Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Spire of Dublin

The Dublin Spire. Author William Murphy. WIKIMEDIA

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Spire of Dublin

The Spire of Dublin which is also titled the Monument of Light is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument. This monument is one hundred and twenty metres (390 feet) in height, located on the site of the former Nelson’s Pillar and a statue of William Blakeney on O’Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland.

The Spire of Dublin was commissioned as part of a street layout redesign in 1999. O’Connell Street was declining for several reasons such as the proliferation of fast-food restaurants and the opening of bargain shops which were unattractive and obtrusive.

Ann Livia monument was installed on the site for the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations. There were plans put in place to improve the streetscape in the 1990s. Overgrowing trees were dramatically reduced but were criticised with many wanting a new idea of beautifying the street.

The idea and centrepiece of regeneration were to be the replacement monument for Nelson’s Pillar with the Spire of Dublin. This was chosen from a large number of submissions in an international competition by a committee chaired by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Joe Doyle.

Ann Livia’s monument was moved from its original location to make way for the Spire in 2001. Here are the top 10 Remarkable Facts about the Spire of Dublin:

1. The Idea of Spire of Dublin was Chosen by Submission of an International Competition

In the 1990s, the streets were not that attractive to the eye. Trees were overgrowing in these streets and several shops were there. The trees had been growing for centuries.

The idea of cutting them off was brought but it was criticised by many people. Statues were cleaned and relocated to other places. The plastic signage and frontage were required to be replaced with more attractive designs.

The idea of the Spire of Dublin was brought up to replace the monument for Nelson’s Pillar. It was chosen from a large number of submissions in an international competition that was chaired by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Joe Doyle.

2. The Spire of Dublin Replaced Anna Livia Monument

The location of the Spire of Dublin had different monuments previously. The Nelson’s Pillar was erected at this location.

However, in 1966, Nelson’s Pillar was destroyed following a bombing by former IRA members. The Anna Livia monument was later installed on the site for the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations.

After the celebrations, there was an urge to improve the streetscape of this area which was not that attractive. Several ideas were raised brought about.

In the 1990s, the plan for erecting the Spire began and was completed. In 2001, the Anna Livia monument was moved from its initial place to pave way for the Spire.

3. Spire of Dublin was Designed by Ian who Sought to bring Art and Technology into One Piece

Image by John van Halderen from Pixabay

The idea of the spire became lively after Anna Livia’s monument was moved from this position. Ian Ritchie Architects were given the role of designing the Spire.

Ian Ritchie Architects sought an elegant and dynamic simplicity bridging art and technology. The contract for constructing the spire was awarded to SIAC-Radley and was manufactured by Radley Engineering of Dungarvan, County Waterford. It was erected by SIAC construction LTD and GDW Engineering Ltd.

4. The Spire is Made Out of Stainless Steel Cone Sections

Designing and constructing the spire was not an easy task to undertake. There were some difficulties encountered during the construction of the spire. One of the challenges was environmental regulations and obtaining planning permission.

The spire consists of eight hollow stainless steel cone sections. The longest section is twenty metres which were installed on the 21st day of January 2003.

This section is an elongated cone of 3 m diameter at the base, narrowing to 15 cm at the top. The total weight of these eight sections amounts to 133.15 tonnes.

One part features two tuned mass dampers at the fifth section from the bottom. It was designed by engineers Arup to counteract sway. This steel underwent shot peening to alter the quality of light reflected from it.

5. Spire of Dublin costs €4,000,000

Image by Adrien Thiery from Pixabay

The plan for constructing the spire of Dublin was enormous and did not cost that much. Much time and finances were saved to ensure this project came into being.

The total cost of constructing the Spire of Dublin was approximately €4,000,000. This is one of the best monuments to be built in the city.

6. It Took One Year to Complete the Construction of the Spire of Dublin

Spire of Dublin is viewed as one of the most complicated but beautiful monuments in the street of O’Connell, Dublin, Ireland. Resources were invested in this project to change the streetscape.

The tender for constructing the spire of Dublin began in 2002. It was completed on 21st January 2003.

7. The Base of the Monument is Lit and Illuminated at the Top

Spire of Dublin.Author William Murphy. WIKIMEDIA

Spire of Dublin has several major features which make it very interesting. Some of these features make the spire lit at night.

At dusk, the base of the monument is lit and the top 10 metres are usually illuminated through 11,884 holes. This is where light-emitting diodes shine and make it a beautiful monument.

8. Spire of Dublin Initially got several Opposition

At the beginning of the installation of the Spire of Dublin, a lot of things were talked about this monument. Some opposition was initially greeted after the installation of the spire.

Previously, supporters compared the spire to other initially unpopular urban structures such as the Eiffel Tower. Detractors complained that the spire had little architectural or cultural connection to the city.

9. The Spire has Inspired several Nicknames

Since the installation of the Spire of Dublin, the monument has been received properly as it brought beautification to the street. It has inspired several nicknames.

This is common with public art in Dublin. Some of these nicknames include the nail in the Pale, the stiletto in the ghetto, the pin in the bin, the stiffy by the Liffey, the spire in the mire or the spike.

10. The Monument has been Nominated for Several Awards

The_Spire_of_Dublin.Image by Solveig Michelsen from Pixabay

Spire of Dublin is an amazing image of the street of Dublin. This monument has been erected for more than a decade and has been getting nominated for several awards.

Some of the awards the Spire of Dublin has been nominated for include the 2003 British Construction Industry International Award finalist, 2004 RIBA National Award & Stirling Prize shortlist and the 2005 Mies Van der Rohe prize list.