U2 new studio Britain Quay
On Monday, the 11th of November 2002, plans were launched for the new U2 studio on Britain Quay by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and involved direct negogiations with Bono.
The new U2 studio will be located at the top of a 60 metre riverside tower on Britain Quay, situated to the right of Sir John Rogerson's Quay and to the left of Hanover Quay, offering the band a panoramic view of Dublin and building should commence within the next couple of months.
Currently, U2 are in studio recording new material fot their forthcoming album.
According to Bono, during rehearsals U2 are coming up with some "extraordinary stuff". The Edge also added that U2 are aiming to acheive a more "raw, rock sound" on the new album, which will be the 11th studio album recorded by U2 to date.
As part of the on-going development of the docklands the studio owned by U2 on Hanover Quay is set to be demolished to accomodate a pedestrian walkway along Grand Canal Dock.
Extract from The DDDA's Mission Statement
New U2 Studio:
The building shall be a slim point block above a platform of a maximum of four floors and have a maximum height of 60 metres to the main shoulder parapet height and a floor area of a minimum of 9.500 sq metres up to a maximum of 12,500 sq metres. The ground floor and first floor shall contain a restaurant/bar/nightclub and the floors above shall be either wholly commercial office or mixed residential and commercial offices. The two top floors shall house a recording studio for the U2 band.
Briefly, the band's space requirements include:
(a) A studio located on the top two floors of the building. The space should have good views, particularly to the south and west.
The aspect to maximise natural light.
The recording element should be located so as not to create any blank external walls.
(b) A total floor area of 560 sq metres on the top floors excluding lifts and staircases.
(c) The top floor shall have a minimum height of 5.5 metres.
(d) Private terrace(s)/roof garden(s) to the studio.
(e) A minimum of 4 car parking spaces.
(f) The space shall be air conditioned, sound insulated and double glazed.
(g) Separate and discrete lift access to the studio from ground floor and basement or semi-basement car park.
The point block shall be located to the northern end of the site.
The lift shall also act as a private goods lift to the studio.
Ironically, the new U2 studio is to be situated only a couple of hundred yards away from their landmark former studio on Hanover Quay and once building is finished the new tower shall be the tallest building to exist in Dublin's history.
Although the band are quite pleased to be remaining in the Docklands, in relation to their former studio, Bono commented..."It is hard to quantify the value of that studio and its setting in Grand Canal Dock...whatever they offer us it is not enough".
"You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been.
A place that has to be believed to be seen...Walk on, walk on, What you've got they can't deny it...
Can't sell it, can't buy it.."
The Grand Canal Dock region has always been special to U2.
Over 21 years have elapsed since the release of their second album OCTOBER and even at such an early stage in their development as a rock-group, it was obvious by their inclusion of an image of the Grand Canal Dock on that album sleeve, just how special it clearly was.
Quite recently Bono stated..."Nothing could replace our coveted studio at Hanover Quay".
Altogether U2 have recorded four albums at No.15 Hanover Quay. "Passengers, The Million Dollar Hotel, Pop" and lastly, their multi-award winning grammy album and arguably one of their finest ever compilations - "All That You Can't Leave Behind"
"One of the things I'm going to personally miss is where we are right now, we're right on the water and the Grand Canal Dock is very still. And I can tell you, things get very rough when U2 make a record, there's a lot of passion and a lot of disputes. And just the energy of making a record is such that we really appreciate the stillness of the Grand Canal Dock. I don't really want to be at the top of the building and stuck inside."
With the exclusive development and complete urban regeneration of the docklands area of Dublin, consisting of 1,300 acres of prime construction land along the waterfront, within a matter of years the vista of the indigenous city docks will be inextricably transformed as offices, riverside apartments, commercial and retail outlets and a host of various leisure and amenity centres emerge to virtually create a new and vibrant Dublin that has every potential of being even more alluring than central Dublin itself.
In an ambitious project, undertaken by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority often major and sometimes drastic measures are enforced and none more notably so than the compulsory purchase order issued against U2's Hanover Quay studio, forcing the band to move from the location they've occupied for several years.
Once the master-plan becomes fully effective and the entire region that's earmarked, especially that incorporating Dublin 2 and 4 begins to function as initially envisaged - it's difficult to comprehend just how many of the new inhabitants will associate the area, irregardless of its signifigance...with U2.
U2's allegiance and loyalty to Dublin is beyond question. U2 could have chosen to record anywhere in Dublin or perhaps even exiled themselves to another country. Now, as their old Hanover Quay recording studio is about to be demolished and the area as synonymous with U2 as Abbey Road was with THE BEATLES undergoes its transformation, speculation is already rife that U2 may bestow the highest accolade imaginable onto the location of their former studio and ultimately name the title of their next album...HANOVER.
U2 have not concentrated too much on using place-names in their songs. However, due to the subsequent loss of their Hanover Quay studio many music critics have predicted that U2 may indeed acknowledge their Docklands studio in similiar fashion to "The Million Dollar Hotel", therfore ensuring that no matter what the Quays new appearance shall eventually be, its connection to the world's most accomplished and respected Rock-Group shall never be completely severed.
On Monday, the 11th of November 2002, plans were launched for the new U2 studio on Britain Quay by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and involved direct negogiations with Bono.
The new U2 studio will be located at the top of a 60 metre riverside tower on Britain Quay, situated to the right of Sir John Rogerson's Quay and to the left of Hanover Quay, offering the band a panoramic view of Dublin and building should commence within the next couple of months.
Currently, U2 are in studio recording new material fot their forthcoming album.
According to Bono, during rehearsals U2 are coming up with some "extraordinary stuff". The Edge also added that U2 are aiming to acheive a more "raw, rock sound" on the new album, which will be the 11th studio album recorded by U2 to date.
As part of the on-going development of the docklands the studio owned by U2 on Hanover Quay is set to be demolished to accomodate a pedestrian walkway along Grand Canal Dock.
Extract from The DDDA's Mission Statement
New U2 Studio:
The building shall be a slim point block above a platform of a maximum of four floors and have a maximum height of 60 metres to the main shoulder parapet height and a floor area of a minimum of 9.500 sq metres up to a maximum of 12,500 sq metres. The ground floor and first floor shall contain a restaurant/bar/nightclub and the floors above shall be either wholly commercial office or mixed residential and commercial offices. The two top floors shall house a recording studio for the U2 band.
Briefly, the band's space requirements include:
(a) A studio located on the top two floors of the building. The space should have good views, particularly to the south and west.
The aspect to maximise natural light.
The recording element should be located so as not to create any blank external walls.
(b) A total floor area of 560 sq metres on the top floors excluding lifts and staircases.
(c) The top floor shall have a minimum height of 5.5 metres.
(d) Private terrace(s)/roof garden(s) to the studio.
(e) A minimum of 4 car parking spaces.
(f) The space shall be air conditioned, sound insulated and double glazed.
(g) Separate and discrete lift access to the studio from ground floor and basement or semi-basement car park.
The point block shall be located to the northern end of the site.
The lift shall also act as a private goods lift to the studio.
Ironically, the new U2 studio is to be situated only a couple of hundred yards away from their landmark former studio on Hanover Quay and once building is finished the new tower shall be the tallest building to exist in Dublin's history.
Although the band are quite pleased to be remaining in the Docklands, in relation to their former studio, Bono commented..."It is hard to quantify the value of that studio and its setting in Grand Canal Dock...whatever they offer us it is not enough".
"You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been.
A place that has to be believed to be seen...Walk on, walk on, What you've got they can't deny it...
Can't sell it, can't buy it.."
The Grand Canal Dock region has always been special to U2.
Over 21 years have elapsed since the release of their second album OCTOBER and even at such an early stage in their development as a rock-group, it was obvious by their inclusion of an image of the Grand Canal Dock on that album sleeve, just how special it clearly was.
Quite recently Bono stated..."Nothing could replace our coveted studio at Hanover Quay".
Altogether U2 have recorded four albums at No.15 Hanover Quay. "Passengers, The Million Dollar Hotel, Pop" and lastly, their multi-award winning grammy album and arguably one of their finest ever compilations - "All That You Can't Leave Behind"
"One of the things I'm going to personally miss is where we are right now, we're right on the water and the Grand Canal Dock is very still. And I can tell you, things get very rough when U2 make a record, there's a lot of passion and a lot of disputes. And just the energy of making a record is such that we really appreciate the stillness of the Grand Canal Dock. I don't really want to be at the top of the building and stuck inside."
With the exclusive development and complete urban regeneration of the docklands area of Dublin, consisting of 1,300 acres of prime construction land along the waterfront, within a matter of years the vista of the indigenous city docks will be inextricably transformed as offices, riverside apartments, commercial and retail outlets and a host of various leisure and amenity centres emerge to virtually create a new and vibrant Dublin that has every potential of being even more alluring than central Dublin itself.
In an ambitious project, undertaken by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority often major and sometimes drastic measures are enforced and none more notably so than the compulsory purchase order issued against U2's Hanover Quay studio, forcing the band to move from the location they've occupied for several years.
Once the master-plan becomes fully effective and the entire region that's earmarked, especially that incorporating Dublin 2 and 4 begins to function as initially envisaged - it's difficult to comprehend just how many of the new inhabitants will associate the area, irregardless of its signifigance...with U2.
U2's allegiance and loyalty to Dublin is beyond question. U2 could have chosen to record anywhere in Dublin or perhaps even exiled themselves to another country. Now, as their old Hanover Quay recording studio is about to be demolished and the area as synonymous with U2 as Abbey Road was with THE BEATLES undergoes its transformation, speculation is already rife that U2 may bestow the highest accolade imaginable onto the location of their former studio and ultimately name the title of their next album...HANOVER.
U2 have not concentrated too much on using place-names in their songs. However, due to the subsequent loss of their Hanover Quay studio many music critics have predicted that U2 may indeed acknowledge their Docklands studio in similiar fashion to "The Million Dollar Hotel", therfore ensuring that no matter what the Quays new appearance shall eventually be, its connection to the world's most accomplished and respected Rock-Group shall never be completely severed.
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