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This project involved the temporary relocation of Seanad Eireann into the Ceramics Room of the National Museum pending completion of a necessary programme of works in Leinster House.
The Ceramics Room is located on the first floor to the rear of the National Museum and abuts and overlooks the rear lightwell of Historic Leinster House.
The National Museum is co-located with Leinster House within a large complex of state and cultural buildings, on Kildare Street in Dublin’s southside historic core and encloses the north side of a large forecourt formed by it, the Library opposite and Leinster House.
The Museum, designed in 1884, by TN Deane (formerly of Deane and Woodward) ,was founded under the Dublin Science and Art Museum Act, 1877, based largely on the collections of the Royal Dublin Society.
Itis a protected structure, entered on the RPS Ref: 4199 and is located within a Conservation Area in the Historic Core of the City as defined in the Development Plan: It has been surveyed under the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage completed in 2016, Reg No: 50100222, rated as being of ‘National Significance’ and cited as being of ‘Architectural, Artistic, Cultural, Historical, Social interest’.
Upon the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, Leinster House was eventually chosen as the permanent location for the Houses of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament) and within it, the former Ballroom of the Dukes of Leinster as the new Senate (Seanad) Chamber.
The first Seanad however, was actually hosted by the National Museum of Ireland.
By the early 2000s it had become clear that Leinster House was in need of significant upgrading, refurbishment and stabilisation works. This programme of works was initiated in 2016 necessitating the temporary relocation of Seanad Eireann, facilitated once again, after almost a century by its neighbour, the National Museum of Ireland.
Kelly and Cogan Architects were appointed in late 2016 by OPW as Conservation Architects and Design Team Lead Consultants for the temporary relocation of the Seanad from Leinster House to the Ceramics Galley of the National Museum.
The works consisted of the internal refurbishment and fit-out of the Ceramics and Japanese Rooms within the National Museum as a temporary Seanad pending completion of the programme of works to Leinster House.
The relocation required a number of intervention works, all of which were designed to be fully reversible inclusive of the installation of a passenger lift to provide disability access for the public and members of the Seanad from Leinster House to the National Museum, and the relocation of the Ushers Facility to the Basement of Leinster House.
The works also involved forming openings within a protected structure, protection of existing finishes and historic doors, and a complete services installation to provide for the normal operation of the temporary Seanad Eireann.
The interventions were strictly limited to those necessary to allow the Ceramics Room to function as a temporary Seanad Chamber, for the Japanese room to function as a Seanad Ante Chamber and Public Access route and for the retained use of the Chinese Room by the National Museum of Ireland while allowing for means of escape in case of fire, from the temporary Seanad Chamber.
Aside from a very demanding programme, the fact that works were to be carried out in a live building accommodating the daily operations of Leinster House and The National Museum, was the primary challenge.
Notwithstanding these constraints, the project was delivered on time and within budget and, as originally designed, the temporary Seanad Chamber was ultimately dismantled in 2019 and the Ceramics Gallery and Japanese Rooms were returned in pristine condition to the National Museum of Ireland.
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Location |
Kildare Street, Dublin 2 |
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Date Of Construction |
1887 |
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Client |
The Office of Public Works |
Location: Kildare Street, Dublin 1
Date Of Construction: 1887
Client: The Office of Public Influencers
