2005 Press Releases
Irish Cabinet visit Best Public Building in Ireland - the Lewis Glucksman Gallery at UCC, 8 June
Irish Government Ministers today (8 June 2005) visited the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, named Best Public Building in Ireland on 2 June by the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI). An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD, accompanied by his cabinet, toured the gallery, viewing one of the most important visual art exhibitions for 2005, a joint show from the collections of the two Irish Arts Councils, North and South. This is the first time the two Arts Councils have jointly shown their collections and is a significant contribution to Cork European Capital of Culture 2005.
The Lewis Glucksman Gallery is a flagship project, which demonstrates UCC's commitment to artistic and cultural values. Set in a mature landscape on former tennis courts in UCC's Lower Grounds, with the River Lee as a backdrop, the challenge in design was how to "insert" a modern building without damaging the beautiful trees or the riverside amenity space surrounding it. Uniquely, this was achieved using only the "footprint" of the old tennis courts and by putting the Gallery on stilts, so that it is higher than it is broad. In fact, the building was specifically designed to reflect its surrounding environment in the most sympathetic way possible. The Glucksman is clad in limestone at various levels and the angelim hardwood wrapped around the building mirrors its woodland setting.
Designed by O'Donnell + Tuomey architects, the Glucksman has four separate exhibition spaces, differing in scale, on three floors. The 2,200sq metre building with curved, angelim wood cladding, includes a 12 metre cantilevered section, basement gallery store, and an innovative heating/temperature control system, grant aided by Sustainable Energy Ireland, which removes the need for unsightly roof-top installations. Since the Glucksman opened in October 2005, it has received over 45,000 visitors, a major achievement and one that indicates the possibility of genuine links between town and gown.
Speaking on the occasion of the cabinet visit, Director of the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Fiona Kearney said:
"We are delighted to welcome An Taoiseach and his ministers to the Lewis Glucksman Gallery. The cultural focus on Cork this year highlights the importance of the arts in public life and as Best Public Building in Ireland, Glucksman will continue its successful programme, making the best in visual culture accessible to a wide range of audiences".
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