{"id":156680,"date":"2025-05-19T11:21:56","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T09:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.area-arch.it\/en\/?p=156680"},"modified":"2025-05-20T18:05:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:05:45","slug":"de-valera-library-suit-art-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.area-arch.it\/en\/de-valera-library-suit-art-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"De Valera Library & Su\u00edl Art Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The new 2,321 sqm De Valera Library & S\u00fail Art Gallery<\/strong> by Keith Williams Architects<\/strong> for Clare County Council, occupies a prominent site in the county town of Ennis. The site includes the 485 seat Gl\u00f3r theatre (opened 2001), and sits opposite the historic Poor Clare Monastery and Monastery Park, an important green space at the edge of Ennis town centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a9St\u00e9 Murray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By placing the new elements, the DeValera Library and the S\u00fail Art Gallery immediately abutting the existing Gl\u00f3r, the Keith Williams Architects have created a new cultural nexus uniting the 3 primary colours of the arts – the visual, the literary and performing arts – into a single complex, serving the town, county and region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a9St\u00e9 Murray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The library, art gallery and Gl\u00f3r are interlinked through a new double height colonnaded portico and main entrance, maximising connectivity between the arts triptych contained within and by being prominently placed at the head of Monastery Park, orientates this important new cultural complex to relate directly to the routes from the historic town centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a9St\u00e9 Murray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The new building is wrapped in a 10 m high, undulating curved reconstituted stone fa\u00e7ade that unites the entire building complex. A huge window in the main facade opens up daytime views from the library interior and main staircase to Monastery Park opposite, whilst as dusk falls the glazing appears to dissolve and the inner glow of the library is revealed to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a9St\u00e9 Murray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The library over two floors, with more than 73,000 books, numerous publications, archives and other media, is largest element within the new complex. Open and transparent within, a large void and public stair in the middle of the plan overlooking Monastery Park, it gives a strong visual and movement permeability between the levels and the various library sections. The County Library Service has been placed in a simple bar of adaptable office space above the library, whilst the S\u00fail with its adjoining sculpture court, sits across from the library\u2019s main entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a9St\u00e9 Murray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The pale polished reconstructed stone fa\u00e7ade is integral with pre-cast concrete panels. This material allowed the flowing external form to be achieved whilst also delivering the very quality of finely detailed surfaces and ribbed texture to the exterior of the building, establishing an important and appropriately civic landmark architecture within the town. Metalwork and glazing systems are bronze coloured powder coated aluminium, and Irish limestone paves the immediate surrounding ground surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
St\u00e9 Murray<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The structure is a combination of reinforced concrete frame with steel superstructure for the county library offices block. Substructure is a combination of mass concrete and piled foundations driven by the geotechnic analysis of the ground conditions. The structural concrete mix incorporates GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag), a sustainable alternative to traditional cement that reduces its environmental impact. Exposed concrete elements were carefully crafted to add to the visual appeal of the major internal spaces. The thermal inertia of this structure also allowed energy to be better managed my natural means which was a key part of achieving a targeted NZEB outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a9Keith Williams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The DeValera is almost entirely naturally ventilated, has been designed to achieve NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) standards and provide very high standards of universal access. Given the building\u2019s intended life span of at least 60 years, it will have low life cycle embedded carbon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Sheets<\/strong>
Client: Clare County Council Cultural Services
Designer: Keith Williams Architects
Director of Design: Keith R Williams
Director in Charge: Richard Gm Brown
Senior Architect: Aline Magalhaes
Architect: Lilliana De Cavalho, Alexander Craig-Thompson, Dario Monni
Structural and Civil Engineers, Acoustics, Fire Consultancy: ARUP
MEP engineer: AxisEng
Cost consultancy: AECOM
PSDP: OLM
Main contractor: Coolsivna Construction Ltd
Reconstituted stone facades: Techrete

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The new 2,321 sqm De Valera Library & S\u00fail Art Gallery by Keith Williams Architects for Clare County Council, occupies a prominent site in the county town of Ennis. The site includes the 485 seat Gl\u00f3r theatre (opened 2001), and sits opposite the historic Poor Clare Monastery and Monastery Park, an important green space at<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1164,"featured_media":156681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,48],"tags":[34853,34849,34851,14159,34850],"class_list":["post-156680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","category-progetti","tag-de-valera-library-suit-art-gallery","tag-devalera-library-suil-art-gallery","tag-ennis","tag-ireland","tag-keith-williams-architects"],"yoast_head":"\nDe Valera Library & Su\u00edl Art Gallery | Area<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The new 2,321 sqm DeValera Library & S\u00fail Art Gallery by Keith Williams Architects for Clare County Council, occupies a prominent site in the county town of Ennis\" \/>\n<meta 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