The new stadium will be a spectacular addition to Dublin, writes Frank McDonald.
All images tell a story, and the photomontages released yesterday by the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company of the spectacular bowl that will replace the existing hodge-podge of stands on the site are as compelling as early images of the new Croke Park.
The swirling profile of the roofline evokes a Mexican wave - "dropping when it needs to and rising when it wants to", in the words of project architect Chris Lee. And in a way, we have the residents of Havelock Square and O'Connell Gardens to thank for this truly amazing shape.
It was one of the constraints in designing the stadium that it shouldn't overshadow the nearby cottage-style houses. That's also the reason why it's relatively translucent, with a facade made from what HOK Architects describe as "glass shingles" to let light pass through it.
Neither is it a "bottom-drawer" project by HOK, which is one of the world's leading designers of sports facilities, including Arsenal's new stadium in London.
"The whole design is driven by the site," Mr Lee said. "This is not architecture flown in from somewhere else."
And the site is very much constrained physically - by the Dart line to the west, the pitches of Wanderers and Lansdowne rugby clubs to the east, the low-rise housing around Havelock and Vavasour Squares to the north and, of course, Lansdowne Road itself, to the south.
Nonetheless, the footprint of the planned 50,000-seat stadium is 20 per cent larger than the existing ground - fatter, if not longer. There will also be a 12½-metre underpass beneath the Dart line, so that rugby and soccer fans will no longer be blocked by the level crossing.
To avoid any impact on Dart services, a "crash deck" is to be erected over the line while the west stand is being demolished. This will then be turned into a lively, potentially sun-drenched public plaza, some two acres in extent, from which fans will enter and exit the stadium.
Because of its smaller size, the new stadium will be more intimate than Croke Park. Its design also takes more account of acoustics for concerts - something neglected by the GAA. The roof at the north end, where it dips down, will be the most translucent - again, in deference to local residents.
"We spent lovely summer afternoons visiting residents in Havelock Square and O'Connell Gardens, to see the site from their side," said Niall Scott, of Scott Tallon Walker, which is working with HOK on the project. "The design evolved to take their needs into account."
Had the stadium been turned around on its axis, east-west, rather than north-south, as several commentators have advocated, the impact on residents would have been much more severe. There was also a determination to produce a low energy building, with minimum use of air-conditioning. The glazed facade will let plenty of air in to the concourses, but it won't be "whistling through".
Because of the very high water table in the area, just 1½ metres below the surface, there will be no basement. Changing rooms and most services will be installed at ground level, behind the lowest level, which will contain some 20,000 seats, and run continuously.
The three upper tiers wrapping around three sides of the stadium will provide 10,000 premium seats, corporate boxes for 1,300 - designed so that even their occupants will feel part of the spectacle - and 18,000 ordinary seats on raking tiers above - "the gods", in effect.
The plans for Lansdowne Road have gone through several "iterations", but one feels the latest team of architects have got it right. Whatever about Nimby (Not in my back yard) opposition from people living in the locality, this will be a spectacular addition to Dublin. And in the only place for it too.