The architect of a planned European-style book market on Grattan Bridge has appealed to the public to suspend judgment on the project until it is finished.
Capel Street art gallery owner, Mr Gerald Davis, has complained to Dublin City Council that four new kiosks intended as elaborate book stalls were "totally out of place" and amounted to "visual vandalism" of views of the Liffey.
However Mr Dave Richards, of Gilroy McMahon architects, said the kiosks were "like a piano with its lid down" at present. "They have to be seen with their panels opened out and awnings down."
Mr Richards said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the reaction so far, even from wisecracking Dubliners. "In general, people are delighted to see this type of thing happening here."
The kiosks were prefabricated in Spain as part of a €2 million project to turn Grattan Bridge, which links Capel Street with Parliament Street, into a contemporary version of an inhabited bridge, such as the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
City architect Mr Jim Barrett said the proposed book market on Grattan Bridge was the latest phase of the city council's plan to enable people to enjoy the river.
The €2 million budget included a major reconstruction of the bridge deck, new granite paving for the footpaths and a set of benches with wooden seats and toughened glass backs.
The kiosks are due for completion by St Patrick's Day. The first one to open on a pilot basis will be a book sales outlet for the Hugh Lane Gallery.
Mr Richards said the idea was to recreate something which the city used to have - the bookstalls on Bachelor's Walk and Wellington Quay which brought a touch of the Seine to the Liffey.
