Sky’s the limit as council airs capital plans

THE sky’s the limit, they say.

Dublin residents today will get their first peek at plans to radically change parts of the capital’s skyline. Some of the proposed architectural feats though will be around 20 times the size of an average semi-detached house.

Attempts to halt urban sprawl by boosting Dublin city’s population density will be unveiled for members of the public.

City council plans will go on display in the civic offices at Wood Quay.

Submissions will be accepted up until March 7 on the strategy entitled Maximising the City’s Potential: A Strategy for Intensification and Height.

Outlining the proposals, the city’s deputy planning officer John O’Hara yesterday explained: “Dublin has relatively low density compared to other European cities. The strategy combines living and working close together in the city, to make it a vibrant place.

“The high buildings won’t be concentrated in the centre but there will be rigorous testing, they won’t be taken likely.”

Dublin’s population density is 4,300 persons per square kilometre.

Copenhagen has a density of 6,000pp sq km while that of Barcelona is 16,000pp sq km.

Super high-rise buildings, such as the U2 tower proposed for the docklands development, will be more than 150m in height.

But strict criteria are set to govern the building of skyscrapers and tall blocks throughout the capital.

They must be of strategic importance to the state, must not impede the heritage of the city and must be of exceptional architectural quality, added Mr O’Hara.

City chiefs will today outline, for the first time, descriptions of different high-rises.

Low-rise to medium-rise buildings will be up to 50m.

High-rise buildings will be allowed from 50m to 150m.

Developer Harry Crosbie has plans to build a 120m-high building, the Watchtower, next to the Point.

Super high-rise buildings, which will be considered, says the council, will be categorised as in excess of 150m.

The highest structure at present in the capital is the Spire at 130m while Liberty Hall stands at 58m.

High-rise buildings, which will feature in the capital’s development plan up until 2011, could be as big as three times the trade union headquarters.

The strategy, unveiled today, plans to look at high-rise structures near transport hubs including beside Heuston Station, Pearse Street, Connolly Station as well as Spencer Dock.

Growing while retaining its character is a significant “challenge” for Dublin, say the council, comparable to the opening of Ireland’s economy in the 1960s or even the beginning of the partnership with trade unions in the 1980s, it adds.