Some may think it's getting the London Eye on the cheap, but a plan is being unveiled today to moor a helium balloon in the River Liffey offering punters the chance to see Dublin from the air.
The proposal is one of many in a new urban framework plan for Temple Bar, the city's designated "cultural quarter", which aims to reorientate the area away from its current status as a drinking destination.
Drawn up by Howley Harrington Architects, who designed the Millennium Footbridge over the Liffey, the plan was commissioned by Temple Bar Properties (TBP), the company responsible for managing the area.
The proposed helium balloon would be moored on a platform to the west of Grattan (Capel Street) Bridge, with public access via a catwalk and steps leading down from a breach in the quay wall in front of the Civic Offices.
The balloon would rise to a height of some 250 metres - more than twice as high as the Spire in O'Connell Street - offering panoramic views over the city to rival and even surpass the Guinness Brewery's Gravity Bar.
Compared to better-known hot-air models, helium balloons do not require flames to get them airborne. Usually tethered, they can also be pulled down after their fare-paying thrill-seekers have been on high for 15 minutes.
One of the main reasons behind the balloon idea is to enliven the west end of Temple Bar, which lost its only crowd-puller when the Viking Adventure closed down in 2002. Since then, the area has been somewhat dead.
Other proposals in the urban framework plan include roofing Meeting House Square to protect outdoor cinema-goers and Saturday food market customers against the rain and erecting temporary buildings on under-used sites.
The proposed roof would be made from metallic fabric spun out from four stainless steel poles, as required.
Functioning somewhat like an umbrella, each pole would hold enough material to form a quadrant of the roof.
Temporary buildings would all be modular and stackable to a height of three storeys, to cater for a variety of uses from flower shops to artists' studios.
But the plan makes it clear that rowdy public behaviour must be tackled before any major improvements can be carried out and it puts forward a number of proposals on this front, including staggered closing times for pubs.
