Trinity’s Architecture Celebrated during Open House Dublin 2014
Posted on: 14 October 2014
Trinity College will open its doors to the public as part of Open House Dublin 2014, on the 17th, 18th and 19th October. Open House Dublin is a unique experience, presented by the Irish Architecture Foundation, featuring over 100 free tours, events and workshops, inviting you to explore the rich architecture of Dublin.
A selection of Trinity's buildings, both old and new, will be open to all to come and visit over the weekend. These include the Fitzgerald Building, The Provost's House, Senior Common Room and Loos Bar, The Provost's House Stables (Trinity Irish Art Research Centre), Trinity School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Parsons Building. Trinity's Family Tour, a special tour for the "students of the future" will also take place, exploring Trinity's key buildings from a student's perspective.
Please note that booking for The Provost's House, Senior Common Room and Loos Bar, and The Provost's House Stables (Trinity Irish Art Research Centre) through the open house website, is now closed. The tours of Fitzgerald Building, Trinity School of Nursing and Midwifery, Parsons Building and Trinity's Family Tour will be run on a first-come, first-served basis on the day.
Details of Trinity buildings and tours are as follows:
Fitzgerald Building, The Physics Laboratory: Sunday 19 October, 12.00pm – 5.00pm
G. F. Fitzgerald, a physicist famous in relativity theory and professor of the School of Physics, campaigned for a dedicated Physics Building for Trinity College Dublin. It was the first purpose-built physics laboratory in Ireland and is complete with a striking Venetian window, lighting up the stair hall. Tours include the Fitzgerald library and Shrödinger lecture theatre.
School of Nursing and Midwifery (former Bord Gáis Showrooms): Saturday 18 October, 11.00am – 5.00pm
Demonstrating the successful integration of Art Deco by more conservative architectural practices, Robinson & Keefe’s design for the Gas showroom on D’Olier Street employs polished stone above the chrome-framed street-level shop window. The eclectic interior, with Egyptian touches, reveals a surprisingly complex plan stretching into this dense urban block. The building is now in use as the Trinity College School of Nursing and Midwifery, with interesting features retained throughout.
Parsons Building: Saturday 18 October, 11.00am – 5.00pm
The 19th century Parsons’ Building has been home to Trinity’s Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering since 1981, sitting elevated and at an angle to the grain of the campus. Grafton Architects’ first addition to the building in 1996 addressed the campus, accommodating workshops, laboratories and offices between the new podium and the bold basalt-clad cube on top. The second extension spans to Lincoln Place, an elegant granite-clad form that achieves sophisticated negotiation of particularly challenging site conditions.
Trinity’s Family Tour: Saturday 18 October, 11.00am – 12.30pm
In this special tour, the “students of the future” will explore Trinity’s key buildings from a student’s perspective.
*Places on the below tours will be distributed by an Open House Dublin lottery, which has now closed.
Senior Common Room & Loos Bar: Saturday 18 October
Originally designed by Richard Castle, the building was rebuilt in the 1760s. However, on two separate occasions, the vaults collapsed and it was eventually replaced by Hugh Darley’s building that we see today. It was severely damaged by a fire and restored by de Blacam and Meagher architects in 1984. The award winning design includes a clever replica of the famous American Bar by Adolf Loos.
The Provost’s House: Friday 17 October
The Provost's House has one of the most elaborately decorated interiors of its period, the building’s exterior is based on the solid principles of Palladian design. The house is the residence of the Provost of Trinity College and has many original features.
The Provost’s House Stables (TRIARC-Trinity Irish Art Research Centre): Saturday 18 October
TRIARC-Trinity Irish Art Research Centre is housed in the renovated Provost’s House Stables at Trinity College Dublin. The conversion is an excellent example of a successful translation of an existing building into a new use. The horse stalls provide the study carrels for researchers.