Sir, - Without criticising the aesthetics of the proposed 20storey building at George's Quay (The Irish Times, May 7th) it may be useful to point out that what is appropriate in Sao Paulo or Kuala Lumpur may not be so at Dublin's latitude of 531/2 degrees north; 12 degrees north of New York even. In mid-winter the sun here is only 13 degrees above the horizon. The article does not state the height of the proposed building, but if we take 60 metres, its shadow will stretch 260 metres. This will not only cover the whole of the Liffey to the north of it, but also Customs House Quay and much of the front of the Customs House itself.
My calculations are approximate, but computer modelling nowadays makes it an easy matter to predict where sunlight will be blocked. It seems probable that everything between the proposed structure and the Liffey will be totally without sun for the winter months. Perhaps the Planning Department will use such models to verify this. Models could also investigate the effect of an 80 mph wind deflected by the building into the neighbouring streets! Perhaps this might enable the Planning Department to decide that the most suitable place for really tall buildings is well out to the east, where they could be a feature of the bay and not a cause of disturbance and annoyance to the users of existing buildings. - Yours etc., Michael Purser,
Killiney, Co. Dublin.