Scale models of the four shortlisted proposals for the redevelopment of Dún Laoghaire's Carlisle Pier are to go on public display in the port on Friday.
During the exhibition, visitors will be asked to fill in comment cards indicating their preference and the cards and other submissions will then be assessed and a recommendation made to the harbour board.
The board will also consider the recommendation of a panel of experts and a final decision on the winning project is to be made in March.
At stake is a project conservatively valued at at least €100 million and perhaps twice that.
The current landmark building - itself a poignant reminder of Irish emigration - was constructed between 1855 and 1859 and is named after the Earl of Carlisle, who was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1855.
It was the main pier for the "mailboat" and a rail link connected it to the coastal railway until the DART was built in 1980. It remained the main pier for the ferry service up to 1995, when the new terminal to serve the Stena HSS was opened.
In 2002, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council varied its development plan to allow for "an exceptional landmark building of international architectural quality that regenerates and enlivens the waterfront ...". The brief added that the building should bring significant cultural, social, recreational and economic benefits to the nation and to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.
In real terms the brief acknowledges that a form of public private partnership is likely between the private sector and the publicly owned Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company, operators of the harbour.
It is a delicate balance, according to Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company chief executive, Mr Michael Hanahoe. He rejects allegations that the scheme seeks to "privatise" the Carlisle Pier, pointing out that public access and improved public facilities are part and parcel of the design brief. Drawing attention to the current building's derelict state, he points out that there is no public access there now.
Dún Laoghaire Harbour receives no State funding and Mr Hanahoe is keenly aware of the €13 million bill for repairs to the East and West piers, which will soak up the company's income from harbour users for some years to come. "Anything we do on the Carlisle Pier will have to wash its face financially," he says.
The four projects each have a pay-back for the developer in terms of apartments and shops, but he feel this is balanced by the public gain, the cultural aspect and the access. Cultural components proposed by the developers include in one case a museum of the Irish diaspora, not unlike the Ellis Island Museum in the US and commemorating the pier's role in almost 150 years of Irish emigration. The four projects would all appear to fulfil their brief spectacularly in terms of creating a landmark building . Each uses glass in angular shapes, each has a striking bold appearance, and each would almost certainly be a "viable visitor attraction."
The four contenders for Dún Laoghaire: how the architects see their designs
Proposal A: Architects - Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP.
Developers - Laing O'Rourke and Benton Property Holdings.
A tapered pier rising from Queen's Road to a high point above the end of the old pier, this proposal is designed to "draw visitors from Ireland and abroad".
The entire length of the sloping pier is open space designed as an esplanade and a series of "crystal-like atrium spaces" provide centres of activity along the length of the pier. The cultural component is a national maritime museum.
Proposal B: Architects - Daniel Libeskind Architects.
Developer - Mailboat Pier Co (Heritage Properties and
Melcorpo Property Developments).
An angular glass, sail-like construction, Daniel Libeskind said he thought of the site as a compass. The architecture is described as a "graceful and dynamic flow of forms" reflecting the "mythology of Ireland and its historical, cultural and emotional impact on the world." The cultural component is an Irish diaspora museum.
Proposal C: Architects - Scott Tallon Walker.
Developer - Pierse Contracting.
A "national meeting place" to explore the riches of Irish art, literature and music, this block-like construction has a rising roofline, the highest point containing a "sky garden looking out over the harbour.
The development's cultural component includes a four floor cultural centre with a municipal gallery, educational facilities and a "cultural waterfall and interactive centre".
Proposal D: Architect - heneghan.peng.architects
Developers - Urban Capital (J Sisk & Son, Thomas Read Group and Urban Capital Group). Essentially two long, narrow, glass-fronted buildings with a public space between them. A route is created from the town through the buildings to the water's edge, the "Carlisle Beach". Moored to Carlisle Beach is to be a floating stage, allowing special performances to be held against the backdrop of the harbour. The cultural component is a national marine life centre.
