The new Lexicon is a worthy member of Dublin’s distinguished group of public libraires, writes James Howley in his appraisal of the controversial new building.
The Dun Laoghaire sea front, which occupies the southern sweep of Dublin Bay, is for the most part a delightful Victorian composition of stuccoed, terraced houses. It is punctuated by the occasional spire and fronted by a chain of Regency yacht clubs set within a magnificent late Georgian harbour, the piers of which provide an ideal vantage point to enjoy views back from the sea. For many years the only civic building situated on the sea front was the Ruskin inspired, Venetian Gothic town hall and courthouse, which was constructed in 1879. While there have been many intrusions into this fine vista, some unsightly and others less so, there have been no new civic buildings until the arrival of the new library building, known as the Dun Laoghaire Lexicon. No single building has had a greater impact than this the latest arrival, and none has excited such controversy and objection.
It is the implication of something beyond a simple landscape that makes Martin Gale’s art so compelling, writes Alison FitzGerald as his exhibition continues at Taylor Galleries, Dublin
Many principles came into force to guide the shaping of UL’s outdoor sculpture collection, not least the overarching vision of Ed Walsh. Judith Hill gives an insight into its conception