The members of U2 are having a futuristic hotel built in Dublin

Dublin - The stars of the Irish rock band U2, Bono and The Edge, have received permission after four years of effort for a radical reconstruction of the Dublin hotel Clarence, which could become a new extravagant landmark for the Irish capital. The decision has sparked criticism from some Dubliners who fear for the traditional character of the metropolis.
The Irish Planning Authority approved the £150 million (4.35 billion koruna) proposal, designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster. The plan includes demolishing a large part of the hotel on the banks of the River Liffey and expanding it by acquiring five neighboring houses. The number of rooms will triple to 166, and the hotel will feature a large atrium covered with a massive glass roof, already nicknamed the flying saucer.
Singer Bono and guitarist The Edge stated in a release that the authorities' decision "is great news for Dublin and especially for Temple Bar", the adjacent neighborhood known for its bars and music venues.
However, the decision has many opponents, who argue that it only confirms the significant political influence that U2 members wield. "Of course, we condemn the decision..., because many protected landmarks will be destroyed because of it," said Ian Lumley, a representative of An Taisce, an organization dedicated to heritage protection in Ireland.
According to Lumley, Foster's grand design is "very impressive..., but it's in the wrong place". "In no other country would such a construction be permitted in such a sensitive area," he said.
Irish authorities have mandated that during construction, the facades of both the hotel from the 1930s and the five adjacent Victorian and Georgian houses, which the hotel will expand into, must be preserved. There must also be an archaeologist present at the construction site.
Heritage advocates successfully blocked a previous, even grander proposal. The plans for the hotel reconstruction were also opposed by the Irish Ministry of the Environment.
U2 members will also oversee the construction of the tallest building in Ireland, the 120-meter-high U2 Tower, which Foster also designed. It will be located east of the city center on the Liffey in the currently dilapidated dock area. A recording studio for the band will be situated at the top.
Seventy-three-year-old Pritzker Prize winner Norman Foster designs buildings around the globe. Among his most famous projects are the reconstruction of the Berlin Reichstag building and the gigantic highway bridge crossing the valley in Millau, France.
Bono, The Edge, and the other two band members - bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen - are among the wealthiest residents of Ireland. Two years ago, the band moved its royalty-collecting company to Amsterdam, allowing their music profits to remain untaxed.