An iconic part of the Dublin skyline, public opinion seems to be widely in favour of keeping the Poolbeg Chimneys, but in what capacity?
The cost of maintaining the towers at the Poolbeg power station has recently become an issue after ESB chief Pat O’Doherty told then-tourism minister Leo Varadkar that it was not the best use of resources, but the public have reacted strongly to the idea that they could be knocked down.
As a result, people have been coming up with ways that they could be preserved in a more cost-effective manner, and one Dublin-based designer, Michael Ó Mara, has proposed the idea of the “Dublin Sky Bridge”, according to The Irish Times.
The idea is that it would add to their iconic status, and that the bridge would attract tourists to them, allowing them to get an amazing view of all of Dublin. The finished product would apparently be on par with other such icons as the Sydney Opera House or the London Eye, and would also include a bungee jump experience, according to the design which Ó Mara posted on his website earlier this week.
Councillor Jim O'Callaghan of Fianna Fail said that knocking down the towers "would be very short-sighted", whilst also encouraging the ESB to launch a competition for artists to put forward concepts and designs on how to transform the chimneys into works of art. Labour Councillor Dermot Lacey has proposed that the buildings be listed as protected structures, while Eamon Ryan of the Green Party has argued that keeping them could also be part of a larger regeneration project that would benefit the entire Poolbeg area.
Via The Irish Times and Micheal Ó Mara
