors on each would give us a monotonous blocky docklands of ~12 storey buildings instead of the current 7ish storeys. :lol:
I would personally like to see a bit of innovation and one or two high-rise buildings of different heights. None of the designs posted are ugly as such, but they are just bland and even. Number 10 could look interesting if they reduced the footprint and increased the height.


I agree with you.
I did not mean I would like evry building to be the same height.
What I ment was that it would be good if the buildings had and extra seven + floors on them.
It would be good if you had buildings of 10+ storeys and some of 20+ storeys and even some as 30+ storeys and if w had one or two big skyscrapers of 50+ storeys in a few years.

I don't know if anyone agree with me...but that part of Dublin is so jumbled up, nothing works or integrates with anything. Ugly cornflate box architecture that's gonna look dated in about 15 years.

I certainly wouldn't say that it's 'ugly' down there. Everything is just safe to please the residents' groups and 'an Taisce' types. Slightly disappointing is the word I would use instead. Despite this it is a pleasant area to walk around with some interesting architecture and some nice places to eat. It's a commercial district that really fails to bring anyone into the area in large numbers apart from the theatre and O2. CHQ was a total disaster IMO, which must be the most empty shopping centre in Ireland. I always thought that this fabulous building could have been used to house an Aquarium or interactive museum of something similar to bring in people bring into the area in large numbers. Although some of the new buildings look great at night with some cool lighting, the cap on building heights is utterly depressing, and is a victory to the selfish whinge bag types and serial objectors (who have nothing better to do that look after their own selfish interests), ignoring the needs of the wider city as a whole.

Hey Guys

I would agree with the sentiments regarding the Docklands, overall its not bad, but is a tad sterile!

I think an opportuinity was missed in IFSC phases 1 and 2 for some landmark buildings. Afterall, the conservation lobby are always keen to point out that the Docklands is the appropriate location for highrise. And yet, the Docklands Development Authoritys planning director imposed a maximum uniform parapet height of 6 floors for the first phase......even Frank MacDonald thought the result was too lowrise and bland!

Looking at Treasurys proposals and their locations its obvious that at least a couple of them (notably 10 Spencer Dock) could go at least 5-8 floors higher with minimal impact. Remember at this location the Liffey is approx 100 metres wide, as opposed to under 30 further up river near the Courts. So, the overall impact of height is mitigated. In fact, taller buildings would help enclose the River more and Create the more intimate Quays framed by Georgian Buildings up river.

C

I certainly wouldn't say that it's 'ugly' down there. Everything is just safe to please the residents' groups and 'an Taisce' types. Slightly disappointing is the word I would use instead. Despite this it is a pleasant area to walk around with some interesting architecture and some nice places to eat. It's a commercial district that really fails to bring anyone into the area in large numbers apart from the theatre and O2. CHQ was a total disaster IMO, which must be the most empty shopping centre in Ireland. I always thought that this fabulous building could have been used to house an Aquarium or interactive museum of something similar to bring in people bring into the area in large numbers. Although some of the new buildings look great at night with some cool lighting, the cap on building heights is utterly depressing, and is a victory to the selfish whinge bag types and serial objectors (who have nothing better to do that look after their own selfish interests), ignoring the needs of the wider city as a whole.


I think you are 100% right.
The docks is a disapointment because of its low rise when it could of been high rise and now there is nowhere were it can go.
It is not ugly and I would prefer those buildings then run down old wherehouses any day but it had potential and they waisted it.
I would have all those buildings at a height of 15+ storeys with some being 30+ storeys in some places.

I think you are 100% right.
The docks is a disapointment because of its low rise when it could of been high rise and now there is nowhere were it can go.
It is not ugly and I would prefer those buildings then run down old wherehouses any day but it had potential and they waisted it.
I would have all those buildings at a height of 15+ storeys with some being 30+ storeys in some places.


But there is still plenty of space. The property market is dead atm though.

I certainly wouldn't say that it's 'ugly' down there. Everything is just safe to please the residents' groups and 'an Taisce' types. Slightly disappointing is the word I would use instead. Despite this it is a pleasant area to walk around with some interesting architecture and some nice places to eat. It's a commercial district that really fails to bring anyone into the area in large numbers apart from the theatre and O2. CHQ was a total disaster IMO, which must be the most empty shopping centre in Ireland. I always thought that this fabulous building could have been used to house an Aquarium or interactive museum of something similar to bring in people bring into the area in large numbers. Although some of the new buildings look great at night with some cool lighting, the cap on building heights is utterly depressing, and is a victory to the selfish whinge bag types and serial objectors (who have nothing better to do that look after their own selfish interests), ignoring the needs of the wider city as a whole.

Part of the reason that CHQ failed is that the DDDA delayed for so long in letting it. Unlike a normal shopping Centre, CHQ wasn't let on a competitive basis, rather the DDDA screened the retailers to ensure it was only "upmarket" destination shops! But, they forgot to check if there was actually enough footfall to support this form of retailer!

I think the trust of your arguement is correct, the Docklands has failed in a certain sense because certain types of people have turned it into a sort of social engineered business park, or the type you would expect to see in the suburbs. In other words it was overly and overtly planned!

It should have actually been an extention of the City Centre with the attractions to actually draw people from other areas. Retail normally does that job, by the location of destination stores. However, if you look at the Docks you will see just how stingy the planners were when it came to commercial units. They were obcessed with this utopian image of small independent corner shops.....which haven't really existed for years (for better of worse).

C

But there is still plenty of space. The property market is dead atm though.


Yes there may be space but there is none on the quays and thats were the high rise should be.

BNY Mellon have shortlisted 2 Dockland sites for their new HQ and will be choosing one very shortly. One is at City Quay on the southside. The other is in Spencer Dock beside the new Central Bank building (former Anglo Irish Bank HQ). Both are new builds. I think it is "5 Spencer Dock" they are interested in.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/commercialproperty/2012/0502/1224315448220.html

I think that number 10 is the only one with full PP. That one was decided by Dublin City Council as far as I know. Maybe they'll decide to go with that one?

Between this and the former Anglo/new Central Bank HQ, it'll be great to see a bit of development somewhere in the city.

BNY Mellon have shortlisted 2 Dockland sites for their new HQ and will be choosing one very shortly. One is at City Quay on the southside. The other is in Spencer Dock beside the new Central Bank building (former Anglo Irish Bank HQ). Both are new builds. I think it is "5 Spencer Dock" they are interested in.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/commercialproperty/2012/0502/1224315448220.html

Thanks Odlum.....good to see BNY Mellon is still in the mix as I thought they had gone off the boil! I believe 5 Spencer Dock would be positioned on the River side of the Spencer Dock Luas stop......fronting the little Park which has been rather quickly laid out!

City Quay is good also.....I have seen some great renders for proposals for bthat site from several architects....as about 15 stories. Although, no doubt ABP and An Taisce will contrive to foist another 6 storey bland box upon us!!

C

Great to see this, hopefully they build something of architectural merit. I'd like to see something high-rise, both sites are in good area's for it.

This is the proposal for City Quay


http://www.stwarchitects.com/data/projects/12345/img3.jpg


http://www.stwarchitects.com/data/projects/12345/img2.jpg

How tall is this?

That one is 61m.