Building quality in Cork

Madam, - In your feature on Cork (Nov 8th) there is a photo of the new Victoria Mills student accommodation building complex on the Western Road.

Under the photo is a caption which reads "the modern face of Cork". How ironic that this is apparently written without a trace of irony! This building complex is indeed an apt image of Celtic Tiger Ireland, not to mind Cork. It is a brutally ugly, vulgar, tasteless, "in your face", coarse monstrosity of a building. It beggars belief how planning permission was ever granted for such a Stalinesque heap of cheap functionality, - Yours etc,

ANTHONY HARTNETT,

Bishopstown,

Cork.