Museum of Literature Ireland
A partnership between University College Dublin and the National Library of Ireland, the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) is a new landmark cultural institution in the heart of Ireland’s capital city. Named for James Joyce’s muse Molly Bloom and picturesquely located on the southside of St Stephen’s Green in one of Dublin’s finest historic houses, MoLI will celebrate our internationally-renowned literary culture and heritage from the past to the present, inspiring the next generation to create, read and write. Immersive multimedia exhibitions, priceless artefacts (including Joyce’s own ‘Copy No.1 of Ulysses’), lectures, performances, cutting-edge children’s education programmes, historic house tours, digital broadcasting, research facilities and a café set in one of the city’s most beautiful and tranquil gardens will make the Museum of Literature Ireland a major contribution to the local and international literary landscape. The Museum of Literature Ireland will open in Spring 2019.
Awards
Adaptation and Re-Use - Highly Commended
Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland
2020
Judge's Silver Award
Irish Construction Excellence Awards
2020
Client
UCD
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Status
Completion and Handover
Area
3,600 sq.m
Expertise
The aims of the project is to develop a world class standard ‘Ulysses Exhibition’, integrate Newman House into a wider city context – opening doors and engaging with the public, and weave the three buildings together into a better functioning integral whole.
The scheme has been designed in such a way that the new works will be to the rear of the buildings and have minimal impact on the historic fabric.
The main visible architectural intervention is the creation of a new stair and lift that will replace an existing external steel staircase. The new core & link will be clad in glass with an interstitial veil of copper filigree. This solves in one single surgical intervention a host of practical issues associated with creating an exhibition centre at Newman House. It provides a museum quality stair and lift that connects all levels of the exhibition, cafe and shop as well as providing Universal access & resolving fire safety issues across all three buildings.
The materials are modern, with a clear contemporary expression, while remaining sympathetic in tone with the varied colour of the historic brick façades. The copper behind the glass will give a hint of texture to the glazed elevation.
The vaulted basement areas of nos 85 & 86 will be renovated to accommodate a new cafe and shop that open out onto the south facing courtyard. A new set of steps will link the courtyard to the garden and the Iveagh gardens beyond.
