02 February, 2017

Broadstone Wall for the Chop

I just wrote a note to the Luas Cross City Team, thanking them for sending me on the detailed design drawing for the Broadstone tram station.

It is good to see that the upper section of the concrete wall will be removed to give greater visibility of the old Broadstone Station Building. In summary, the upper 1.2 metres of the wall will be removed and replaced with a railing.

The stone cladding appears to be quite thin, and the final finish seems not to be specified. I'm concerned that a smooth, possibly white finish may be a magnet for graffiti.

It is good though  to see that the outline of the former canal will be shown.

I'm hoping that the box hedging would not completely cover the landscaped area, and that it might be possible to have more grass at the upper, and perhaps lower levels

In overall terms I am disappointed that greater emphasis was not put on green infrastructure, as it seems cities such as Bilbao, Freiburg, The Hague and even Rotterdam manage to cover the space between tram tracks with grass, even in their city centres. Here's a photo that I took in Rotterdam last Autumn.


That having been said, I am conscious that my role is not to attempt micro-managing the details at this late stage.

Here's a link to the full drawings for the future landscaping of the old Broadstone Station forecourt if you'd like to take a look.