The scale of the "ancillary development" now being proposed to support the National Conference Centre is staggering.
One of those who attended yesterday's presentation of the plans to the Dublin Docklands Development Authority even described it as "scary stuff".
But whether the DDDA will have any say in the matter is a moot point, given that developers seem set to take the risky path of steering their hugely ambitious scheme through the normal planning process rather than rely on an authority they do not trust.
The DDDA did itself no favours by refusing to permit the media to attend the presentation to its executive board and full council, even though this is virtually a public forum.
Had it been Dublin City Council's planning committee, the press would have been there.
Relations between the DDDA and the Spencer Dock developers have been strained, to put it mildly.
But the diplomatic situation might have been improved somewhat by yesterday's encounter, though the authority still has major reservations about what is proposed.
Its uneasiness on this count is understandable. Quite apart from the conference centre itself, which rises to the height of Liberty Hall at the apex of its cylindrical atrium, the sheer scale of the "ancillary development" is breathtaking in the low-rise context of Dublin.
The tallest office block, a glazed curtain-walled tower, would rise to 128.3 metres (423 sq ft) - more than twice the height of Liberty Hall.
This would make it significantly taller than the curved glass block proposed for George's Quay, which was "only" 100 metres high. Dublin Corporation, in its decision to grant permission for that scheme, reduced the height to 80 metres.
But even this still substantial height would be exceeded by the office buildings flanking the proposed tower at Spencer Dock; their height would be 84.3 metres (278 ft).
The Green Party councillor, Mr Ciaran Cuffe, who is a member of the DDDA's council, expressed concern about the impact of this virtual wall of tall buildings on the "Georgian mile" of Fitzwilliam Street because they would inevitably loom over the roofline of Holles Street Hospital.
Mr Kevin Roche, the Irish-born architect who designed the scheme, defended its height, saying it would allow for the creation of extensive areas of open space - including a raised urban park in the middle of the site which would be larger than Fitzwilliam Square.
There is also provision for a linear park on both sides of the Royal Canal and Spencer Dock, though this will be no more than a narrow strip on the eastern side because of the need to accommodate all of the buildings. Altogether, nearly half of the 50 acres would be landscaped.
As Mr Roche sees it, there is necessarily a trade-off here. To retain the same density of development, buildings could be substantially lower but this would mean covering much more of the site. He believes the balance he has struck will create an attractive urban environment.
One of the main reasons why so much development is required is to subsidise the conference centre, given that the Government is not prepared to do so and it seems unlikely the same package of tax incentives as in the IFSC will be extended to the site.
It seems unlikely the developers will be able to persuade the DDDA to go along with their plans and thus avail of its "fast-track" planning process.
Thus, it will fall to Dublin Corporation to test the scheme against its own rather woolly new guidelines for high buildings.
