The Dublin Spire
The Dublin Spire was the winning entry by Ian Ritchie Architects, who won an architecture competition to design a replacement for Nelson's Pillar on O'Connell Street which was demolished in 1966. The Spire was commissioned as part of the development of O'Connell Street which was perceived to have gone into a decline. The Spire was erected over the months of December 2002 and January 2003.
The Dublin Spire is the tallest structure in Dublin, standing 120 meters tall. The base of the Spire is 3m, tapering to 15cm at the top. One of the highlights of the Spire is that it looks different under various lighting conditions.
Built at a cost of €4million, the monument was nominated for a number of awards including the 2004 RIBA National Award, The Sirling Prize shortlist, the British Construction Industry International Award finalist and the Miles Van der Rohe Prize list.
The site on which the Spire stands was home to Nelson's Pillar which was 154 feet high. Built in 1808, the pillar was a doric column made out of granite with a statue to Horatio Nelson standing on top. The pillar was blown up by a group of former IRA members in the middle of the night of 8 March 1966. The remaining structure was deemed unsafe, and was destroyed by the army six days later.
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