Dublin´s Metamorphosis

national | environment | other press

Monday March 02, 2009 16:27

by dunk

fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk

(EASA conference, August 2008)

Discussion chaired by Frank McDonald, journalist with The Irish Times, on a broad range of architectural and developmental issues that have become apparent in Celtic Tiger Dublin. Contributors include Dr. Gary Boyd, Ciarán Cuffe TD, Robert Ballagh and Siobhain Ní Éanaigh. The majority of the speakers were very critical of Celtic Tiger Ireland, a change from previous "architectural discussion". The talk happened in Docklands "white elephant", CHQ, aka: Stack A.

Sunday August 10 2008 was the day of the discussion, day after the worst rainfall that Ireland had ever seen in the month of august, a wake up call if ever there was one of how we have to adress climate chaos...http://radio.indymedia.org/es/node/17169

Dublin´s Metamorphosis - EASA and others talk about Dublin pre, mid, post Tiger years

"Finally the realizion of Maggie Thatchers demented vision of there being no such thing as society"

"The end of the boom is something we should welcome, there will enter a period of recession, we can think about what legacy we have left..."

So were 2 of the phrases used by Frank Mc Donald in his summary and introduction to over 400 architectural youth from all over Europe, who came last summer to our island to participate in a 2 week summer school exploring in Dublin and out west in Letterfrack, the theme of "adaptation"

Listen to audio file here: http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/CHQ_Lecture-AAC_128K...s.m4a (1 hour 20 mins)

1 - Intro from Frank Mc Donald
2 - Dublin architect Siobhain Ní Éanaigh explains about the river, boardwalk and other plans
3 - Dr. Gary Boyd, Scottish architect teaching in Cork school of architecture, talking about public city, the politics of space and control, housing apartheid etc... very good to hear these views expressed.
4 - Ciarán Cuffe TD for the Green party and architect, Dublin and its contrasts and green dreams.
5 - Robert Ballagh, artist and social political activist, talks about how CHQ was nearly the city art museum as well as his take on the city.

This talk was followed by the GREEN AND BLUE walk, one of the many post talk city wanders, this one walked along a possible Dublin city greenway and food production zone, the Botanic Spine.

Adapt Or Die, Blessed Unrest @ Letterfrack?
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87770

Dublin’s Metamorphosis
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/88636

Green and Blue walk: eco threads for Dublin city
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/88634

The Botanic Spine : A Greenway and CPUL for Dublin (eco)city
http://itsafunnyoldworld.wordpress.com/2005/11/15/botan...pine/

What is EASA?

EASA (European Architecture Students Assembly) is an annual assembly of 400 architecture students which takes place over a two week period every August. The aim of the organisation is to encourage cooperation between students from over forty European countries through the media of architectural workshops, lectures, informal debates and exhibitions.

EASA is a practical network for communication, meeting and exchange; architecture students can discuss their ideas, work together and exchange their experiences concerning architecture, education or life in general. The official language of the assembly is English, and members live and work on-site for two weeks.

The organisation has no standing connections with professors, academic bodies or professional bodies. You don’t need to register to an organisation, association or company or pay a periodic fee. If you want to get involved, contact the EASA representative - the National Contact or NC - of your country.

EASA 2008: http://www.easa008.ie/about.html
EASA blog: http://easa.antville.org/
EASA TV IRELAND 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du3n332__j0

Much thanks to Gary Gallagher for editing and presenting audio in the public realm