J R McCann Architecture: December 2010

Friday 10 December 2010

A Summer To Remember!

Unfortunately leaving school was a little bit more emotional for me, because I was a prominent member of the school pipe band (Dollar Academy). Last summer was what made it such a special year to depart. We were already Scottish Schools, Scottish, British and European Champions but that didn’t matter as the World’s was the one we all wanted to win.

At the RSPBA annual World Championships on Saturday 14 August there were over 8,000 pipers and drummers from 16 nations on Glasgow Green, performing in front of more than 55,000 spectators – so many, that it took over an hour and a half simply to complete the entry of the bands into the arena for the march past finale. We were competing in the Juvenile Grade (under 18’s), up against powerful international opposition, including bands from the USA and New Zealand, as well as more local contestants like Vale of Atholl, Johnstone and George Watson’s College. This competition was massive for the band.

Preparation went well, and for me nerves were minute. However as we approached the start line the nerves kicked up a gear. It wasn’t our best performance of the season and tension lingered throughout the day as we had to wait 7 hours to find out the results.

Once inside the main arena as part of the mass bands the results were announced. First Novice Juvenile, then 4B, 4A, 3B and 3A. At this point I was a nervous wreck, nobody could stand still. Juvenile was up next, but the name of th first place trophy was probably th longest ever which did not help the situation.

“The 2010 Juvenile Grade World Champions are…

…The…Dollar Academy!”

I don’t remember much after that, I think I cried and made a fool of myself jumping up and down but the moment meant so much to me and the rest of the band. We were placed a clear two points ahead of Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia, and three ahead of the American St Thomas Episcopal band. The defending World Champions, George Watson’s were crushed into 4^th place.

Not only was this the best day of my piping career, but probably the best moment of my life to date!

The Beginning of Our World Championship Winning Performance

Drum Corps

Our Reaction to the Result

Showing Off Our Victory

"THE" Trophy with a very long name

All photographs were taken by my Dad

Thursday 9 December 2010

The Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse is located at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin and is, according to its website, "Ireland’s No. 1 international visitor attraction." Since opening in November 2000, it has received over 4 million people wanting to discover the history of Guinness and to taste the best Guinness in the world.

The Storehouse is laid out over seven floors surrounding a glass atrium, which can be seen from nearly every area of the Storehouse.

Atrium - The Storehouse was originally built in 1904 to house the Guinness fermentation process. This incredible structure has been designed in the style of the Chicago School of Architecture with massive steel beams providing the support for the structure. The Storehouse building stopped the fermentation of Guinness in 1988 and in November 2000 it started business as a tourist attraction. The core of the Storehouse is modelled on a giant pint glass, stretching the entire height of the building. According to my Storehouse map, this giant pint would hold approximately 14.3 million pints!

The Pint Glass shaped Atrium

First Floor – Here the virtual master brewer presents the work that goes into the Brewing Process. Also on this floor, there is a Tasting Laboratory to remind you how good Guinness is! There are also models showing how Guinness was transported and videos the skill of the Cooper which was very impressive.

Second Floor – On this floor is an exhibition of the advertising and memorabilia associated with Guinness and the stories of the popular icons from the Toucan. Also all the Guinness adverts that were created can be watched on loop.

Third Floor - The Choice Zone is area dedicated to airing the drink responsibly campaign.

Fourth Floor - The Story of the Building exhibit shows the history of the building from its fermentation uses in 1904 to becoming a tourist attraction in 2000. As part of this exhibition is an incredibly detailed and stunning site model which can be seen below.

Amazing Model of St. James's Gate Brewery

Fifth Floor – This floor is where you learn to pour a pint of Guinness and receive a certificate to prove that you have mastered the art. This floor is also were two bars and restaurants are located, both of which are regarded as excellent Dublin conference facilities.

Sixth Floor – It is a secret, sorry I can’t write about it.

Seventh Floor – The Gravity Bar is where the whole climb up the building is made worthwhile. This is where any visitor will experience the WORLD’S best pint of Guinness with stunning panoramic views of Dublin’s ever changing skyline.

Aviva Stadium

The Spire, by Ian Rictchie Architects

Croke Park

Lots of Pint Glasses

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

The Perfect Pint

Mmm...Happy Customer

The Gravity Bar

The Guinness Storehouse is a must visit not only for the yummy pint but also to discover the interesting facts behind the best alcoholic beverage going.

Mmm…Guinness!

All photographs are my own.

The New Lansdowne Road – “Aviva Stadium”

In May 2007, the Lansdowne Road Stadium which was such a legacy within Irish Rugby was demolished. Two months later the construction of the “New” Lansdowne Road had begun from the ruins of its predecessor. Three years later this stunning structure was completed on time and under-budget, and this was marked by a match between two composite provincial sides; Ulster/Leinster and Munster/Connacht.

The architects which were working on this project were Populous (led by Ben Vickery) Scott Tallon Walker (led by Bryan Roe). With Populous’ ethos of “drawing people together”, which works brilliantly with sport, and Scott Tallon Walker’s award winning design experience, the “New” Lansdowne Road was in for a fantastic re-build. The design of the structure has been restricted by the site, keeping its height at its lowest closest to the adjacent two storey houses, hence the “open” end of the ground. Crowd management was a priority for the design within a residential area that includes a DART line crossing, riverbank walkways and bridges over the river. A tunnel underpass was added to enable the level-crossing to remain closed during events, also a new passenger concourse for the DART station and upgrading of the river bank to allow safer access and to provide flood defences were all part of the crowd management issue. Unfortunately one house had to be demolished to create wider access to the stadium.

The use of a transparent shingled polycarbonate skin enables the organic form to wrap around the entire stadium. Glass was considered but was deemed too heavy and brittle and would need a heavier structure to hold it. The enclosure creates a highly atmospheric seating bowl, so ensuring the continuation of the “Lansdowne Roar” which is such an iconic atmosphere for every Irish rugby fan, and the lower end allows wind to swirl around the ground which the “Old” Lansdowne was also famous for. The stadium's curvilinear form is now instantly recognisable on Dublin's skyline as Ireland's international stadium.

On the 28^th November 2010, my Dad and I had the pleasure of going to see Ireland v Argentina at the wonderful Aviva Stadium. Even when we were flying into Dublin the stadium was instantly recognizable like a glowing UFO parked near Dublin Bay. It definitely has become a stand out feature of the city’s skyline. On game day the atmosphere is incredible before even reaching the stadium, one of the unique features of Lansdowne Road was the sense of anticipation and excitement as everyone travelled to the game by foot or train. I loved how neat the rendered finish of the stadium and internal concourse areas were. When we reached our seats the view was incredible and was a very bright stadium due to all the natural light which was allowed to flood in from the “open” stand. Also with it being such a modern stadium, the seats were so comfy. Probably the comfiest stadium seats I have ever experienced.

Unfortunately the ground wasn’t full due to the ticket mess up by the IRFU but was still a great day. One thing I regretted was not being able to experience the “Old” Lansdowne Road ground. However Dad was able to explain how the old stadium was so similar to the new one in terms of atmosphere and how everyone flocked to the pubs straight after the game. This showed to me how well the architects have kept so much of the history behind the area. It was a very cold day but a pint of Guinness warmed us up and rounded off a fantastic day!

All photos are taken by myself unless stated otherwise.