Pivot Dublin bid book

Page 1

1 PIVOT DUBLIN



Turn design inside out

3 PIVOT DUBLIN


[world premiere]

ABBEY THEATRE

CHRisT DElivER Us! (AfTER WEDEkinD)

THomAs kilRoY

Christ Deliver Us Abbey Theatre Poster, Zero G

4 PIVOT DUBLIN

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts


Bubble exhibition Science Gallery, Detail

5 PIVOT DUBLIN

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts

PIVOT DUBLIN 5


Dublin photo series photo by Aidan Kelly

6 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by Aidan Kelly


House 1 + House 2 TAKA Architects, photo by Alice Clancy

Kilkenny Design Workshop Archive Images

PIVOT DUBLIN 7


Sexy pigeons photo by Rich Gilligan

8 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by Designing Dublin, Learning to learn initiative


Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

9 PIVOT DUBLIN

Synth Eastwood photo by Jeannie O’Brien


The Secret of Kells Cartoon Saloon

10 PIVOT DUBLIN

Seomra Opening Gordon Byrne


Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

11 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

PIVOT DUBLIN 11


Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Monocle

12 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

O’Connell Street Regeneration Dublin City Council and Mitchell + Associates Landscape Architects


Turn design inside out

why dublin? Dublin is a paradox. It’s high and low, pristine and well-worn, playful and intense. Dublin provokes and engages. It’s absurd and serious, shambolic and sharp. It’s divided yet connected by a myriad of walls and fences, barriers that are often the very place for interaction and negotiation. We meet there, rest there, talk there, argue and reconcile there. Dublin is mountains and sea, swerve of shore and bend of bay. Dublin has history; it has deep roots, constantly refreshed. We are a social city; one that is vibrant, chaotic and quirky. We are a city built on relationships, open to conversation, full of ideas and always ready for debate. We are a creative city, small and nimble, willing to change and always looking for the extraordinary in the everyday. This sense of our own character, of being Dubliners, is what empowers us to reach into the future and create new ways of living. Dublin is not about dour perfection or timeless monotony. Dublin is about people, relationships, creativity and culture. It’s about the value of difference. It’s about everything that’s possible when people, relationships, creativity and culture collide.

PIVOT DUBLIN 13


why now?

why pivot?

The world is at a pivot point. The systems and structures of the 20thcentury are crumbling away and we must adopt new approaches to how we live, work, engage with one another and interact with the planet. Dublin finds itself at a confluence of these global forces, forced to pause, reflect and renew. Dubliners recognise the need for change, the need to reshape our city and its place in the world. We must look to our strengths as we try to navigate a sustainable path through these social, cultural, and economic changes.

A pivot is a centre point around which movement occurs. It creates a departure point, a fulcrum, an angle from which to proceed; a step in the process of lining up for the next move. It suggests success, urgency and decisiveness. PIVOT Dublin is our response to Dublin’s unleashed potential to use design as the vehicle to turn things ‘inside out’; to become something else. PIVOT Dublin is a declaration of our intent to offer Dublin as a test bed for design solutions to local, national and global challenges. We will look at things afresh, rethink the ground-rules and change them for the better. It’s a chance to reinvent the city, to make the undervalued valued, the ordinary extraordinary.

why design? Design is about the exchange and development of ideas. It requires communication, networking and negotiation. These are our strengths. They have manifested themselves in a global network of connections and relationships that give both Ireland and Dublin strength and influence beyond their size. We talk to the world in Dublin, and to Dubliners around the world. We connect with our friends through our humanitarian networks, aid organisations and volunteers. These are our resources. Good design starts with the user’s perspective; it visualises complex concepts; it prototypes solutions in context; it values invention over established precedent. These skills come naturally to Dubliners. Dubliners empathise; we look at the world through the eyes of others. Dubliners are storytellers; we visualise through language. Being a Dubliner is being part of a conversation; we test ideas through debate. We value irreverence and find it easy to learn new ways. This bid is an opportunity to tell our story about our design capacity and our innate ability as Dubliners to design. It’s an opportunity to showcase Irish designers at home and abroad, an opportunity to explore new design ideas which address local need yet have global relevance.

14 PIVOT DUBLIN

pivot dublin – turn design inside out Irish design landmarks include legacies of ancient and medieval art such as the Book of Kells and the golden treasures of Gaelic and Viking cultures, through to the establishment of Kilkenny Design Workshops, the world’s first government design agency, in the 1960s. In the following pages you will discover a city where design is now a central theme in a major process of regeneration and recovery. Co-creation in design is central to initiatives across all scales; whether from the city and county library building programmes, the ‘Designing Dublin’ project, and the tiny ‘Lilliput’ - a collaboration between children and Dublin City craftsmen. The children imagined how they would transform a dead street in their neighbourhood and described this in words only to the craftsmen who turned the dream into a reality. ‘Your Dublin, Your Voice!’ - a survey open to all Dubliners to express what they love and loathe about their city, and to offer their ideas for positive change - is helping the city to understand issues and design changes for the better. A rounded approach to user’s social and cultural needs has been a key element of the regenerations which have taken place across the


city region in the last ten years and in an integrated urban regeneration project being undertaken by South Dublin County Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Universal design principles drive usercentred regeneration in projects such as 24 Hour Universal Design Challenge, the redevelopment of the Grafton Street retail area and the Tallaght Zip. Sustainable design is embedded in our strategic policies and in initiatives such as the Open Spaces Strategy in Dún Laoghaire, the greening of Dublin’s fire stations and the Rediscovery Centre. IBM’s ‘Smarter Cities’ programme, run jointly with Dublin City Council, employs hi-tech research in the redesign of infrastructure and services. Dublin City is twinned with Barcelona, San Jose, Liverpool and soon with Beijing. Dublin is a city of many designers and design achievements as set out in Dr. Linda King’s essay ‘Irish Design: History, Context and Possibilities, 1900-2011’ at the end of this document. Our strengths in animation are well known, as is the work of Irish fashion designers such as Orla Kiely, Philip Treacy and John Rocha. Irish architects compete at the highest international levels, as is evidenced by Dublin firm Grafton Architects winning the 2008 World Building of the Year award, or the Grand Egyptian Museum designed by Heneghan Peng. Bray-based Design Partners’ product design is internationally recognised, exhibited at MOMA and has won several Red Dot awards. Dublin is the birthplace of many internationally known businesses with strong design identities and hosts the European headquarters for many more. A younger generation is working in Dublin with a fearlessness to their ideas consistent with the Irish history of going out into the world, of finding our own paths in new territories. Traditional design endeavours, such as our well-known crafts and textiles industries, co-exist happily with new media and technological research.

15 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin has a thriving informal design scene. While recent economic times have been hard in Dublin, we have seen a powerful surge of design energy in the city. As one commentator put it, this is not a recession – it’s a renaissance. The recent growth of events in Dublin – OFFSET, Hard Working Class Heroes Festival, Mindfield, Absolut Fringe, Darklight, the IxDA 2012 Conference (the first to be held outside the US) are examples of this energy. Dublin’s demographic transformation into one of the most multi-cultural capitals in Europe has undoubtedly had a role to play in this. Dublin is a city where diversity co-exists and builds an exciting sense of experimentation and possibility in design. The world’s need for fresh ideas has never been greater. We want you to join us in Dublin and, with us, imagine ideas that engage, that connect, that make us lighter, that make us flow, that make us smile. Dublin is a tantalising place to be, a place where there is an opportunity for ‘chance to favour the connected mind’1.

We invite everyone to come and join in the PIVOT Dublin conversation to turn design inside out.

1 Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, Author Steven Johnson promotes the view that “chance favors the connected mind” and “fluid networks” of idea-sharing where the interest in connecting ideas trumps the interest in protecting them.

PIVOT DUBLIN 15


The Good Bits Make It Work Design

16 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by David Wall


Arms identity Studio AAD

Axis Ballymun Theatre

PIVOT DUBLIN 17


Synth Eastwood Homemade Men Photo by Jeannie O’Brien

18 PIVOT DUBLIN

‘The wounded knees’ project in Phoenix Park Swollen, photo by Sean and Yvette Photography


Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

19 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn


Dublin photo series photo by Aidan Kelly

20 PIVOT DUBLIN

Logitech universal remote control designed by Matthew Bates at Design Partners


Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts

21 PIVOT DUBLIN

Father Collins Park, Abelleyro + Romero Architects & MCO Projects, photo by Anthony Woods


Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

22 PIVOT DUBLIN

Northbrook Road thirtythreetrees Landscape Architects


Luigi Bocconi University Milan Grafton Architects

23 PIVOT DUBLIN

The LAB book Creative Inc

PIVOT DUBLIN 23


Kevin Finn Finn Creative/Open Manifesto

Se谩n Mongey Junior

Conor Clarke Design Factory

Ronan Devlin Little Seal

Richard Gilligan Photography

Joe Coll Hello darling

Keith McGuinness Red&Grey Design

Ciara Cantwell Associate

Noel Greene Evolve

Andrew Brady & Gear贸id Carvill abgc architects

Conor & David

Aisling Farinella Styling Rich Gilligan Photography

Ciaran O Gaora Zero G

David Joyce Language

Detail

24 PIVOT DUBLIN


Declan & Garech The Stone Twins

Bob Gray Red&Grey Design

Red Dog

Love Design

Chris Haughton Illustration

Conor Swanton DDFH&B

Paul Kelly Design

Monika Crowley McConnells Advertising

Scott Burnett Studio AAD

Unthink

Zero G

Chris Judge Illustration

Paul Hughes Lava

Barry Sheehan

New Graphic

pivot dublin covers Throughout the PIVOT Dublin bid process we have involved a huge variety of Irish creative minds, through case studies, interviews, photography, illustration and participation in one of our four films. To establish a true reflection of Dublin’s creativity we also asked thirty people to create a PIVOT Dublin cover. They include; designers, architects, illustrators and photographers, etc. from both home and abroad including The Stone Twins, Conor & David, Chris Judge, Richie Gilligan and many many more.

25 PIVOT DUBLIN


Conversations Dialogue

CatDog Detail

26 PIVOT DUBLIN

28 272

people

information dublin

General Information (Q 1, 2)

34

Logistics (Q 4, 5, 6, 7)

72

Government (Q 3)

64

Cultural Infrastructure (Q 8)

92

Public Health (Q 9)

112

Finances (Q 10)

116


pivot dublin

open questions

thank you

123

Attendance (Q 14)

150

Promotion (Q 15)

154

Design Infrastructure (Q 16)

162

Design Industry (Q 17, 18)

170

Irish Design: History, Context and Possibilities, 1900 - 2011

396

Design Education (Q 19, 20, 21)

190 Irish Design Timeline 1900 - 2011

405

Public Appreciation (Q 22, 23, 24, 25)

208

Designers (Q 26, 27, 28, 29)

242

Public Investment (Q 30)

256

Neighbourhoods/Areas (Q 31, 32)

260

Architecture (Q 33, 34)

276

Interior Design (Q 35, 36)

300

Urban Design (Q 37, 38)

310

Sustainable Design (Q 39)

328

Industrial Design (Q 40)

338

Communication Design (Q 41)

348

Testimonials (Q 42)

358

27 PIVOT DUBLIN

Open Questions (Q 43, 44)

370

393

Programme (Q 11, 12, 13)

Acknowledgements

PIVOT DUBLIN 27


Conversations

Convers DS

The Long House

SR

COG

DM

Jen Kelly House

JR

DK SM NW

28 PIVOT DUBLIN


Conversations

KBOD

EM

GB MJG

Sam Stephonsen’s House AD

RY

Conversations is a series of three short films, shot in a range of architecturally significant homes in Dublin. These intimate exchanges feature designers and people with diverse opinions on design, engaged in lively, thought-provoking discussions on a range of design related themes. They capture honest, passionate discussions between a group of five people, each representing a different discipline. The films feature contemporary ‘thought leaders’ discussing - ‘Place’, ‘Well Being’ and ‘Systems’. These concepts permeate a series of free-flowing conversations that focus on the potential of Dublin as World Design Capital

29 PIVOT DUBLIN

MD

and what PIVOT Dublin’s legacy could be, and have fed into PIVOT Dublin’s four proposed themes: Connecting Cities, Making Cities Lighter, Making Cities Flow, and Making Cities Smile. Because this is Dublin, you can be sure that the conversations are stimulating, enthusiastic and energetic. But you don’t have to take our word for it, because the films are on your USB key. Enjoy.

PIVOT DUBLIN 29


Conversations

Conversations

Episode 1 Place

(est. mid-flow conversation group discussing SM’s innovative glasses)

DS: Did you see the glasses by Eve Behar, he designed for the Mexican children, a huge issue in Mexico is education, partly because of eyesight. There wasn’t enough opthalmologists there, so this famous French American based designer came up with the cheapest, flexible specs you can buy. Getting the kids to wear them was the next stage, so they have interchangeable frames. The lens are always fixed but you can just throw away the frames...so they’re indestructible and he just gave it to the Mexican government and said there you go, that’s your project. This then had a massive impact on literacy standards and engaging with schools. GB: In terms of our culture, design for us has been all about fundamental things, and design for need. The word design didn’t even come into the Irish vocabulary for a long time but when you look back at the vernacular and the furniture it was all pieces that were borne out of essentialism. SM: what’s most staggering about the current crisis is that it displays a weakness and what’s wonderful about where we are now is that we’re in a position where we can underpin and reconstruct ourselves and we have to do it in such a way that’s so radical and so challenging because none of the other systems work. There’s a void. There’s something incredibly interesting about that moment in our culture that we have an opportunity to really think about our sense of identity and reconstruct ourselves, challenging all the systems because no-body believes in them anymore. It’s actually a very fertile time from that point of view... AD: One of the best times for Dublin to demonstrate what a city of design is, is in a recession when there’s no money.

Contributors: Damini Kumar – NUIM (DK) David Smith – Atelier David Smith (DS) Angela Dorgan – First Music Contact (AD) Shelley McNamara – Grafton Architects (SM) Gordon Byrne – Gordon Byrne Design (GB) Recording Date: January 22nd Location: The Long House, Dublin 4

SM

There’s something incredibly interesting about that moment in our culture that we have an opportunity to really think about our sense of identity and reconstruct ourselves, challenging all the systems because no-body believes in them anymore. DS: I’m not going to say do it right, but do it better and in doing it better I think design is an essential kind of tool that can be lead us there. To me, regardless of practice or medium, a good design makes things better and it’s an improvement in many areas. It can be a material improvement, it can be an economic improvement or an efficiency improvement. We are almost compelled to articulate it in a more complex or sophisticated way because our audience, our consumer, or our constituents don’t have that simple grasp of it as being integral to making things better. AD: I think there’s a potential designer in every citizen in the city. DK: To me personally it’s about meeting the users needs and also unmet needs. Design knows about the user’s experience, how they feel when they interact and it’s not only products, it’s also services.

30 PIVOT DUBLIN


Installation OFFSET show, Alan Clarke

31 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 31


Conversations

SM: What’s interesting about what your saying is that there’s so much discussion about cities and design of new places in cities and there’s so many complex arguments and debates but in the end it is very much to do with our ability to come back to basics so to speak. Say, how do you feel when you walk down the street? or how do you make a street where you feel good? how can you hear the birds in the city? I mean it’s actually having to imagine, to go back. AD: Yes, and I think that’s where the physical meets the individual. Is that how a city designs itself? Is that then the challenge for being a city of design? SM: It’s exactly that, the physical and the individual, and the individual within the community. DS: You know you have to start at human scale, you have to think of your user and that’s an aspect you can then build upon but ultimately your user is your public. DS: That’s one of the real strengths of the Irish creative sector that despite the adverse economic climate and all the difficulties that we look into I think that designers, weather through idealism or not, they still are coming up with ideas, they’re still imagining a better city, a better way, and lot of it may demand political change but good designers are recognising simple ways of making connections, focusing on the community and thinking about our city differently and I don’t think that the difficulties that we are facing will stop us. DK: See, the beauty of this whole situation, looking at it in a positive light is that the design process itself is about learning from mistakes and learning from failure. That is a key fundamental to any innovation, product service etc. That is the design process, we have creatives, we have the culture, we have the place and the size of Dublin is a big advantage as well. I love the fact I can walk across the city. GB: It’s about optimism as well, something that had been lost, beaten out of us in the last year or two. SM: Do you think it’s lost? DS

That’s one of the real strengths of the Irish creative sector that despite the adverse economic climate and all the difficulties that we look into I think that designers, weather through idealism or not, they still are coming up with ideas, they’re still imagining a better city, a better way, and lot of it may demand political change but good designers are recognising simple ways of making connections, …

GB: I think we’re all bashed and bruised at the moment. If there is optimism, it’s punch-drunk, but I think it is shattered. Even in architecture, if you look at the big established companies or firms, a lot of them have imploded and they’re all shattered and splintered. Then you get a lot of these kind of people with optimism setting up different practices. SM: Well it’s about time that the whole process was challenged because it’s rubbish that it is presumed that if you’re small you can’t do something big. It’s not real. GB: Something that is quite unique about Dublin and Ireland is that formalities are broken down naturally. DK: Collaboration and communication – they are all naturally here in this city. AD: It’s happening very organically and no-one’s holding their contact book close to their chest. We’re just not that country, not that city.

House Projects Books Atelier David Smith

32 PIVOT DUBLIN


People

33 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 33


General Information Response to questions 1, 2

34 PIVOT DUBLIN

People


People

General Information

the bidding entity 1.

Introduction to bidding entity

A. Define and describe the bidding entity, agency, or consortium.

This bid has been prepared as a joint venture between the four local authorities of the greater Dublin area: Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council. It is led and coordinated by City Architect’s Division, Dublin City Council. B. Identify the designated contact person for the WDC bid process. This person will be responsible to all correspondence regarding the WDC 2014 bid process. please provide the following information:

name: Ali Grehan title: City Architect organisation: Dublin City Council mailing address: Dublin City Council, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. telephone number: +353 1 2223322 fax number: +353 1 222 2084 email address: ali.grehan@dublincity.ie

C. If this application is being prepared by a consortium, describe the individual responsibilities of each organisation in preparing the bid.

D. Give an overview of the administrative structure and decision-making protocols for the bidding entity. An organisational chart may be included for clarification

Dublin region has four Local Authorities; Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council. Each is a large organisation. Each has an elected Council, made up of locally elected politicians, a Mayor and a Chief Executive designated as Dublin City Manager, Fingal County Manager, South Dublin County Manager and Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Manager respectively. Each of the Local Authorities has their own executive and budgets. The Manager is supported directly by Directors of Service and, in the case of Dublin City Council, by Assistant City Managers and Executive Managers. Each employs substantial in-house design teams of Architects, Engineers and Planners and Arts and Community Cultural Programmers. The Managers of the four Local Authorities meet formally on a monthly basis and as required to agree strategies and organisational matters for the Dublin Region. The websites of the four local authorities provide further information: www.dublincity.ie www.fingalcoco.ie www.sdcc.ie www.dlrcoco.ie

Decisions are made by order of the Manager and particular functions are delegated to named senior managers throughout the four organisations. E.

If the bidding entity is not from within a level of government of the bidding city, please provide a confirmation that you have received approval from your local government to act on behalf of your municipality to make a commitment to WDC 2014. List the relevant levels of government who support the bid.

N/A

N/A F. If the bidding entity is not from within a level of government of the bidding city, provide the following contact information for the city representative responsible for overseeing the bid process:

N/A

35 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 35


General Information

People

a whistlestop tour of dublin 2.

General Introduction to the city

A. Provide a general overview of the city. This can include, but need not be limited to: geographic orientation, city layout, infrastructure, unique character, and lifestyle aspects.

It is easy to build a picture of a city through a recitation of facts, such as: population - over 1,000,000; city area - 114.99 ksq; primary language spoken - English. And of course this represents one version of the city; these facts are true. But it tells nothing about the life here, about what it feels like to live here, about the true stories that intersect and interact to make the city come alive. Although us Dubliners are unsentimental about our city, we have real love for it, in all its glory and its grit. It is a social and sociable city, multi-cultural and cultured, youthful and vibrant, and we are proud of our international reputation as great hosts. Love for our city runs deep in us. As James Joyce said, “When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.” The landscape of Dublin is the mountains and the plains, the river, the shore and the curve of the bay. It is green and blue, sandy and stony, urban and rural. some facts about dublin Dublin is the primate and capital city of Ireland It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath (Bal-yeh Awe-hah Clee-ah) This means “Town of the hurdled ford”, referring to a bridging point over the Liffey The English name is derived from the Irish Dubh Linn (meaning “black pool”) This pool is located in the grounds of Dublin Castle and is where Vikings moored their boats when first founding the city Area: City 114.99 ksq (44.4 sq mi) Urban 921 ksq (355.6 sq mi)

36 PIVOT DUBLIN


General Information

People

B. What is the population of the city?

The following figures are taken from the 2006 Census (the most recent available):Â Â city core: 506,211. density: 4,398/ksq (11,390.8/sq miles). dublin city region: 1,049,769. metropolitan area:1,661,185.

Trolley fire photo by Rich Gilligan

37 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by Aidan Kelly

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts

Ballymun Regeneration photo by Eamonn Elliott

PIVOT DUBLIN 37


People

General Information

1

2

3

4

Green Dublin

1 2 3 4

Fingal County Council Dublin City Council South Dublin County Council Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council

“ It has a great size, it is on the sea, you can get anywhere in half an hour. Landing in Dublin and seeing the sea and mountains is amazing.” Eilis McGovern, President, Royal College of Surgeons

38 PIVOT DUBLIN


General Information

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts

39 PIVOT DUBLIN

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Monocle

People

Food Market in Temple Bar photo by Temple Bar Cultural Trust


People

General Information

river liffey 1

2

3

Metropolitan Dublin

1 2 3

Greater Dublin Region Dublin City Region Dublin City Core

“ Dublin is rapidly becoming the multilingual internet capital of Europe and Google is proud to be leading the charge on this …” David Martin, Director, Geo Operations for Google in Europe.

40 PIVOT DUBLIN


General Information

People

dublin: a metropolitan capital how does dublin work? The four local authorities of Dublin City (city core), Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown comprise the Dublin City Region. This is the administrative and political capital of Ireland, and home to over a quarter of Ireland’s overall population (April 2009)1. The Region is the economic driver and employment hub of the state; accounting for just under 40% of economic output. Metropolitan Dublin includes the mid-eastern counties of Meath, Kildare, Wicklow and Dublin with a population of 1.6 million. The “Celtic Tiger” boom years 1991-2006 saw an unprecedented transformation of its urban and suburban landscape and by 2006, over 30% of all existing homes in the counties of Metropolitan Dublin had been constructed during this boom.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust Event opening

O’Connell Street An Lár, City Centre

41 PIVOT DUBLIN

1

www.cso.ie

1

Redrawing Dublin, Paul Kearnes and Motti Ruimy, 2010

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts


General Information

Kilkenny Design Workshop Archive objects

42 PIVOT DUBLIN

Ballyfermot Leisure Centre McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects, photo by Richard Hatch

People


General Information

People

Ridge Silver designed by Cara Murphy

productive dublin dublin is productive, young, diverse and cultured. dublin has dubliners! Dublin is hard-working and working hard. We are home to 15 of the world’s top 20 medical technologies companies and nine of the ten largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Seven out of ten blockbuster medicines (medicines generating more than $1 billion) are manufactured here. Information and communication giants such as Hewlett Packard, Intel and Analog Devices are located in Ireland. They are forging links with indigenous companies such as Powervation, who are providing one of the essential elements of Intel’s microprocessor. Havok’s 3D animation technology is also embedded in Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony games development, and is a core component in Autodesk’s flagship 3D modelling programme 3ds Max. Dublin also has an internationally recognised financial services centre (IFSC) which employs over 25,000. It was ranked the 13th leading Financial Centre in the world in 2009. Half of the world’s top 50 banks and half the world’s top 20 insurance companies are located here, and Dublin has been ranked in the ‘Top 10 Places in the World to do Business’ by the World Bank. The IFSC was developed to boost financial activity and employment in Dublin but it was also a catalyst for urban regeneration in north inner city Dublin, and was the predecessor to the Dublin Docklands development. Irish craft is famous around the world for its heritage (which stretches back through medieval to ancient times) and its modernity. Today Irish pottery, glass, ceramics, furniture and textiles are much sought after.

43 PIVOT DUBLIN

Havok Gaming

PIVOT DUBLIN 43


General Information

‘Love the City’ Designing Dublin Learning to learn initiative

44 PIVOT DUBLIN

Father Collins Park Abelleyro + Romero Architects & MCO Projects

People


People

General Information

young dublin Dublin is a young capital and, with birth rates in Ireland in 2008 at a 113 year high, a veritable baby boom is under way. In 2008, Ireland recorded over 18 births per 1000 people, the highest in Europe. Again in 2009, Ireland had the highest birth rate in Europe and this trend looks set to continue for 2010. Our population is the youngest in Europe. 20.6 per cent of Ireland’s population is aged under 14, the highest proportion in the EU and compared with an EU average of 15.7%. Ireland has the youngest workforce in Europe, with 36% under 25 years of age.

Pyjama Girls movie directed by Maya Derrington

45 PIVOT DUBLIN

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts


People

General Information

5 8

6

1 4 7

3

2

Open Dublin

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

IBM Microsoft Zynga LinkedIn eBay Facebook Google Paypal

Google 46 PIVOT DUBLIN


General Information

People

Usual Suspects The Stone Twins

an impressive global reach On the world map, Ireland is a small island at the edge of Europe. However, our global reach is nothing short of remarkable. This is down to our diaspora and our diversity. Ireland is a land marked by the ebb and flow of people. We have experienced periods of mass emigration and times where prosperity has encouraged thousands to come here and build a life for themselves and their families. Ireland has a hugely impressive diaspora. There are an estimated 80 million people worldwide that are of Irish origin. At the same time, Dublin is now more diverse then it has ever been. The city is home to people from 188 of the world’s 195 independent states. About 15% of Dublin’s population in 2006 was made up of non-Irish nationals. New communities thriving in the city include: Asian and African communities, alongside those from the recently joined EU states such as; Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia. This change in the city’s population coincided with, and contributed to, Dublin’s rapid economic growth. The world’s citizens have become significant force in the Irish jobs market, from the service industry sector to the forefront of the high technology design sector. Dublin is now emerging as the up and coming “new media” capital of Europe. A multi-lingual Dublin has aided in the decision making process of major multi-national corporations such as Google, Facebook and IBM to locate here. A truly multi-national, multi-lingual and open Dublin has been the single most positive legacy of the boom.

47 PIVOT DUBLIN

Summer 2011 Silk Linen Tunic Dress Orla Kiely


General Information

People

The Irish Abroad

o

edinburgh glasgow liverpool bristol dublin london ams portsmoth paris

newfoundland new brunswick Tess Casey Floral set design

quebec chicago

montreal boston new york

san francisco los angeles

mexico

madrid lisbon

philadelphia baltimore

bermuda puerto jamaica rico montserrat barbados

Jane Delahunty Sugru Designer

columbia Brian Cronin Illustrator

Richard Baneham Animator, BAFTA and Academy Award winning animator

Orla Kiely Fashion Designer

Philip Tracey Hat Designer

chile buenos aires

Ăšna Burke Fashion Designer 48 PIVOT DUBLIN

barcelo malaga


General Information

People

Over 80 million Irish worldwide Brian Kearney Industrial Designer at Tonfish

Elizabeth Francis Architect Dean Caffrey Audi Designer

The Stone Twins Graphic Designers

Pauric Sweeney Designer

M&E Graphic Designers

Vidhya Mohankumar Urban Designer

Kevin Finn Founder, editor and designer of Open Manifesto

the irish abroad

pivot dublin bloggers

USA 41 m Canada 4 m UK 6 m Mexico .09 m Argentina .7 m Australia 1.9 m

USA Daryl K, Fashion ,New York Asia Tess Casey, New York Elaine Edmunds, Urban Planner, Beijing Europe Vidhya Mohankumar, Urban Design, India Sam Russell, Industrial Designer, Oslo/Dublin Australia Brian McGuinn, Glasses Designer, London Katie Quinn, Photographer, Melbourne

49 PIVOT DUBLIN


General Information

People

GAA Worldwide

os newfoundland edmonton wolfe tones new brunswick calgary chieftains quebec vancouver irish sporting north east usa 26 clubs montreal seattle gaels chicago toronto 9 clubs boston mid west san francisco 9 clubs york new york new 29 clubs central usa 16 clubs philadelphia philadelphia los angeles 9 clubs baltimore western mid atlantic usa 15 clubs

2 clubs

south east usa south west usa 8 clubs

mexico

4 clubs

bermuda puerto jamaicacayman rico islands montserrat barbados

columbia

argentina chile

5 clubs

buenos aires source: GAA Overseas Units, Contact Information booklet, by GAA Overseas Workgroup, GAA, Croke Park, Dublin 3. | Local Clubs Websites and Blogs Worldwide

50 PIVOT DUBLIN

edinburgh glasgow liverpool co bristol dublin uk dublin net london72 clubs ams bruss portsmoth club luxembourg paris france 12 clubs zur inn barcelon madrid spain lisbon malaga 4 clubs


General Information

People

Over 6,000 GAA members worldwide

gaa clubs overseas USA 105 clubs New York 40 clubs Canada 15 clubs Cayman Islands 8 clubs Argentina 5 clubs Europe 28 clubs

51 PIVOT DUBLIN

UK London Scotland Yorkshire Warwickshire Hertfordshire

30 clubs 7 clubs 7 clubs 16 clubs 18 clubs

Gloucestershire 4 clubs Jersey Irish GAA club 1 club Guernsey gaels 1 club Asia 16 clubs Australia 44 clubs


General Information

People

Irish global aid organisations

os

edinburgh glasgow liverpool bristol dublin dublinlondon ams portsmoth paris

newfoundland new brunswick quebec chicago san francisco los angeles

montreal boston new york

madrid lisbon

philadelphia baltimore

salvador

barcelon malaga

gambia

bermuda guatemala jamaica haitipuerto mexico rico honduras montserrat barbados

sierra leone

nicaragua

liberia

niger

tcha

rwand

columbia

co

bolivia brazil

peru

chile buenos aires source: www.concern.net | www.trocaire.org | www.goal.ie | www.gorta.org | www.oxfamireland.org | www mrfcj.org | www.siliconrepublic.com | linkedin.com | www.nmtownshiptrust.com | www. overtone.co.za | www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gina-Heraty-Fund-for-Haiti/191754954966 | www.chernobylchildrenstrust.ie

52 PIVOT DUBLIN


General Information

People

Working in 54 countries worldwide

irish global charities • Concern • Trócaire • Goal • Gorta • Oxfam Ireland • Mary Robinson Foundation

53 PIVOT DUBLIN

• Digicel Haiti Relief Fund • Design Without Borders • Niall Mellon Irish Township Trust • NPH (Little Brothers and Sisters in Christ Orphanage) • Chernobyl Children’s Trust


People

General Information

os newfoundland new brunswick quebec chicago san francisco los angeles Angela’s bike Sean & Yvette Photography

montreal boston new york

madrid lisbon

philadelphia baltimore

mexico

bermuda puerto jamaica rico montserrat barbados

columbia

chile buenos aires

Pop-up Hip-po freestanding structure abgc architecture and design

54 PIVOT DUBLIN

edinburgh glasgow liverpool bristol dublin london ams portsmoth paris

barcelon malaga


People

General Information

culture, culture and more culture 93% of visitors to the city say that “Dublin has a rich cultural life”. It’s hard to argue with a statistic like that! Culture in Dublin is everywhere; it flows like blood through our lifestyle, heritage, arts and people. Whether it is the beauty of the Book of Kells, the voices of the Abbey Theatre, the Sunday stroll through Trinity College, the vibrant arts and music scene in Temple Bar or the craic of a shared pint between friends… all have some cultural significance for the people of the city. Dublin is steeped in a rich history of literature, music and theatre. Dublin is about storytelling and conversation, putting forth new ideas and challenging them. This is also what design is about. Design is articulating a new way of achieving something, telling a story, then challenging that idea to ensure its advancement, to create conversation. Dublin is a design city, Dublin is irreverent and off the wall and so is design; design is a new way of doing things, an ongoing experimentation that aims to make life better. Over the last decade, Dublin’s design community and culture has been revolutionised into a thriving hive of commercial and academic activity across a variety of design disciplines. Today, designers are conversing with the public in new and inventive ways via online portals, blogs, public exhibitions, interactive installations, pop-up spaces and social networks. The conversation is heating up and Dublin’s designers are at the centre of it!

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts

55 PIVOT DUBLIN

‘lecool’ city guide cover January 14-20 2010 Fergal McCarthy

PIVOT DUBLIN 55


General Information

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Monocle

56 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin photo series photo by David Wall

People

Dublin photo series photo by Conor Nolan

Dublin photo series photo by Aidan Kelly


People

General Information

meet the dubliners Visitors to Dublin regularly say that their favourite thing about the city is its people. So who are we, the people of Dublin? As a people, we are known to be funny and smart, opinionated and contradictory, capricious and constant. We welcome people, laugh with them, tell them everything that’s wrong with our city, and all the reasons why we would never leave it!

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Business to Arts

What do Dubliners think of the World Design Capital 2014 bid?

Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

Chinese New Year photo by Jason Clarke Photography

“ Something great could happen, our kids will know what design means.” “ It is an opportunity to make every citizen aware good design is a right.” The above quotes are paraphrased from the summary of the workshops contained in Dublin World Design Capital – The Potential for Dublin to mount a bid for the designation – April 2010.

57 PIVOT DUBLIN


People

General Information

‘Love the City’ participants Designing Dublin, Learning to learn initiative

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Dublin Wheel at night Phoenix Park plane watching Scrambler park East Wall Swimming in the Docklands The day Dusty Lawlor died New friends in the City Milk & Cookies Swans flying down the Liffey Grand Canal Dock basin South Wall walk The delights of clouds and sun Dublin’s light Liberties Market Sunset over the Liffey

58 PIVOT DUBLIN

15 Remembrance and homelessness 16 Polar bear in the Natural History Museum 17 Wittgenstein plaque 18 Broom Bridge 19 Mirrored Wall 20 Fish in the lights on the Dockland Quays 21 Mosaics on Busaras 22 Freemasons hall 23 Seeing the City with new eyes 24 Maryland 25 The Rose Garden Trinity College 26 Lampposts in Merrion Square 27 Mummies of St Michan’s Church

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

The monkeys playing pool The Heaters Bingo Bridge aka Samuel Beckett Bridge The Cruise Free STD screening in James’ Hospital The Liberties Chinese hairdressers Café Bell Coffee House Sunlight Chambers Dawson Lounge Old Burton Building Thomas House Pub Smyths toy shop

42 Why Go Bald? 43 The Forty Steps 44 John’s Lane Church 45 Trees trees are good for your heart, the more they eat the more you bark 46 A secret garden that isn’t so secret anymore 47 Library Bar 48 The stain glass in the National Library 49 The room over Front Arch, Trinity College 50 The Boardwalk 51 Soccer at The Wellington Monument 52 Chimney Park


People

General Information

17

61

97

98

92 68 99 59

53

41

3

21 57

4 75

50

89

62

56

14

34

96

27

83

71

8

5

37

66

44

78 40

74 13

84 90

65

33

43

77

7

80 39

55

29 47

73

49

85

42

93

64

87 95

88

19 25

70

35

9

60

36

22

28 48

10 67 86

23 16

38 54

52

76

101 32

1

30 94

82

20

15

26

63 58

69

24

100

79

91

6 72

81

Love the City

a designing dublin project 101 things dubliners love about the city

53 Dance House 54 Bohemia vintage shop 55 Chester Beatty roof garden 56 Old Chimney 57 Berlin Opticians 58 Cocktails in Green Nineteen 59 The Rock Bric-A-Brack Shop 60 Misery Hill 61 Blessington Basin 62 Adifferentkettleoffishaltogether 63 Marsh’s Library 64 Francis Street (Iveagh) Market 65 Art Deco buildings 66 The Brazen Head

67 Boat ride from the Liffey to Dublin Bay sights 68 The Bus 69 The Parkies 70 Buskers 71 GPO Garden 72 Saint Kevin’s Park 73 Campanile in Trinity College (Bell Tower) 74 Aviary in the Clock Bar’s smoking area 75 Liffey Goddess 76 Hidden Bookshop 77 Little bird house in Temple Bar 78 The Back Loft

59 PIVOT DUBLIN

79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91

Independent Youth Theatre Letter Box Iveagh Gardens Chicken Coop The Complex Isolde’s Tower Shake’s Milkshake Bar Periwinkle picking Diving Bell for fixing walls on River Liffey The Screen Cinema Tea Garden Cast Lips Sunday Night Samba in the Odeon

92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101

Henrietta Street Burdock’s Chipper Forbidden Planet shop on the Quays Graffiti on Windmill Lane Mary’s Abbey Gigantic bottles of Korean Beer Tree at Kings Inns swallowed by a bench Moore Street Mall The Canal Dublin’s Terra Cotta warriors


General Information

Alto Vetro Shay Cleary Architects, photo by Ros Kavanagh

60 PIVOT DUBLIN

Synth Eastwood

People

Dublin images photo by Conor Nolan


People

General Information

C. What is Dublin’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the city?

Dublin GDP in 20o7 was 54,282 euro per person (approx. 71,800 dollars) – according to Central Statistics Office figures.

Gregory Dunn Dublin photo images

61 PIVOT DUBLIN

Illustration design by Kevin McSherry

Liffey Theatre Architecture Republic


Conversations

GB: I take an hour to capture a sense of the city, where I wouldn’t have before and I have that time and I think people have that time now to reflect and express. GB: Dublin is just naturally creative and naturally innovative and all of these things that are identified as being the core essence of design. We have it in our blood and in our bones. SM: We know we will survive. We’re not huge, we’re manageable, we’re organic and we’re flexible. What I’d like to know is what does everyone here think of this new dilemma or challenge that architects have which is how do you make new communities, how do you make new pieces of a city? How do you continue within the tradition that you love about Dublin when everything is mitigating towards single-class, single-income, the marginalising of communities, all those huge problems. DS: But during the boom time that legislation wasn’t focused on design, it was maybe focused on development or on other issues. SM: Building and architecture are different things. Architecture has a vision and has meaning and it connects with place and culture. Building is building. It’s not harnessed about an idea, about a sense of culture, a sense of place, a sense of continuity, all of those which is what architecture is. There’s something about that thing of home and sitting around a table and how you can get home safe at night. It’s both the big and the small that we must consider with architecture and design. SM: While we have multiple close knit communities all over Dublin we also have communities that are not healthy. DK: I lived in apartments on and off in many cities and they can be wonderful, it just depends how they’re built. How you get in, security... DS: Richard Rogers wrote a book called ‘Cities for a Small Planet’. As a designer it was one of the principal books that resonated with me. In a sustainable city he spoke of around seven points. He said: culture was essential, that it was a beautiful city, that it was environmental, that it was economically viable but right at the top of the list was that the city was just and that it was equitable and fair.

DS

Dublin is just naturally creative and naturally innovative and all of these things that are identified as being the core essence of design. We have it in our blood and in our bones. SM: There is a Spanish Urbanist, Manuel de Solà-Morales, and he talks about urban acupuncture. It’s not just about making small changes, it’s about the strategic intervention that changes the whole body. If there are certain things that are blocked you need to unblock them and I do think that there are certain things which could have facilitated the development of new ways of living in Dublin. DS: A better way of living can only be achieved by changing our idea of what the city should be. We need to energize the city and bring new people into it. SM: The structure was too rigid in the past and didn’t allow for that kind of organic development of city to happen and city is an organic thing so this means a looser fit.

SM

Hurley Table Gordon Byrne

62 PIVOT DUBLIN

The structure was too rigid in the past and didn’t allow for that kind of organic development of city to happen and city is an organic thing so this means a looser fit.


Dublin photo series photo by Aidan Kelly

Glen Park Project Rhona Byrne, Atelier David Smith

63 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 63


Government Response to question 3

64 PIVOT DUBLIN

People


People

Government

3.

Provide letters from relevant levels of government (national, regional, local – Mayor or designated agency office) showing their support for the bid. These letters can be used to support and clarify the legal powers discussed in question 1E). March 3, 2011

to the distinguished members of the jury for the world design capital 2014 We are very pleased to participate in the Bid process for the World Design Capital in 2014 and we commend Icsid for their foresight in developing this designation. We also welcome the holistic approach taken to design and the compatibility of this approach with the Dublin Bid. National policy in Ireland recognizes that “creativity and design are key drivers of innovation, which is in turn a key driver of productivity growth”1, reiterating a consensus at European level on the “strong positive correlation between the use of design and national competitiveness.”2 The recent ‘Amsterdam Declaration’ urges EU Member States to implement systems and policies which foster the creative industries and unlock their potential towards the rejuvenation of Europe’s economy. This is about the design of systems, practices and services as much as the traditional design of ‘things’. In Dublin we are putting our city and county under the microscope to assess the challenges ahead after fifteen years of unprecedented economic prosperity. To do this we are involving the people of the city and promoting “design in the everyday”. Much has been spoken and written also about the need to develop Ireland as a Smart Economy3 and the key role the creative industries can play in achieving this. For the World Design Capital bid to contribute to the development of Ireland as a Smart Economy would be a huge success in itself. Designers represent an economic and cultural force in an era where the future of advanced countries rests on creativity and innovation, at home and abroad. That is why it is timely that Dublin and Ireland articulates its design capacity and potential through this Bid process. In doing so, we make a compelling bid for World Design Capital designation. We, the Dublin City and County Managers, on behalf of our respective local authorities, declare our commitment to working within the framework of the Bid proposal to ensure the success of Dublin as World Design Capital 2014.

John Tierney Dublin City Manager

Owen Keegan

David O’Connor

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Fingal County Manager County Manager

Joe Horan

South Dublin County Manager

1 Skills in Creativity Design and Innovation’, Forfás (Ireland’s policy advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation), 2009

2 EU Commission staff working document ‘Design as a Driver of User-Centred Innovation’, European Commission, 2009

3 ‘Building Irelands Smart Economy: A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal 2009–2014’ (Dec 2008)

65 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 65


Government

People

March 31, 2011 Offig an Taoisigh Office of the Taoiseach Letter of Endorsement Dublin World Design Capital 2014

to the distinguished members of the jury for the world design capital 2014 I am pleased to endorse the bid for Dublin to be the World Design Capital 2014. This contest is a very welcome initiative to promote and encourage the use of design to further the social, economic and cultural development of the world’s cities. Ireland is a country renowned for its performance in the creative including music, literature, film and animation. A key priority for my Government is to harness these traditional strengths and direct them not only towards economic growth and job creation but also to addressing social, economic and cultural challenges, many of which are global in their scope. Dublin is a distinctive and historic city renowned for its heritage and architecture as well as unique examples of modern and innovative design, a particular feature of our extensive infrastructural development of the past decade. Dublin is also known for an unusual warmth and friendliness not often observed in a capital city. For these reasons, it would be an ideal candidate to host the World Design Capital in 2014. The designation if awarded would provide a valuable opportunity for us to showcase Ireland’s vibrant design and creative industries while the invigoration provided by the proposed programme of events and projects would bring a renewed excitement and vibrancy to the city building on our experience as City of Science in 2012. I am pleased to support this initiative as a significant contribution to my Government’s ambitions for Ireland as a creative and innovative economy. Yours sincerely,

Mr. Enda Kenny T.D. Taoiseach

66 PIVOT DUBLIN


Government

People

March 2, 2011

dear distinguished members of the jury, world design capital 2014 As Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, I am delighted to support Dublin’s bid for World Design Capital 2014. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Irish Designers at home and abroad, and an opportunity to explore new design ideas which address local need yet have global relevance. I believe that the importance of design as a tool for social, cultural, economic and environmental progress cannot be overstated. In this regard, I am highly impressed by your chosen themes for the proposed programme of events in 2014: ‘Connecting Cities’; ‘Making Cities Flow’; ‘Making Cities Lighter’; and Making Cities Smile’. The relationship between design, innovation and competitiveness is well documented. Design as a driver and enabler of non-technological innovation complements and adds value to the traditional technological aspects of innovation. Design also acts as a conduit between science, technology and end-user by putting the user in the centre. This Department is working closely with the EU Commission and EU colleagues in relation to developing an EU Innovation Union. The Innovation Union is a flagship in the Europe 2020 Strategy published last year. Innovation is seen as the key to building sustainable growth and fairer and greener societies. I fully support this initiative and believe that it is a marvellous opportunity for Dublin in many different ways. Yours sincerely,

Mary Hanafin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation

February 22, 2011

dear distinguished members of the jury, world design capital 2014 I am directed by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport to refer to the extensive discussions which she and her Department had with the team drafting Dublin’s bid for World Design Capital 2014. The Minister and Department believe this to be a wonderful opportunity for Dublin and, furthermore, we believe that Dublin has all the attributes to make an excellent world design capital. In combining our enduring literary, scientific and technological know-how, we believe that we can add significantly to the wonderful prominence given by previous world design capitals to design creativity and their place in today’s ever-changing environment. We support this bid and will work to ensure that the National Cultural Institutions, the Tourism Agencies and the Sports organisations under the aegis of this Department also mobilise to support both the bid and the designation should it be achieved. The Department and the Minister have no doubt from the consultation and the draft bid document, that Dublin’s approach to the design city will excel and build on its achievements of its predecessors. The Department has no hesitation in endorsing and supporting this initiative. Yours sincerely,

Niall O Donnchu Assistant Secretary General, Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport

67 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 67


Government

People

February 28, 2011

dear distinguished members of the jury, world design capital 2014 I refer to the various discussions between this Department and the team preparing Dublin’s bid for World Design Capital 2014. As you know, we were delighted to provide support for this bid process through the Government Policy on Architecture 2009-2015 Direct Grant Aid programme. The Government through this policy on architecture and the built environment seeks to promote awareness and understanding of the contribution of good design to the daily life and well-being of society as a whole. High quality design, whether in the details of the buildings we work in, or in the spaces and places that we share socially, should not be viewed as a luxury, but as a necessity in the realisation of an acceptable human environment for all. In this context, Ireland’s Government Policy on Architecture 2009-2015 has placed an emphasis on sustainable development of the environment and urban design, continuing to encourage and support high quality modern architecture, incorporating cultural heritage in a holistic, integrated manner and developing actions which respond to and promote awareness in these areas. While acknowledging there may be various mechanisms that recognise individual accomplishments in design, the World Design Capital designation is indeed unique as it aims to focus on the broader essence of design’s impact on urban spaces, economies and citizens. I believe this designation provides a distinctive opportunity for Dublin City, as a national portal, to feature Ireland’s accomplishments in attracting and promoting innovative design, as well as highlighting its previous and planned successes in urban revitalisation strategies. The Department has no hesitation in endorsing and supporting this initiative and we look forward to seeing the outcome of this bid process, in the hope that we can further build on this engagement with all interested parties in the development of Dublin as a World Design Capital City. May I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the dedicated involvement of your team in the wider awareness of these issues in the process to date, which I believe is a success in itself.

Martin Colreavy Chief Architect Built Heritage, Architectural Policy & Urban Design Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government

68 PIVOT DUBLIN


Government

People

Orla Kiely Pattern

69 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 69


Conversations

AD: So maybe Dublin city of design is permission for that, our permission to create? SM: That’s a very good word for it-permission. To be allowed to invent and to make. To set up an allowing climate as opposed to say something that’s constantly blocking the energy that’s there waiting to be used and structured in some way. DK: To create that communication and networking. For all to collaborate and come together. Another major point we need to work towards is the environmental issues, but I do think that’s starting to happen and having 2014 as that pivot point, gives us something to look forward to. AD: Bring architects and industrial designers and inventors together. Is 2014 the opportunity for that? Can you imagine the Dublin that would be? It’s a very exciting thought.

DK

To create that communication and networking. For all to collaborate and come together. Another major point we need to work towards is the environmental issues, but I do think that’s starting to happen and having 2014 as that pivot point, gives us something to look forward to. DS: It demands political change so there is wonderful opportunity but there is a need to be allowed, enabled, facilitated or whatever it may be. One of the encouraging things for the capital bid is that it’s driven by the capital managers and if they can see the value in it then we can be allowed to begin. As we’ve seen from recent history, it’s closed conversation which confined us, that the designer wasn’t at the table, or creative spark, participator etc. It’s in that sense that the conversation wasn’t democratic, wasn’t broad-based and wasn’t informed from everyone’s perspective. When you have the inventor at the table, really exciting things could happen. SM: I suppose talking about scale and the fact that you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t do something big, we won a competition in 2002 for a university building in Milan. There were 12 people in our office and we were one of 10 international firms that got invited onto the shortlist. We were the outsiders and we won. The client came to Dublin to see our work and saw projects like this house and we thought they were going to take the project away from us because we were so small but they didn’t. They gave us the project and in 2008, we won the World Building of the Year Award in Barcelona for that same project. They were a fantastic client and it was a great experience. This thing of small interventions making big change and that’s one of the things Dublin City Council is doing which is Dublin House. It’s allowing the city to grow in a sense as it encourages people to come together and buy a small plot of land and re-inhabit what was the grain of Dublin. What’s wonderful about a city is the chance meeting and the continuous stimulus of coming across unexpected meetings. Luxury is being a comfortable member of a vibrant community. Luxury isn’t to do with better commodities and all of those things its to do with living in a rich environment which supports your well being.

DS

As we’ve seen from recent history, it’s closed conversation which confined us, that the designer wasn’t at the table, or creative spark, participator etc. It’s in that sense that the conversation wasn’t democratic, wasn’t broad-based and wasn’t informed from everyone’s perspective. When you have the inventor at the table, really exciting things could happen.

70 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

71 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 71


Logistics Response to questions 4, 5, 6, 7

72 PIVOT DUBLIN

Information Dublin


Logistics

Information Dublin

who will need a visa? 4.

Give a summary of immigration and entry visa regulations that would affect the planning of an international event. Include a list of all countries whose citizens require a visa, as well as any countries whose citizens are unable to attain a visa. Also include any anticipated updates during the timeframe of the designation. entry requirements Attendees travelling to Ireland to enjoy PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 must comply with the immigration and entry visa regulations as set out by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Full details are available on www.dfa.ie no visa required for attendees from: Andorra, Antigua and Barbmuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region) (*See Further Information Below), Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau (SpEcial Administrative Region), Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden Switzerland, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom & Dependent Territories (Noted Below), United States Of AmerIca, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela

A person in possession of a Hong Kong Certificate of Identity requires an entry visa for the Irish State. Holders of a British Hong Kong Passport, who have a right of abode in Great Britain, do not require entry visas. Holders of a British Hong Kong Passport, who have a right of abode in Hong Kong only, do not require entry visas but they are subject to full foreign national controls in respect of registration, permission to remain, work permits, etc. visa required for attendees from: Afghanistan, Albania, Cuba, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, Serbia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe

A visa application should be submitted to the Irish Embassy or Consulate in the applicant’s home state of the “Visa required” countries listed above.

british dependent territories Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory (South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands), British Indian Ocean Territories (Chagos Archipelago, Peros Banos, Diego Garcia, Danger Island), Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands And Dependicies, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn (Henderson, Ducie And Oneno Islands), St. Helena And Dependicies (Ascension Island, Tristan Da Cunha), The Sovereign Base Areas Of Akrotiri And Dhekila Turks And Caicos Island, British Virgin Islands *Hong Kong Sar

73 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 73


Information Dublin

Logistics

beds for all budgets: accommodation at pivot dublin 5.

Give an overview of the accommodation situation in the city. Provide the number of hotel rooms available in the city, classified by price category.

With its excellent accommodation infrastructure, visitors to PIVOT Dublin can be sure to find a welcoming place to stay – whatever the budget! From city-centre hotels to secluded country retreats, and boutique hotels to family homes, Dublin has a fantastic variety of accommodation, with over 23,000 beds available. A wide range of great quality hotels, B&Bs are available near (and some even next to!) proposed PIVOT Dublin event venues. hotels In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of hotel beds available in and around the city. There are over 159 hotels with over 20,000 beds, all approved by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority. Most of the major international hotel chains have a presence here, alongside the established, high-quality and traditional local operators. The structure of Ireland’s hotel categorisation system means that our 3 star hotels equate to 4 star properties in mainland Europe. From landmark institutions since the 1800’s such as the Shelbourne and Gresham to boutique new hotels like the Dylan and the Morrison; and firstclass business hotels such as the Merrion and the Westbury to stylish townhouses like No. 31 Leeson Close, Dublin has world-class city centre accommodation. And for those who want to stay near the beach, at a golf or country house hotel, options include the well-known luxury Luttrellstown Castle Resort; Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel in Killiney; and Bewleys Hotel at Newlands Cross, Dublin’s main artery to the south of the country.

hotel facts

5-star 1,359 rooms €165 – €265 4-star 8,557 rooms €120 – €180 3-star 10,228 rooms €80 – €130 2-star 1,507 rooms €70 – €100

Shelbourne Hotel Exterior

74 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Logistics

4

3

2

1

How Far? Accommodation in the city centre and surrounding areas

source: Source: Dublin’s proposal for annual conference of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)

75 PIVOT DUBLIN

1 2 3 4

up to 5km 5 – 10km 10 – 20km 20km +

9,729 rooms 2,086 rooms 5,002 rooms 363 rooms


Information Dublin

Logistics

bed and breakfast accommodation (b&b) Known for their home-cooked food and warm hospitality, as well as being an economical option, staying in a B&B can be a great way to experience life in a real family home. Dublin has 175 B&Bs to choose from, at an average rate of â‚Ź45 per night.

hostels Even backpacker visitors to PIVOT Dublin can find economical accommodation, as there are 2,776 hostel beds available! Safe and sociable, many hostels offer private en-suite rooms, smaller dorms suitable for groups up to eight, or larger dorms for groups up to 20.

The Morgan Hotel Apartment Bedroom

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Monocle

76 PIVOT DUBLIN


Logistics

Information Dublin

venues, venues, venues‌ and more venues 6.

Overview of venue facilities

A. List and describe key venues considered as likely hosting grounds for WDC events. Include photographs and/or video support if available.

The warmth, friendliness and openness that the Irish are famous for are qualities at the heart of our creative expression. Across our city and counties, from major award-winning theatres to intimate community spaces, the proposed venues for Pivot Dublin World Design Capital 2014 reflect these qualities.

Grand Canal Square photo by James Russell

77 PIVOT DUBLIN


Logistics

Information Dublin

large venues (1,000 + capacity) grand canal square www.grandcanalsquare.ie & www.ddda.ie Designed by American landscape architect Martha Schwartz, this is not only one of Ireland’s most distinctive public open spaces but also one of the largest paved spaces in Dublin. The Square is among the most innovative landscape design projects ever undertaken in Ireland, and has quickly become a key cultural destination for Dublin city. One side of the Square faces onto water while the other meets the new Grand Canal Theatre, designed by Daniel Libeskind. The Square features a striking composition of a “red carpet” extending from the theatre into and over the dock, further defined by distinctive glowing red light sticks. Grand Canal Square’s layout and central location makes it perfect for public events such as the New Year’s Eve ‘Ignite’ event; with fireworks, lightshows, concerts and projections all part of the night-long celebrations. the guinness storehouse www.guinness-storehouse.com A former hop-store built in 1904 for the St. James’ Gate Brewery; the Guinness Storehouse sits in the heart of the world-famous city centre-based brewery. The smell of the roasting hops, the steam escaping from the vats, and the cobblestones of the surrounding streets all contribute to this area’s unique atmosphere. The Guinness Storehouse has become one of Dublin’s most popular tourist attractions; not least for the Gravity Bar, a circular glass venue perched on top of the Storehouse, with a 360-degree view of the city. The Gravity Bar can cater for up to 270 guests, and the Storehouse is also one of Dublin’s most distinctive conference centres with a capacity for up to 300 conference delegates and 2,000 event guests. Its flexibility and iconic status makes it a great venue for PIVOT Dublin events.

IMMA Courtyard Photo by Dublin Civic Trust

78 PIVOT DUBLIN


Logistics

Information Dublin

irish museum of modern art at the royal hospital kilmainham www.rhk.ie The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) houses Ireland’s premier collection of modern and contemporary art. Situated in one of Ireland’s finest 17th century buildings, the Museum combines beautifully restored features with striking contemporary architecture and is set in 20 hectares of parkland and restored gardens close to the centre of Dublin City. The magnificent Great Hall, which can seat 350 for dinner, is a regular venue for award ceremonies and has direct access to the Museum’s striking enclosed contemporary sculpture courtyard. the convention centre dublin www.theccd.ie Centrally-located and designed by Pritzker-award-winning Irish-born architect Kevin Roche, the new Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) is located in the rejuvenated Dublin Docklands. With its distinctive form and stunning views of Dublin city on the upper foyer levels, it has already become an iconic building. It has 4,500 sqm of exhibition space, with a theatre capacity of 3,000 delegates in The Forum. In addition, the CCD has banqueting facilities for 2,000 guests and a 2,000 seat Auditorium. The CCD itself is the first building in the world to use carbon neutral concrete, saving 4,608 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. croke park conference centre www.crokepark.ie/Conference-Centre Croke Park Stadium is the home of Ireland’s national sports, the Gaelic games, and is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Every summer crowds from all over Ireland converge on the Stadium to support their local teams. This architecturally stunning stadium, completed in 2005, is also a world-class conference venue, offering 87 meeting rooms and eight conference suites with large foyer and reception areas.

Convention Centre Dublin Ground Floor Foyer, Architect Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates

79 PIVOT DUBLIN


Logistics

Information Dublin

Farmleigh House Gardens

the royal dublin society (rds) www.rds.ie

the phoenix park www.phoenixpark.ie

The RDS was established in 1731 and is located in Ballsbridge, an attractive area a few kilometres from the city centre. The RDS complex includes ten multi-purpose halls and has played host to most of the major concerts, conferences and trade exhibitions that have taken place in Dublin over the last 30 years.

At 710 hectares, the Phoenix Park is one of Europe’s largest urban parks. Located just two km west of the city centre, it plays host to over 2,000 sporting and recreational events every year. For hundreds of years the Park has played host to: concerts, motor and horse racing, flower shows, military, religious and sporting events. During the 1979 visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland over one million people attended an open air mass in the park, one of Ireland’s largest-ever gatherings.

the 02 arena www.theo2.ie A new 14,000 person venue located at North Wall Quay in Dublin’s Docklands, the O2 Arena opened in December 2008. Designed by Populous Architects, it was built on the site of the former Point Theatre and retains some of the outer façade of the original docks building. It has a capacity of over 14,000 (standing) or 9,500 (seated). Retractable seating may be withdrawn to create space for 8,000 standing in front of the stage, with the remainder seated. It is the largest indoor venue in Ireland and has already played host to many world-renowned performers.

80 PIVOT DUBLIN

malahide castle & demesne www.malahidecastle.com/demense.asp Malahide Castle and Demesne is one of the oldest and most historic castles in Ireland. The 12th century castle (remarkably, in a single family’s hands from 1185 to 1975!) also has a stunning 18th century landscape park. Opened as a concert venue in 2007 by Fingal County Council, this park has been the location of many outdoor concerts and theatre productions. Visitor attractions also include Malahide Castle itself, the Fry Model Railway and Tara’s Palace and Childhood Museum.


Information Dublin

Logistics

medium venues (500 – 1,000 capacity) the iveagh gardens www.myguideireland.com/iveagh-gardens In the city centre, just off St. Stephen’s Green, nestles one of Dublin’s best kept secrets; the Iveagh Gardens, one of the finest of Dublin’s parks. Hidden in the centre of a city block, its secluded location gives it a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere. The gardens have played host to the Carlsberg Comedy Festival, Taste of Dublin Festival, Africa Day, and outdoor theatre productions. the mansion house www.mansionhouse.ie/round-room.aspx Few venues can compete with the Round Room at the Mansion House for history! It was built in 1821 for the visit of King George IV and saw the first meeting of the Irish Dáil (Parliament) in 1919 to proclaim the Irish Declaration of Independence. Located in the heart of Dublin, the Round Room can hold over 500 people. farmleigh house www.farmleigh.ie Set in 32 hectares cres of landscaped grounds situated to the north-west of Dublin’s Phoenix Park, Farmleigh House hosts cultural events across a range of disciplines from literature to the visual arts; from music to food and gardening. Its cultural programme is aimed at sharing this state-owned property with the broadest possible audience. The Farmleigh Gallery shows artwork drawn from the Office of Public Works (OPW) Government Art Collection; Guinness family artworks; and loans from other art institutions, including the National Gallery of Ireland. The Library collection amounts to over 5,000 items and includes many highly important Irish books and manuscripts. Among its various roles is one of international cultural engagement and Farmleigh also acts as a guesthouse for visiting Heads of State.

dublin castle www.heritageireland.ie/en/dublin Originally built in the 13th century, this fascinating castle is situated in heart of the city, on a site settled by the Vikings. Rebuilt in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, Dublin Castle has been a military fortress, a prison, treasury and courts of law! It now houses museums and offices and is used for important state receptions and Presidential Inaugurations. Its modern conference and dining facilities were purpose-built to host Ireland’s Presidencies of the European Union. phibblestown community centre www.cpsetanta.ie In order to involve local communities and school children in PIVOT Dublin events, the Phibblestown Community Centre in North Dublin has been included as a possible venue. The centre is attached to Scoil Setanta, a second level school in the Fingal area of Dublin, and has a large auditorium approximately 950 sqm in size.

Provost’s House Saloon Photo by Dublin Civic Trust

victory centre www.victory.ie The Victory Centre in Tallaght, west Dublin, is a new multi-storey community centre opened in November 2009. The venue has an amphitheatre-style auditorium with a capacity for 1,000 people and is an ideal venue for a community-centred design event.

RUA RED view from theatre café

81 PIVOT DUBLIN


Logistics

small venues (up to 500 capacity)

rua red arts centre www.ruared.ie

christchurch cathedral and crypt www.cccdub.ie

This multi-purpose arts resource centre hosts a programme of events aimed at all members of the community: locally, nationally and internationally. Overlooking the Tallaght Luas Tram Stop, in west Dublin, it was opened in 2009 and is part of Tallaght’s emerging cultural quarter. With a small gallery and theatre spaces, it caters for 150 in its gallery space and seats 80 in raked format.

Dating back over 800 years and located in Dublin city centre, Christchurch Cathedral is one of Dublin’s most historic and impressive buildings. Its magnificent crypt (the largest in Ireland) was used as a marketplace in medieval times and now hosts an exhibition of church treasures. PIVOT Dublin visitors are sure to enjoy this atmospheric venue; the cathedral has a capacity of 325–500 attendees, while the crypt can seat 120 and hold up to 200 for more informal events. james joyce martello tower www.dun-laoghaire.com The James Joyce Martello Tower, eight miles south of Dublin in Sandycove, is one of a series of Martello towers built to withstand a Napoleonic invasion. Now a James Joyce Museum, its artefacts include; letters, photographs, first and rare editions; and personal possessions of Joyce. The writer stayed in the tower briefly and used it as the setting for the first chapter of Ulysses.

Opera Summer Festival photo by DCC

82 PIVOT DUBLIN

Information Dublin

dalkey castle & heritage centre www.dalkeycastle.com Located in the historic, medieval town of Dalkey on the south of Dublin Bay (famously the home to members of U2), this Heritage Centre features an exhibition of the history of the town in addition to a gallery space. Near the train station, the Centre is housed in one of the original 14th century castles of Castle Street.


Information Dublin

Logistics

the special rooms What better way to spark the collective imagination of the first day of the PIVOT Dublin international design conference in a special way, than to hold a series of conversations in 100 of Dublin’s most special rooms! The following gives a flavour of the venues on offer …

dunsink observatory

the oratory, dún laoghaire

www.dias.ie

www.architecturefoundation.ie

Built in 1785 for the Professor of Astronomy in Trinity College, Dunsink Observatory is the oldest scientific institution in Ireland. Scientific research continued at Dunsink until 2005 when the observatory was converted into a museum. Public interest in astronomy and science is stimulated through open nights and educational outreach.

Commissioned to commemorate the end of the First World War, the Oratory was built in 1919 in the grounds of a Dominican Convent. The interior was decorated in the Celtic Revival style with murals by Sister Concepta Lynch, complemented by stained glass windows by Harry Clarke.

james joyce tower (martello tower) drawing room, ardgillan castle www.ardgillanskerries.com

Ardgillan Castle is a recently-restored castellated house built in the 18th century with a magnificent drawing room overlooking the house’s extensive demesne.

www.dun-laoghaire.com

The Provost’s House in Trinity College, situated in the centre of the city, dates from the 1760s and is an excellent example of Palladian design with a central Venetian window and Doric pilasters.

kilmainham gaol

gallery of the rua red arts centre

www.rhk.ie

www.ruared.ie

www.malahidecastle.com

www.centralbank.ie

The Central Bank of Ireland on Dame Street is a distinctive Dublin city building and has been described by art historian Christine Casey as having the “most emphatic 20th century architectural presence”.

commissioners of irish lights headquarters, dún laoghaire harbour www.commissionersofirishlights.com

The Commissioners of Irish Lights is a government body that operates and maintains the lighthouses around Ireland’s coastline. The headquarters is a landmark modern building, with a distinctive circular glazed form, which won the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Best Public Building award in 2008.

www.tcd.ie

As already featured, this Tower - setting for the first chapter of the iconic, groundbreaking novel Ulysses is bound to spark conversation!

Built in 1792, Kilmainham Gaol is Ireland’s most bank of ireland, formerly famous prison. Now an exhibition space and venue, the house of lords www.bankofireland.com the Gaol was the scene of Ireland’s emergence as a modern nation as a result of the execution there of The Irish House of Lords Chamber is situated in the the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. former 18th century Irish Parliament building on College Green and is used for functions and music the banqueting room in malahide castle recitals.

the central bank

the provost house – trinity college

The Banqueting Hall at Malahide Castle (already featured) is one of the most impressive and important medieval rooms in Ireland. The hall is dominated by Van Wyck’s great painting of the Battle of the Boyne in which 14 of the Talbot family, who owned the castle, were killed.

This gallery, part of a multi-purpose arts resource centre, is a double-vaulted white cube space which hosts a programme of exhibitions and events aimed at encouraging wider public access to the arts.

shackleton’s mills www.lvpa.ie/historical.html

Located in the Strawberry Beds on the banks of the Liffey, Shackleton’s Mills are a fascinating example of industrial architecture from the Georgian period and were owned by the ancestors of the famous Antarctic explorer, Ernest Shackleton.

taylors lane carnegie library www.southdublinlibraries.ie

the red drawing room in newbridge house www.newbridgehouseandfarm.com

This 1736 mansion is home to one of the finest examples of Georgian interiors in Ireland. Its Red Drawing Room features an original rococo plaster ceiling attributed to William Stuccoman.

Whitechurch Library, a former Carnegie Library on Taylors Lane in Rathfarnham, is an excellent example of the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement on the design of these libraries. It has been in continuous use since first opening its doors in 1911.

dalkey castle & heritage centre www.dalkeycastle.com

As already featured, this historic Centre, located in one of Dublin’s most exclusive seaside neighbourhoods, gives a real flavour of 14th century Ireland.

Christchurch Cathedral Crypt

83 PIVOT DUBLIN


Logistics

B.

Information Dublin

Describe venue(s) being considered for an Opening Gala event. Include photographs and/or video support if available.

guinness storehouse

www.guinness-storehouse.com Large and small, from historic to perfectly modern, Dublin has so many wonderful venues. One that would be ideal for the PIVOT Dublin Opening Gala event is the iconic and hugely popular Guinness Storehouse – now Dublin’s leading visitor attraction with over a million visitors per year. Formerly a fermentation plant at the St. James’s Gate Brewery, the building was transformed into a fantastic, interactive visitor centre that tells the story of the famous Irish stout – and lots more besides! The Storehouse building spans seven storeys around a stunning atrium that rises up through the centre of the building culminating in the Gravity Bar on the roof of the building. Each floor uses innovative and interactive displays and exhibitions to tell the story of the brewing process and the creation of the legendary Guinness advertising campaigns and memorabilia. An unparalleled venue in Dublin, its flexible conference rooms and state-of-the-art AV equipment can cater from 20 to 2,000 with function spaces spread over the seven different levels.

Guinness Storehouse New Entry & Exit, Martello Media

84 PIVOT DUBLIN

Entering the Storehouse, one can stand at the bottom of the atrium and gaze up at the seven floors of exhibitions and event spaces that tell the story of Guinness. On the second floor is the Arrol Suite, the principal event space, which can cater for 320 dinner, 400 buffet or 500 reception guests. Occupying almost an entire side of the building, the Arrol Suite has impressive 16-foot windows overlooking the surrounding brewery landscape. The second floor can accommodate up to 800 guests when reserved as an event space in its entirety. Situated on the third and fourth floors of the building, the Arthur Guinness Business Centre is a flexible business space, used for conferences, seminars or workshops. It accommodates from two-300 people. Located on the fifth floor, the Brewery Bar can cater for 120-200 guests while the Source Bar can accommodate 100150 guests. The entire fifth floor can accommodate groups of over 500 guests when used as a single event space. The Storehouse experience finishes spectacularly in the Gravity Bar; a circular glass room, with capacity for 270 guests, which is perched above the roof of the building. An ideal motif for PIVOT Dublin itself, this stunning space offers a 360 degree view of the Dublin city skyline.


Information Dublin

Logistics

getting to pivot dublin (and home again) 7. Describe the transportation infrastructure in place to ensure the peaceful and easy circulation of attendees. This should include all relevant information regarding public transit, road systems rail linkages and airports.

Every year 5.5 million people visit Ireland, getting here by air and sea. dublin airport Dublin Airport is one of Europe’s busiest airports, with more than 98 airlines flying to over 185 destinations. Dublin Airport now offers services to 29 airports in the UK and the ever-expanding European network now covers 100 airports. It is currently undergoing a €2 billion investment programme, which includes the construction and opening of the new Terminal 2 (T2) building, in late 2010. Terminal 2, designed by Pascall + Watson Architects, provides an iconic entrance for PIVOT Dublin. The new terminal enables an increase in annual passenger capacity to over 35 million. Dublin Airport manages an average of 60,000 passengers per day, rising to 80,000 during the peak season, with more than 600 aircraft movements daily. some facts about dublin airport Dublin Airport is located 12km north of Dublin city centre. Using the Dublin Port Tunnel reduces the journey time to the city centre to 12 - 15 minutes. Four private and public bus services operate from the airport: Aircoach; Airlink; DART; and Dublin Bus. PIVOT Dublin attendees can travel to Dublin City centre for as little as €2.30 on public city bus routes. Taxis are readily available at the airport (a taxi journey into the city centre from the airport should cost approximately €25). International car rental companies also have representation in the airport terminal. Dublin Airport Terminal 2

Pascall + Watson Architects Dublin Airport Terminal 2, Photo by Ian Bruce

85 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Logistics

12

2

15 28

30

24 3 31 42 38 33

40

4 35

29

23

8 16

14

10

7

22

6 9

32

21 1

17

27

26 25 36 37

13

20

11 18

34

Getting around Dublin City

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Chatham Street Blessington Street** Bolton Street Greek Street Charlemont Place Christchurch Place High Street** Georges Quay Exchequer Street Dame Street** Earlsfort Terrace Eccles Street Fitzwilliam Square West Fownes Street Upper

86 PIVOT DUBLIN

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

19

5

41

39

dublinbikes scheme

Hardwicke Street Custom House Quay Golden Lane Grantham Street** Herbert Place James Street East Leinster Street South Townsend Street Custom House** Cathal Brugha Street Merrion Square East Merrion Square West** Molesworth Street Mountjoy Square West

29 Ormond Quay Upper** 30 Parnell Square North** 31 Parnell Street 32 Pearse Street** 33 Princes Street / O’Connell Street** 34 Portobello Harbour 35 Smithfield 36 St. Stephen’s Green East** 37 St. Stephen’s Green South** 38 Talbot Street 39 Wilton Terrace** 40 Jervis Street** 41 Harcourt Terrace 42 Smithfield North**

**Stations with credit card terminals


Logistics

Information Dublin

dublin ferry ports Dublin has excellent ferry connections daily from the UK and mainland Europe. There are two ferry ports; Dublin Port, which is very close to the city centre; and Dún Laoghaire Port, which is approximately 30 minutes drive south of the city centre. ferry Ferries from six different continental ports serve Ireland. Going from Dún Laoghaire Port to the city centre on the DART (inexpensive and frequent suburban rail service) takes less than half an hour. One of the two ferries operated by Irish Ferries from Dublin Port to Holyhead in Wales is the cruise ferry ‘Ulysses’ - the world’s largest car ferry!

exploring the city centre Generally flat and easily walkable, Dublin’s streets are attractive, safe and easy to navigate. Dublin City Council are in the process of rolling out a public realm strategy for the city centre with the aims of: using innovation in design and management to create a great walking city; creating a public domain of international standing; and developing a connected city through great signage and information design. dublin bikes scheme Visitors and locals alike love to cycle! dublinbikes is a self-service bike rental system open to anyone over 14 years of age. It currently has 40 stations and 450 bikes, however due to the massive success of this scheme there are plans in place to expand dublinbikes to 300 stations and 5,000 bikes in the city by 2016!

Dublin Bikes photo by Jason Clarke Photography

87 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dún Laoghaire Pier


Logistics

Information Dublin

Luas light rail RPA

ecocabs Enjoy travelling between PIVOT Dublin venues for free! Free Ecocabs are available for use for short city centre journeys daily between 10am and 8pm.

exploring the greater city With a compact city centre that’s easily accessible from both countryside and beaches, visitors to PIVOT Dublin can have breakfast at the beach, lunch in the city and still have time for a visit to the heart of the Dublin Mountains before dinner!

Dublin Bus Nitelink shelter Image Now

train Suburban and Intercity Trains: There are two main train stations; Connolly and Heuston. Those travelling from the south and west of the country arrive at Heuston Station, a short trip from the city centre by Luas, bus or taxi. Those arriving from the north, north west and the south east (including those arriving from Belfast and Rosslare EuroPort) arrive at Connolly Station, which is a few minutes’ walk from O’Connell Street, in the heart of the city centre. dart (dublin area rapid transit) This local rail service operates between Malahide and Howth (on the northernmost tip of the scenic eastern coastal strip) and Greystones (in County Wicklow, at the coastal edge of the Dublin and Wicklow Mountain range). A journey on the DART is worth it for the beautiful scenery alone!

88 PIVOT DUBLIN


Logistics

Information Dublin

luas State-of-the-art, high capacity, high frequency, and high speed Light Rail Transit System. dublin bus Dublin Bus operates an extensive network of nearly 200 radial and cross-city routes. The service is a cost-effective option for PIVOT Dublin attendees, with prices currently starting from €1.20 to a maximum of €2.30 for a single journey. taxis There are approximately 10,000 taxis in Dublin. electric cars The Irish Government has set a target that by 2020, 10% of all vehicles in the country will be electric. In March 2010, the first on-street charging points in Dublin were installed. The 2011 goal is to have 1,500 public charge posts available across Ireland and 30 fast charge points. With the projected roll-out of electric car rentals in the coming years, by 2014, PIVOT Dublin visitors will be able to go electric!

‘Direct, Guide & Show Dublin’ prototype way finding system, Philip Farmer

89 PIVOT DUBLIN

‘Direct, Guide & Show Dublin’ prototype way finding system, Philip Farmer


Conversations

AD

There’s a vibrance, and culture and creativity in almost every citizen in Dublin. DS: I don’t think we’re the most mature city-dwellers yet. I think we are progressively getting there. The move now is to get families to recognise that they can live in the city centre. There are great public spaces, great opportunities for your children but they need to be identified as being there and accessible. AD: There’s a vibrance, and culture and creativity in almost every citizen in Dublin. DS: That’s where we go back to the ideas of better living. SM: I would be completely open to new models of living if new models provide a real sense of place. DS: A growing city, an inviting city will have to ask those questions of itself, it will have to look at better ways and redefine what we understand of city living. We can’t all live in the two up, two down red brick terrace. AD: This is the conversation where maybe the designation could happen, we need to ask do people want to come into the city? DK: Whether it’s the people living in it, the public around it, the people across Ireland, or the people across the world, that’s the question exactly. SM: Another way of asking is to say imagine if the city was like this… because that’s what could happen. DS: That again goes back to who sits around the table and how are the individuals fairly represented and it is how a drip feeds back down. It is about the conversation, about everybody feeling confident and that it’s just and fair across all stakeholders. It’s not about compromise but about being clear that it’s for everybody’s purpose and there is value in it. I also think that designers are very good as translators

SM

Luigi Bocconi University, Milan Grafton Architects

90 PIVOT DUBLIN

I would be completely open to new models of living if new models provide a real sense of place.


Ballymun Flats photo by Eamonn Elliott

91 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 91


Cultural Infrastructure Response to question 8

92 PIVOT DUBLIN

Information Dublin


Cultural Infrastructure

Information Dublin

dublin: our city of culture 8. Give a detailed summary of existing cultural facilities. This should include (but need not be limited to) the following:

In Dublin we pride ourselves on a cultural scene which is internationally recognised through the many designations and events the city has plays host to. A UNESCO City of Literature, Dublin has been European City of Culture in 1991, European City of Sport in 2010 and will host the Tall Ships Race in 2012 (as well as being European Capital of Science). A. Museums and Galleries

museums Dublin’s museums house a wide range of collections, from the internationally significant to the small and quirky! Our national museums include some of the most important Celtic and pre-Celtic artefacts in the world. Early work dates from 4000 B.C. to 1500 A.D., and includes: illuminated manuscripts, Bronze Age gold, Early Christian jewellery and altar vessels, Viking artefacts, culminating in church treasures of the later Middle Ages. Collections include those displaying exquisite craftsmanship and advanced goldsmith skills involving the use of gold plate, gold foil and delicate filigree work. Other specialist arts and crafts on display in our museums include millefiori glass ornamentation, carving in ivory, amber, and engraving. And there is plenty with an international flavour too, including; historic furniture, silver, ceramics, glassware, and work of the leading calligraphers of the Islamic world.

93 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

national museum of ireland (kildare st)

chester beatty library

www.museum.ie

www.cbl.ie

The museum, Ireland’s premier cultural institution, was founded 1877, holds over two million artefacts and is home to the greatest collections of Irish material heritage and culture in the world. The Museum on Kildare St. houses an Antiquities Collections including Roman, Viking, Egyptian material. It is a major national repository of Irish archeological treasures from the Iron and Bronze Age to the late Medieval period, including the Tara Brooch and Ardagh Chalice The prehistoric gold work, dating from 2200 BC is one of the largest and most important in western Europe.

Dublin is home to one of the most significant European collections of Oriental art and manuscripts. This fascinating collection consists of 6,000 manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and some decorative arts from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Based in Dublin Castle, it undertakes regular exhibitions of the world’s heritage (artistic, religious and secular) from about 2700 BC to the present. The Library was named Irish Museum of the Year in 2000 and the European Museum of the year in 2002.

national museum decorative arts & history (collins barracks)

natural history museum

www.museum.ie

Affectionately referred to as the ‘Dead Zoo’, this perfect example of a Victorian museum is filled with stuffed animals and natural artefacts. A comprehensive display of Irish fauna with galleries of animals from Ireland and overseas and geological exhibits from a total collection of about two million scientific specimens.

Built in 1702 as a military barracks, and further extended in the late 18th nd 19th century, the buildings had a major re-development in 1997 and are now part the National Museum of Ireland, Decorative Arts and History. The Museum is home to a wide range of objects, which include furniture, silver, ceramics and glassware; as well as examples of folklife and costume.

www.museum.ie/en/intro/natural-history.aspx

guinness storehouse - museum www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/Index.aspx

National Leprechaun Museum

Located in a converted fermentation plant at the St. James’s Gate Brewery, the museum incorporates elements from the old brewery to explain the history of its production in an exhibition over seven floors. It features machinery as well as stout ingredients, brewing techniques, advertising methods and storage devices. Included is an exhibition of John Gilroy’s work, the artist responsible for the famous Guinness advertising from the 1930s to 1960s.

dublin writers’ museum www.writersmuseum.com

Located in a restored Georgian mansion on Parnell Square, the Dublin Writer’s Museum was opened in 1991 to house a history and celebration of the illustrious Irish literary tradition. It holds books, letters, portraits and personal items of famous Irish writers, and holds exhibitions, theatre and readings.

the national print museum www.nationalprintmuseum.ie

The National Print Museum is situated in South Dublin and collects and exhibits items related to printing craft in addition to providing lectures and workshops.

National Print Museum

94 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

tara’s palace and museum of childhood

national transport museum

www.taraspalace.ie

www.nationaltransportmuseum.org

Meticulously constructed by some of Ireland’s finest craftsmen and designed to one-twelfth scale, Tara’s Palace Doll’s House encapsulates the grandeur and elegance of three of Ireland’s great 18th century mansions, and includes rare examples of glass, porcelain, silver and ivory in miniature.

The National Transport Museum is located in Howth, North Dublin, and displays 170 vehicles, dating from 1883.

‘number twenty nine’ georgian house museum

irish jewish museum www.jewishireland.org/museum.html

Houses a substantial collection of memorabilia over 150 years relating to the Irish-Jewish communities.

www.esb.ie/main/about-esb/numbertwentynine

national maritime institute museum

This museum displays the history of late Georgian Dublin through rooms that have been furnished with original artefacts dating from 1790 to 1820.

www.dun-laoghaire.com/profile/maritime/index.html

glasnevin museum www.glasnevinmuseum.ie

This new museum is based in our most famous cemetery, which is the final resting place of many of Ireland’s most celebrated and infamous figures including; Daniel O’Connell, Éamon de Valera and Michael Collins. The museum has exhibitions showing the social, historical, political and artistic development of modern Ireland.

The National Maritime Museum works to illustrate the importance of the sea and ships and their relationship with the Irish people.

gaa museum www.crokepark.ie/GAA-Museum

Based in Croke Park, the home of Ireland’s national games, this Museum was established to commemorate, recognise and celebrate the GAA’s enormous contribution to Irish sporting, cultural and social life since its foundation in 1884.

famine museum – the jeanie johnston www.jeaniejohnston.ie

Moored on the Liffey, this replica 19th Century three mast sailing ship provides a rare insight into the challenge of the 3,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic to the New World during Ireland’s famine years.

pearse museum www.heritageireland.ie

Based in the former school of Padraic Pearse (one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising) in Rathfarnham, it has displays on Irish flora and fauna and an audio-visual show entitled “This Man Kept a School”.

the national wax museum plus www.waxmuseumplus.ie

Based in the heart of Dublin’s Temple Bar district this waxworks offers a journey through Irish cultural heritage in addition to a tribute to Ireland’s great inventors.

National Museum of Ireland Tara Brooch

national leprechaun museum www.leprechaunmuseum.ie

Based in the city centre and dedicated to Irish mythology, this museum opens up a fun and magical world of folklore and leprechauns!

imaginosity www.imaginosity.ie

Located in Sandyford, Imaginosity is a creative space for the under-nines. Its exhibits are carefully designed to inspire life-long learning through play, igniting imaginations on the journey from curiosity to discovery.

GAA Museum Creative Inc

95 PIVOT DUBLIN


Cultural Infrastructure

Information Dublin

galleries Dublin has a number of large galleries and a wide range of small commercial galleries including contemporary art galleries and galleries of photography. They range from IMMA and the National Gallery with their extensive and internationally important collections to intimate spaces. The large public galleries have significant permanent collections and ongoing education, outreach and exhibition programmes. national gallery of ireland www.nationalgallery.ie

Opened to the public in 1864 and located on Merrion Square, the National Gallery holds 13,000 works in an important and representative collection of European and Irish fine art; including works by El Greco, Titian, Caravaggio, Canova, Vermeer, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, Monet, Velasquez, Picasso, Goya, Gainsborough, Reynolds and Jack B. Yeats. The impressive gallery complex consists of four interconnected buildings including the Millennium Wing, designed in 2002 by Benson & Forsyth.

dublin city gallery - the hugh lane www.hughlane.ie

Douglas Hyde Gallery Books

Housed in Charlemont House on Parnell Square in the city centre, this gallery features almost 2000 artworks in one of Ireland’s foremost collections of modern and contemporary art. Artists range from Manet, Monet, Renoir and Degas; to works by contemporary artists such as Francis Bacon and Sean Scully. One of the renowned highlights of the gallery is a forensic reconstruction of Bacon’s London studio.

the irish architecture foundation (iaf) www.architecturefoundation.ie

The Foundation is a curator some of Ireland’s main national and international architecture exhibitions. A current IAF exhibition is the Irish tour of ‘of de Blacam and Meagher’, the exhibition that represented Ireland at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition 2010 in Venice, Italy. Other exhibitions have included; ‘The Lives of Spaces’, which was voted among the Top 10 places to see by The Guardian newspaper in 2008. The IAF also organised the acclaimed ‘A Space for Learning’ cross-disciplinary exhibition in 2010 (see Question 25).

irish museum of modern art (imma) www.imma.ie

IMMA, housed in a magnificent 17th century building, is Ireland’s leading institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. With its ever-changing programme of exhibitions, the museum’s collection comprises some 4,500 works and attracts over 400,000 visitors annually. National Gallery of Ireland Exterior

96 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

royal hibernian academy

monster truck gallery & studios

www.royalhibernianacademy.ie

www.monstertruck.ie/blog/?page_id=2

The RHA galleries, based near St Stephen’s Green in Dublin City Centre, is an artist-orientated institution dedicated to developing the public’s appreciation of the visual arts.

An artist-run organisation comprising of visual artist studios and a contemporary art gallery space in two locations in Dublin City Centre.

temple bar gallery and studios www.templebargallery.com

Temple Bar Gallery and Studios was established by artists in 1983 and is one of Ireland’s leading contemporary art venues. Centrally located, it houses a gallery and 30 studios for photography, video, sound, sculpture, print and painting and is a publicly funded, non-profit making organisation.

gallery of photography www.galleryofphotography.ie

original print gallery www.originalprint.ie

An artist-run organisation comprising of visual artist studios and a contemporary art gallery space in two locations in Dublin City Centre.

draíocht gallery, blanchardstown www.draoicht.ie

Based in the North Dublin arts centre, the Draíocht gallery boasts two gallery spaces and a self-contained artist’s studio.

Since 1978 the gallery has become Ireland’s premier venue for photography, staging exhibitions of the major names in contemporary photography. It offers a range of education and outreach courses.

douglas hyde gallery www.douglashydegallery.com

This publicly funded gallery consistently hosts some of the most unusual and thought-provoking exhibitions in the city in an eclectic exhibition programme of Irish and international contemporary art.

national college of art and design gallery www.ncad.ie/gallery

The Gallery at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is a space for students of art and design to display their projects and ideas. Students at NCAD study a wide and varied curriculum related to design and their exhibitions reflect their studies. The gallery also hosts seminars, lectures and workshops and is an intriguing space in Dublin’s historic Liberties area.

access to arts gallery www.accesstoarts.com

This gallery displays outstanding examples of contemporary Irish Applied Art and Fine Art. It is a unique gallery showing work in glass, ceramics, silver, print, oils, watercolours and more.

Ascension ll Janine Davidson

97 PIVOT DUBLIN

Alan Butler exhibition Temple Bar Galleries


Cultural Infrastructure

Information Dublin

the grange gallery, ballyboughal www.web.me.com/dmoon3/www.thegrangedublin.ie/art_gallery.html

This gallery in rural North Dublin exhibits a variety of artists and has a sculpture garden.

the daffodil gallery, milverton, skerries www.daffodilgallery.com

This 2oo sqm gallery in North Dublin is divided into three rooms and is set in a beautiful garden landscape.

project arts centre www.projectartscentre.ie/about-us

Based in Dublin’s Temple Bar, this arts centre is a hub of creativity and presents a series of free exhibitions throughout the year. A mix of Irish and International, solo and group shows, utilising a variety of media.

hillsboro fine art gallery www.hillsborofineart.com

Located in the north Georgian core of the city, Hillsboro Fine Art is one of Ireland’s leading private galleries, dealing in 20th-century and contemporary art.

graphic studio gallery www.graphicstudiodublin.com

IMMA Royal Hospital Kilmainham

Matthew Thompson photo commissioned by Monocle

98 PIVOT DUBLIN

Graphic Studio was established in 1960 to teach traditional printmaking skills and provide studios and technical assistance to artists for printmaking. Its Gallery was set up to promote and provide public education about fine-art printmaking.


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

B. Theatres

theatres Theatre was right at the heart of real world politics during the foundation of the Irish state, giving a cultural voice to the bid for independence with the Abbey Theatre as its base - the first national theatre to be established in the English-speaking world. The city has been home to, or associated with, some of the world’s greatest English language playwrights - Wilde, Synge, O’Casey, Shaw and Beckett. That legacy is very alive today, with venues hosting well known Irish and visiting artists playing the best in international theatre. As well as the big theatres, there are many smaller spaces in the city where you will find an array of contemporary and experimental works. abbey theatre

grand canal theatre

www.abbeytheatre.ie

www.grandcanaltheatre.ie

Truly an icon of world theatre, the Abbey Theatre was established to promote Irish culture and plays, in addition to plays that originated in Europe. Founded by poet and playwright W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, it was opened in 1904. The early years saw plays by Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Sean O’Casey and J. M. Synge. Many of the world’s greatest theatrical works form part of the Abbey’s history, from Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ to contemporary classics such as Friel’s ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’. Along with its studio theatre, the Peacock, it continues to nurture new dramatic writing and presents the best of Irish and international drama.

This brand new 2,000-capacity purpose-built theatre, designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, is an outstanding addition to Ireland’s theatre world. The Grand Canal Theatre presents the best of national and international theatre, musicals, drama, opera, ballet, family shows and classical concerts.

the gate theatre www.gatetheatre.ie

Founded in 1928, the Gate Theatre has always had an international focus. The great actors - Orson Welles, James Mason and Michael Gambon all started their acting careers at the Gate and the theatre has hosted many important works by American and European dramatists. It is also renowned for its commitment to producing modernist work including plays by Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett.

the gaiety theatre www.gaietytheatre.ie

This landmark cultural facility has a rich history and a 1,145-seat auditorium. Since 1871, The Gaiety Theatre has hosted operas, musicals, drama, revues, comedy, concerts, dance, festivals and the Christmas pantomime.

olympia theatre www.dublintourist.com/details/olympia_theatre.shtml

Dating back to the 1879, this city-centre Victorian music hall-style theatre has a capacity of 1,300. It presents an eclectic schedule of variety shows, musicals, operettas, concerts, ballet, comedy, and drama.

draíocht www.draoicht.ie

Based in Blanchardstown, north Dublin, the Draíocht Theatre is part of a thriving arts centre and has two auditoriums. The main auditorium seats 286 seating or 500 standing while the smaller auditorium seats 92. It hosts a variety of shows including drama, dance and music.

99 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin Theatre Festival Smile off your face, Virginie Schreyen


Cultural Infrastructure

Information Dublin

smock alley theatre www.smockalley.com

Dating from 1662, Smock Alley was the first Theatre Royal built in Dublin. With exposed brick walls and ornate church windows, this historic theatre has capacity for approximately 200 people.

bewley’s cafe theatre www.bewleyscafetheatre.com

Situated over a historic landmark café on Grafton Street, the café theatre is Ireland’s foremost stage for lunchtime drama and one of the city’s most exciting venues for evening cabaret, jazz and comedy. The centerpieces of Bewley’s Café are the magnificent stained glass windows commissioned from the renowned artist Harry Clarke.

civic theatre www.civictheatre.ie

Opened 1999, this theatre is located beside the Square Shopping Centre in Tallaght. It offers a variety of performances in music, drama and dance.

the mill theatre www.millthreatre.ie

The Mill Centre is located in the heart of Dundrum Town Centre. Since 2006 the Mill Theatre has staged theatre, visual art, comedy and music.

pavilion theatre The Mill Gallery and Theatre

www.paviliontheatre.ie

The municipal theatre for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown opened its doors in 2000 and hosts a variety of shows including international theatre, dance and music.

millbank theatre www.dublinevents.com/dublin-theatres/millbank-theatre.php

In 1988 the purpose-built Millbank Theatre opened in the town of Rush, Co. Dublin. Since then, over 70 plays have been produced there.

helix www.thehelix.ie

One of Dublin’s main arts venues, this arts centre in north Dublin offers a variety of events in three auditoriums.

axis-ballymun www.axis-ballymun.ie

The 222-seater theatre space in a community arts centre is a multi-purpose performance and conference space.

The Sugar Club Pecha Kucha Night

100 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

cuckoo’s nest theatre www.homepage.eircom.net/~blynchehaun/ttg.html

Small theatre with 130 seats raked and based at the Cuckoo’s Nest Bar in Tallaght.

the o’reilly theatre www.oreillytheatre.com

Located in the city centre, the auditorium can accommodate 590 people seated or 1,000 people standing.

liberty hall theatre www.libertyhall.ie

This 410-seat theatre and conference centre in Dublin’s iconic Liberty Hall building is located on Eden Quay. It is historically significant in its earlier form as it was the headquarters of the Irish Citizen Army during the fight for independence in Easter 1916.

the sugar club www.thesugarclub.com

Open since 1999, The Sugar Club has become an integral part of Dublin’s Cultural Community as a multi purpose Arts Centre for music, film, design, comedy, theatre and animation.

project arts centre www.projectartscentre.ie

Arts centre with theatre space in Temple Bar.

tivoli theatre www.tivoli.ie

Based in Francis Street, it is one of Dublin’s busiest theatres for musicals and pantomime.

lambert puppet theatre www.lambertpuppettheatre.ie

Small established Puppet Theatre in South Dublin.

andrews lane theatre and studio www.andrewslane.com

A small theatre located just off Dame Street.

players theatre www.tcd.ie/Drama

Based within the historic walls of Trinity College.

samuel beckett theatre www.tcd.ie/Drama/samuel-beckett-theatre

This theatre is the campus theatre of TCD’s School of Drama.

the new theatre www.thenewtheatre.com

Abbey Theatre Tales of Ballycumber poster, Zero G

The New Theatre was founded in 1997.

Axis Ballymun Theatre Aongus McInally

101 PIVOT DUBLIN


Cultural Infrastructure

C.

Information Dublin

Cultural Centres

cultural centres Covering traditional music, our incredible literary heritage, our ethnic communities and even a cultural centre just for children, Dublin’s range of cultural centres has something for everyone. A Cultural Centre for Children Lárionad Cultúir na Leanaí

ark.ie / 01 6707788 irish traditional music archive www.itma.ie

Based in Merrion Square, the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is a national reference archive and resource centre for the traditional song, instrumental music and dance of Ireland. The ITMA aims to collect all the materials of Irish traditional music and to make a representative collection of traditional music from around the world.

the ark www.ark.ie

The Ark is Europe’s first custom-built children’s cultural centre. The centre is based in Temple Bar in an award-winning building, designed by Shane O’Toole and Michael Kelly, and has a theatre, gallery spaces and a workshop.

james joyce cultural centre www.jamesjoyce.ie

Dedicated to promoting an understanding of the life and works of James Joyce, the centre provides the casual visitor, student and scholar alike with a rewarding and memorable experience.

áras chrónáin irish cultural centre www.araschronain.ie

This cultural centre is an oasis of Irish language, music, song, dance and culture. Áras Chrónáin Ionad Cultúrtha is a magnificent Georgian house in picturesque surroundings in the heart of Clondalkin village, West Dublin.

séamus ennis cultural centre www.seamusenniscentre.com

A SEASON OF TALES, LITERATURE AND IMAGINATION FOR FAMILIES 23 NOV - 19 DEC 2010 Project Arts Centre August poster Little Seal

102 PIVOT DUBLIN

Studio AAD Ark, Story Spark poster

Presented by The Ark in partnership with Children’s Books Ireland and Poetry Ireland

Based in North Dublin and dedicated to the memory of Irish Musician, folklore and music collector, Séamus Ennis, this Cultural Centre plays host to some of today’s foremost musicians, songwriters and artists in addition to promoting and developing the traditional arts.


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

D. Libraries

libraries Dublin’s libraries are thriving, with public libraries buzzing with engaged and active researchers and readers. The public libraries have undergone significant redevelopment and refurbishment programmes, and in addition to these, there are many larger academic and historically significant libraries and archives, including the fascinating Marsh’s Library, and the National Disability Library, which has an extensive collection relating to Universal Design and accessibility issues in the built environment and technology. Far more than merely places to borrow books, they offer spaces for meetings, writing groups and book clubs in addition to facilitating learning zones, history groups and heritage studies. The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the largest and most international prize of its kind, involves libraries worldwide and is administered by Dublin City Libraries. the national library of ireland

marsh’s library

www.nli.ie

www.marshlibrary.ie

Located on Kildare Street, established in 1877, the National Library of Ireland’s holdings comprise the most outstanding collection of Irish documentary heritage in the world – six million items including memorabilia and literary correspondence.

Located beside St Patrick’s Cathedral and founded in 1701, Marsh’s Library was the first public library in Ireland. This fascinating library contains over 25,000 books relating to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, covering medicine, law, science, travel, navigation, mathematics, music, surveying and classical literature and is open to the public.

trinity college library www.tcd.ie/Library

The Trinity College Library dates back to the establishment of the College in 1592 and is the largest library in Ireland. Today the library has five million printed volumes with extensive collections of journals, manuscripts, maps and music reflecting over 400 years of academic development. The historic Long Room is nearly 65 metres in length and houses around 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. The most famous of its manuscripts, the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow, were presented by to the library in the 1660s and are now the centrepiece of an exhibition on the art and literature of early Christian Ireland.

the royal irish academy library www.ria.ie/library.aspx

The Royal Irish Academy library on Dawson Street houses a unique manuscript, pamphlet and early printed book collection. The manuscript collection holds the largest collection of Irish language documents in a single repository, including the oldest surviving Irish manuscript; the Cathach or Psalter of St. Columba.

Book of Kells Trinity College Dublin

103 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

Rush Library McCullough Mulvin Architects

irish architectural archive

dublin city archives

dublin city council libraries

www.iarc.ie

www.dublincity.ie/RecreationandCulture/libraries

www.dublincitypubliclibraries.ie

Established in 1976, the Irish Architectural Archive collects and preserves material of every kind relating to the architecture of the entire island of Ireland, and makes it available to the public. The Archive’s collection on Merrion Square represents the greatest single source of information on Ireland’s buildings and those who designed them.

The Dublin City Archives contains records of the civic government of Dublin from 1171 to the late 20th century, including correspondence, reports, court records, charity petitions, title deeds, maps and plans and drawings all of which document the development of Dublin over 800 years.

Dublin City Public Libraries and Archive, the largest library authority in the Republic of Ireland, serves over half a million people through a network of 41 branch libraries and service points. With 159,017 readers - which amounts to one in every three people in the Dublin City Council area - it loaned 2,231,381 items in 2009.

national photographic archive

national disability authority library www.nda.ie

www.nli.ie/en/national-photographic-archive.aspx The NDA Library is a knowledge resource open to

The photographic collection of the National Library comprises approximately 610,000 photographs, both historical and contemporary collections. Located on Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, an on-going programme of exhibitions runs throughout the year.

the national archives www.nationalarchives.ie

The National Archives is the largest and most important institution in the Republic of Ireland with responsibility for the preservation and public availability of archives. It has custody of records relating to the administration of the state from the late 18th century to the late 20th century, and many other archives dating from the 14th century to the late 20th century.

104 PIVOT DUBLIN

the public on disability issues, with a strong collection relating to Universal Design and accessibility issues in the built environment and technology. The Library holds over 55,000 items and proves a useful source of books and articles to the public sector, people working in the field, people with disabilities themselves, academics and people participating in further studies.

fingal county council libraries www.dublincitypubliclibraries.ie

Fingal County Library Services provides for 240,000 people. The 10 libraries of Fingal have a stock of over 600,000 books, magazines and more, and in 2009, with over 88,000 readers, there were over 1.2 million books borrowed and almost 100,000 people made use of the libraries’ internet facilities.

south dublin county council libraries www.dublincitypubliclibraries.ie

national irish visual arts library (nival) www.nival.ncad.ie

NIVAL was established with the aim of documenting all aspects of 20th century and contemporary Irish art and design and providing public access to a national research resource. The collection includes monographs, exhibition catalogues, artists’ books, press releases and newspaper reviews.

Serving over 240,000 people, the Library Service in South Dublin had over 1.2 million loans to over 66,000 members in 2009.

dún laoghaire – rathdown county council libraries www.dublincitypubliclibraries.ie

Serving almost 200,000 people, Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown’s libraries stock 320,000 books. Its 53,000 members borrowed 1.23 million items in 2009. Services offered include; a mobile library, a record of the county’s history and heritage, and poetry recitation for children.


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

E. Other

other In Dublin, we love our theatre, our galleries, our museums. And that’s not all. Whether you want to explore formal gardens, chill on the beach (sometimes literally, it being Ireland), or sample the world-famous hospitality of our pubs, there’s so much more to discover… concert halls

cinemas

From classical concerts in the more formal setting of the National Concert Hall, to the edgier venues that also provide a platform for comedy and theatre, we’ve got a stage for it.

Like any other big city, Dublin has plenty of big cinemas showing all the latest blockbusters, but we also have a thriving small and specialist market which is devoted to showcasing the best Irish, independent, art-house and classic cinema. And all with comfy seats too…

the national concert hall (nch) www.nch.ie

The National Concert Hall is rated as one of the finest concert halls in Europe and attracts over 340,000 concertgoers a year. With its resident orchestra - the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra - and a programme ranging from classic operas and musicals to contemporary Irish folk, the National Concert Hall is a thriving venue catering for all musical tastes.

vicar street

irish film institute www.ifi.ie

The IFI is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promoting of film culture and film as entertainment in Ireland. The Institute has its cinema located in Temple Bar and shows culturally significant Irish and international films. The building, designed by architects O’Donnell and Tuomey, won a RIAI Design Award in 1993.

www.aikenpromotions.com

Vicar Street is a 1,000-person concert venue located on Thomas Street, close to the city centre. Since opening in 1998, the venue has become a popular setting for a wide range of acts including stand-up comedy, drama performances and a variety of music concerts.

lighthouse cinema smithfield www.lighthousecinema.ie

The Lighthouse Cinema is located in the historic Smithfield market area of Dublin. It presents a diverse and individual programme of the best Irish, independent, foreign-language, art-house and classic cinema. The Lighthouse Cinema, designed by DTA Architects, won a Gold Medal at the ICAD Awards.

the screen cinema www.screencinema.ie

Located on D’Olier Street in the city centre, and showing the best in world cinema, the Screen Cinema is one of Dublin’s oldest and most charming cinemas.

105 PIVOT DUBLIN

Screen man in front of the Screen Cinema photo by Designing Dublin Learning to Learn


Cultural Infrastructure

Information Dublin

pubs Dublin’s pubs have been at the heart of the city’s culture for centuries as the place where important conversations and debates begin – and go on! Many pubs date back hundreds of years, and they’ve always served as gathering places to meet, discuss, celebrate, chat or just enjoy music. They continue to be places of food, fun, entertainment and conversation for hundreds of Dubliners each day and many have preserved their historical character. The following are some of our most famous (and infamous) pubs which visitors to PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 might enjoy sampling!

Mathew Thompson photographed for Business to Arts

106 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

davy byrne’s First licensed as a pub in 1789, since the publication of Joyce’s Ulysses in 1922, which features the pub; Davy Byrnes has been the focus of literary pilgrimage. Today the pub sponsors Ireland’s biggest short story competition - the Davy Byrne Irish Writing Award.

o’donoghues A pub with a rich musical heritage, just off St Stephen’s Green, the bar is synonymous with the legendary Dubliners, Ireland’s seminal folk group.

mcdaids McDaid’s on Harry Street dates from 1779 and is significant in Dublin’s literary history as the one time haunt of writers Brendan Behan, Patrick Kavanagh and Flann O’Brien.

grogan’s castle lounge Situated on South William Street, Grogan’s is a meeting-point for many of the city’s local artists and many of their paintings adorn its walls.

whelan’s Whelan’s of Wexford Street is a pub and live music venue that attracts some of Ireland’s most popular modern music acts. The venue is known as a breeding ground for the “next big thing” on the Irish music scene.

the international bar Located on Wicklow Street, The International offers the best in entertainment including comedy, live music, traditional Irish music sessions, theatre presentations, and poetry and songwriting evenings.

the cobblestone The Cobblestone Pub and Venue is one of the finest centres of traditional music in the city. Live sessions in the main bar are complimented by traditional and contemporary music in the back bar.

the long hall This elegant Victorian bar on South Great George’s Street has impressive plasterwork ceilings, is decorated with mirrors and lit by chandeliers.

toners Situated on Baggot Street and dating from 1818, Toner’s is one of Dublin’s oldest and well known pubs. One of its most famous customers was W.B. Yeats.

the palace bar The Palace Bar was established in 1843. With its unspoilt frosted glass and mahogany fittings, it was once the favourite haunt of The Irish Times journalists, and writers and poets such as Flann O’Brien and John Betjeman. The upstairs rooms are a gathering place for Irish speakers.

Whelan’s pub photo by Fáilte Ireland

john kavanagh ryans of parkgate st This pub features magnificent stained glass windows, original mahogany bar fixtures and an outstanding collection of antique mirrors.

(known locally as ‘the gravediggers’) Established in 1833, and nicknamed for its proximity to Glasnevin Cemetery, this pub claims to be the oldest family pub in Dublin and is a perfect example of a genuine Victorian bar.

bruxelles A rock music pub and venue just off Grafton Street, Bruxelles has a long association with Irish rock band “Thin Lizzy” and features a commemorative statue to Phil Lynott on the street outside.

Dublin city is splendidly located between the accessible Dublin Mountains and a bay sweeping from Howth to Killiney. With the natural beauty of beaches and mountains on the city’s doorstep, Dublin is a city that has it all. Its many fine parks, gardens and canal bank walks also bring a respite from the busy city streets. Some of the many sources for information on city and gardens include: www.walkingtours.ie www.dublintourist.com/walks_around_dublin www.dublincity.ie www.fingalcoco.ie www.dlrcoco.ie www.sdcc.ie

keogh’s A traditional and unchanged Dublin pub, located on busy South Anne Street.

the abbey tavern Traditional music, original stone walls, flagged floors, blazing turf fires… and all just a stone’s throw from Howth Harbour.

the george One of Dublin’s most famous bars, located on George’s Street. Atmospheric, fun, lively and very busy at the weekends.

finnegans pub This award winning and popular family-run bar is a firm favourite of Dalkey locals, including some of this upmarket area’s more famous residents.

stoop your head A bar and restaurant offering fine views over Skerries bay. As one would hope, fresh fish and seafood and local produce figure largely on the menu.

107 PIVOT DUBLIN

city walks

howth head There is an array of walks around Howth Head, as immortalised in James Joyce’s Ulysses. One of the most spectacular is the Lower Cliff Loop with its stunning views over Dublin City and Dublin Bay.

dublin mountains Located just south of the city, the mountains offer a large number of spectacular walks and paths through its ancient forests and across its peaks. From here the whole city and the bay is laid before you. The Wicklow Way walk, as well as shorter trails and tracks, offer walking, hiking and biking opportunities.

canal-way walks Dublin’s Royal and Grand Canals offer urban walkways through the North and South inner city centre respectively. The Royal Canal is immortalised in song by Brendan Behan, and famous Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh wrote “Canal Bank Walk” in homage to the Grand Canal. Both writers are themselves commemorated with statues along their respective beloved canal banks.


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

the liffey boardwalk

www.appshopper.com/education/dublin-city-walls

islandbridge memorial park

This South-facing boardwalk is a new promenade overhanging the River Liffey in Dublin’s city centre. Home to coffee shops, it is an ideal spot for an al fresco lunch.

The Dublin City Walls app functions as a walking tour for city visitors and residents, and a historical guide for anyone interested in the sites, stories and secrets of medieval Dublin, regardless of their location.

Laid out between 1931 and 1938, the National Memorial Park is a large tranquil garden on the south bank of the River Liffey, covering 24 hectares. Designed by architect Sir Edward Lutyens, it is dedicated to the memory of the thousands of Irish soldiers who died in WWI.

the river dodder and the river tolka These are two of the three main rivers in Dublin, the other being the River Liffey. Both offer excellent walkways in the South and North of the city respectively.

marlay park This 120 hectares park with woodlands, ponds and walks is located in the south of Dublin at Rathfarnham, about nine km from the city centre, it is the starting point for The Wicklow Way walk and is a venue for concerts in the summer.

the metals This historic walkway connecting Dún Laoghaire with Dalkey dates back to the early 19th century and was originally laid down to transport over 600,000 tonnes of stone from the quarry at Dalkey to the harbour at Dún Laoghaire.

the east pier

Every year over one million people walk the East Pier of Dún Laoghaire harbour to take in the sea air, the view… and the other walkers!

apps for walks around dublin www.visitdublin.com/multimedia/DublinPodcasts

Dublin Tourism has produced iWalks; podcast audio guides that tell the many stories of Dublin as spoken by their author, historian and artist, Pat Liddy. The twelve themes cover many fascinating aspects of the region.

www.dublinculturetrail.ie

The Dublin Culture Trail App takes you on a journey of discovery and adventure through stunning videos and photographs of Dublin’s museums, galleries, historic buildings and cultural centres and introduces you to the people and artists who make it all happen.

gardens the iveagh gardens A hidden gem, the Iveagh Gardens was established in 1865 to a design between the “French Formal” and the “English Landscape” styles.

dubh linn gardens Situated in Dublin Castle, with artworks scattered around the garden, the central zone of the gardens features a Celtic knot design formed by paving stones.

garden at imma the formal garden The Formal Garden, formerly a physic garden, is laid out in the French style after the patterns of Le Notre, the most popular garden designer of the late 17th century. The current restoration incorporates features of French formal gardens with plants, sculpture and furniture from that period.

botanical gardens, glasnevin The 19.5 hectares gardens contain a large plant collection, which includes approximately 20,000 species and cultivars. There are four magnificent Victorian glasshouses, including the recently restored Curvilinear Range.

ardgillan demense The demesne in North Dublin consists of 82 hectares of rolling pastureland, mixed woodland and gardens overlooking the sea.

the phoenix park Just 2kms from the city centre, the Phoenix Park is Dublin’s largest enclosed park covering 710 hectares. Just as well it’s so big, as it houses wide open parkland and trees; football pitches; polo grounds; a herd of fallow deer; a big children’s playground; flower gardens; tea rooms; the ever-popular Dublin Zoo; and Áras an Uachtaráin, the residence of the President of Ireland!

tymon park Located between Templeogue and Tallaght, this is a 120 hectares park in South Dublin. It forms an important green belt alongside the M50 motorway. It features ornamental ponds and open parkland, and is used by footballers, joggers and people walking dogs.

people’s park, dún laoghaire Over 100 years old, this 2 hectare public park is close to the East Pier. It incorporates fine cast iron fountains, pedestrian pathways, a bandstand, playgrounds and tearooms. A market is held here each Sunday.

cabinteely park Spanning 45 hectares, this park is a perfect family venue with a children’s playground and walled garden. Tours of Cabinteely House are available.

killiney hill park Crowned by an obelisk, the Hill offers spectacular views over Dalkey, Dublin and south to Bray Head. The park is a popular destination for walkers and hikers.

shanganagh park Featuring interesting wildlife, this park consists of two large green areas separated by the DART line, and stretching right down to the coast of the Irish Sea. This expansive park has woodland, hedgerows, parkland and coastal access.

St Stephen’s Green Photo by Martin McChree

108 PIVOT DUBLIN


Information Dublin

Cultural Infrastructure

deansgrange cemetery

dollymount strand

killiney beach

One of the largest cemeteries in Dublin, occupying 28 hectares. Among those interred in the cemetery are poets, patriots, scientists, politicians and other famous and infamous names from the annals of Irish history.

Dollymount or “Dollier” as it’s known locally, with its compacted sand, wide open spaces, kitesurfers, bracing walks and learner drivers, is located on Bull Island. It’s a 5km long stretch of Blue Flag sandy beach, dunes and nature reserve. Bull Island is a UNESCO biosphere reserve and a bird sanctuary, which has formed over the past two centuries.

Set in a spectacular bay with probably the best view in Dublin, Killiney beach is a sheltered stony beach suitable for bathing and swimming and is overlooked by the homes of many of Dublin’s rich and famous.

festine lente walled garden, old connaught These historic Walled Gardens date back to 1783, although there have been gardens at Old Connaught since 1654. One of the few walled gardens in Ireland still in use today, various other features survive from the latter half of the 19th century; including door surrounds in brick, and a grotto structure at the south-west corner of the gardens.

velvet strand, portmarnock Portmarnock beach in North Dublin is also known as the Velvet Strand because of its beautiful white sand and extensive dunes, which stretch out for over 5km. It’s possibly the most stunning beach in Dublin, popular with windsurfers, kitesurfers and the less energetic strollers alike.

walled garden in malahide castle

donabate

The entire gardens at Malahide cover 8 hectares, including a 1.6 hectare walled garden. One of only three designated botanic gardens in Ireland; it contains the finest part of the Malahide plant collection.

Balcarrick Beach in Donabate, 25k north of the city, is a 4km long sandy beach set along a coastline with miles of sandy beaches, coastal walks, all close to the scenic village of Donabate. The beach attracts walkers, swimmers, and caters to all kinds of watersports enthusiasts.

walled garden in newbridge house Part of the magnificent 150 hectares Newbridge Demesne, the Walled Garden has extensive orchards and a collection of old Irish apple varieties. Two 19th century glasshouses have been restored and sections of the garden are replanted with herbaceous borders.

walled garden in ardgillan Set amid 82 hectares of pastureland, mixed woodland and gardens, the 1ha Walled Garden is subdivided by two freestanding walls, one of which has the unusual feature of twenty alcoves (a particular Victorian structure for growing more tender fruit species). It features a herb garden, Irish plants, tender ornamental plants, vegetables and fruit.

Many websites provide information Dublin’s beaches, including: www.dublincity.ie www.fingalcoco.ie www.visitdublin.com www.goireland.com

sandycove The tiny horseshoe-shaped pocket beach at Sandycove near Dún Laoghaire is a magnet for young families in the summer. Located beside James Joyce’s Martello Tower and the Forty Foot bathing place, it is the perfect paddling place for small children and part of an enchanting and varied coastal walk to Dalkey and beyond.

walled garden in st catherine’s park This Georgian Walled Garden in Leixlip contains many interesting and exotic plants, and the feeling of peace and tranquillity it brings to visitors is thanks to its woodland surroundings.

dublin’s beaches

These are possibly one of Dublin’s best-kept secrets, as very few outsiders would consider Dublin as a great beach city, but not many cities can match our sweep of coastline for the number and variety of its beaches. There are two dozen beaches to choose from along the Dublin coast. If you want to dip a toe into our waters, why not sample one of these:

sandymount strand Just 3km from the city centre, this is where the centre of Dublin meets the sea. The dog-walkers, strollers and joggers on this massive expanse of flat sand are watched over by the landmark candy-striped chimney towers of Pigeon House Power Station! Ardgillan Demesne Regional Park

109 PIVOT DUBLIN

National Botanic Gardens


Conversations

AD: I think your right (to DS), Design is the interpreter. It bridges the gap and brings the entire conversation together so that the next move is delivery. GB: Designers have certainly been brought to the table to take part in the discussion but the people in the conversation for the last while with the loudest voice have been the developers and the bankers. Well, they’ve been shown the door... so let’s have a proper chat. DS: but it’s also the citizens. I think because we get to the table, we are representing them and we have to maybe interpret or acknowledge what will make the better city so you have to be open and responsive to that. However, we have the good fortune to identify a better city not just for designers but for others. Designers need to be aware of that. Inexperienced designers make the big mistake of wanting to make the great design as opposed to making the right design, the good design or the appropriate design. SM: I don’t think it’s inexperience. Sometimes the most experienced designers make dreadful mistakes. DS: What I’m saying is I think it’s an ambition thing. Early in your career the goal is often to be the greatest designer and make great design. Now often, that can distract you from making good design. There’s a difference a lot of the time. We have to be mindful, ultimately a city is not for designers, it’s for the users, the citizens, the dwellers, the visitors. DS: To be very honest, I was skeptical about the potential of a fair bid here initially, however the more I thought about it, I looked at Icsid and always awarding it to cities with a rich history or legacy of design. That is maybe in conflict with design making things better. For the majority of cities around the world, they don’t have rich legacies and histories and Dublin fits into that category. However, we do have an opportunity to use design to affect change and I’d like to think if you were really concerned about design making things better you could use our city as a prototype to re-imagine and test things and pilot initiatives that ultimately we will leverage a lot of and we will benefit greatly but basically Icsid and it’s partners will begin to say well this has worked here in Dublin, let’s place it in a city of similar scale and size. I think Dublin is ripe for that and there’s a reasonable foundation there. There’s an indigenous community and people there and the appetite is there for that. We can re-imagine that we become the first city that is identified as using design effectively across the city and using that world design capital bid to make that real difference. That is what I would love to emerge from it, the legacy. That we use design to make a difference. If that came out of it at the end, win, lose or fail, that would be the best thing that we could have gotten for our city and the bid certainly presents that opportunity.

DS

That is what I would love to emerge from it, the legacy. That we use design to make a difference. If that came out of it at the end, win, lose or fail, that would be the best thing that we could have gotten for our city and the bid certainly presents that opportunity.

110 PIVOT DUBLIN


Maurice Ward Art Handling promotional cards Red&Grey Design

National History Museum Polar Bear, photo by Designing Dublin Learning to Learn

111 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 111


Public Health Response to question 9

112 PIVOT DUBLIN

Information Dublin


Cultural Infrastructure

Information Dublin

emergency – now! 9.

Please describe the city’s capacity for addressing security and public health emergencies.

We look after our visitors and ourselves. The management of potential major emergencies in Dublin has been a key priority issue in recent times. The world in which we live is constantly changing and we need to continuously adapt, review and develop Dublin’s emergency management capabilities to enable the Dublin region to deal effectively with both old and new risks and threats. The ultimate objective is to protect the safety and welfare of Dublin’s inhabitants and visitors at all times of vulnerability. The bidding entity (unified area of the four Local Authorities of Dublin: Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council) currently have four separate Major Emergency Plans that have been developed in accordance with the “Framework for Major Emergency Management” introduced by the Government in September 2006. The plans set out the arrangements for an effective and efficient response to a variety of scenarios which could cause the declaration of a major emergency, and to ensure a co-ordinated response is achieved between the Principal Response Agencies - Local Authorities, an Garda Siochana (Police Service), the Health Service Executive and organisations that may respond to a major emergency. The plans are based on the systems approach to Major Emergency Management, which involves a continuous cycle of activity. The principle elements of the systems approach are: Hazard Analysis / Risk Assessment Mitigation / Risk Management Planning and Preparedness Co-ordinated Response Recovery

In addition, each of the four Local Authorities has a fullyequipped Local Co-ordination Centre where the Crisis Management Team would meet to co-ordinate activities in the event of a Major Emergency. All of the centres are equipped with communication equipment. The Local Authorities also have an effective Fire Brigade and Ambulance Services. Local Authorities carry out desk top exercises to enhance their capability to respond in the event of a major emergency. Having hosted the 2003 Special Olympics, the MTV European Music Awards, European Union summits and many other large public gatherings and events, there are hundreds of experienced local security and steward staff available. Healthcare is available for all in Ireland. Beaumont Hospital is one of the two largest general hospitals (620 beds) in Dublin. It provides acute care across 54 specialties and casualty care. The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital is Dublin’s second large hospital (570 beds) and is home to two national specialities: cardiothoracic surgery (including transplantation) and spinal injuries. Medical care is available 24/7 in a number of hospitals and clinics in the Dublin region. Emergency telephone number: 999

113 PIVOT DUBLIN


Conversations

Conversations

SR: I teach part-time and also work as a design consultant in the area of design for development aid. DM: Have you a specific project in Dublin?

Episode 2 Well Being

SR: At the moment, a project that I’m working on is developing a toolkit for designers working in developing countries, so it’s a guide for best practice for working in a developing country context. The project is actually for a Norwegian governmental group called ‘Design Without Borders’. It’s starting from the premise that they send designers to countries like Uganda and Guatemala for a year to work on specific briefs. It is essentially like a ‘Lonely Planet’ from a design point of view. KBOD: There is that design book ‘Design Like you Give a Damn’, you probably know that book, which is filled with a lot of case studies from around the world of people who are working in this context that is kind of a new way of thinking. There’s quite a lot of designer’s now working in this realm. SR: That book is somewhat architectural focused. A newer, more product designed book, is ‘Design Revolution’ by a girl called Emily Pilloton. The balance is more on social design in general. She looks at design solutions for the Bronx and design solutions for South Africa etc. COG: Does ‘Design Without Borders’ look at empowering the indigenous population or is it more outsiders coming in, looking at the situation and providing product solutions to process solutions? SR: It aims to be about empowerment. MD: Are communities involved in what’s being designed for them? SR: Oh absolutely. I worked in Uganda for a year designing a life jacket and a system of production for the lifejacket and from the very start, the goals and the design guidelines were set by local fishermen in terms of what the required outcome was and what would be an effective product that would be affordable and match their requirements. DM: Well, isn’t it great in Dublin the way the bike scheme has worked? That’s a perfect example of a demand that was fulfilled, was instantly successful and despite people’s initial reservations, we actually did far better than Paris. It’s just expanding all the time. That’s been a really good advantage in Dublin. SR: I actually use them everyday and I get such a sense of pride. It’s the first time I really feel the city working for me.

Contributors: Mary Davis – Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia (MD) Sam Russell – MA Student and Part time lecturer NCAD (SR) Ciarán O’Gaora – Zero-G (COG) Deirdre McQuillan – Fashion Editor, The Irish Times (DM) Kaethe Burt-O’Dea – The LIFELINE project, Desireland, Sitric Compost Community Garden (KBOD) Recording Date: January 28th Location: 50 North Great George’s Street, Dublin 1 SR

At the moment, a project that I’m working on is developing a toolkit for designers working in developing countries, so it’s a guide for best practice for working in a developing country context. The project is actually for a Norwegian governmental group called ‘Design Without Borders’.

114 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dog Burning Steve Doogan

115 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 115


Finances Response to question 10

116 PIVOT DUBLIN

Information Dublin


Finances

Information Dublin

the finances 10.

Attach a copy of the city’s projected WDC budget. Document should include expected expenses, as well as a record of where the funds are to be drawn.

A. Provide an overview of the financial support that will be given to the WDC 2014 project by the various levels of government (i.e. national, regional and/or local authorities).

The projected expenditure budget for PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 is €13,875,000, funded both in cash and in kind from Central Government, Local Government, the private sector and the voluntary/community sector. We are balancing the budget to balance attendance. We believe we can learn from people’s experience from all over the world, and that everyone has something to learn from PIVOT Dublin. For this reason we have made allowance in our budget for a subsidy for visitors from less well resourced parts of the world. This money will be used to enable people to attend our events who might otherwise not have been able to come because of financial constraints. Local Government in Ireland operates on a geographical basis and in Dublin there are four local authorities: Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council. Each has their own set of locally elected politicians (Councillors) with their own Mayors, and their own executive and budgets. The National Government operates on a functional basis with Ministers being responsible for areas such as local government, sport, art, culture, employment and social welfare etc. In addition the Prime Minister (Taoiseach) has his own department which occasionally takes on special functions and coordinates in the event of a crossover between Ministerial functions or objectives. The Department of the Taoiseach also adopts projects and initiatives, which it then sees through to fruition. Dublin has seen many projects that were developed in partnership between government departments and local authorities and other bodies. These include the Irish Financial Services Centre, which is now – with government funding – transitioning into a Green IFSC. Another example is that of the Digital Hub, a semi state body funded by Government to develop the digital media industry in Ireland and Dublin. Temple Bar is an excellent example of a Dublin lo-

117 PIVOT DUBLIN

cal authority initiative which partnered with the private sector to develop a cultural quarter in Dublin’s inner city. The city is currently working with Waterways Ireland, an “all Ireland body” based in Northern Ireland which controls and manages the Irish Canal and Waterways system. PIVOT Dublin will be organised on similar lines; with cross partnering between the private, public and voluntary sector and support and funding from each partner. In addition to the private sector, a number of significant semi state organisations and bodies which will be involved include: the Dublin Port Authority; Dún Laoghaire Harbour Authority; state, utility and transport bodies; and special function semi state bodies with responsibility for tourism. Dublin has a number of major universities and colleges including: Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology, National College of Art and Design, Dún Laoghaire IADT, Institute of Technology Tallaght and Ballyfermot College of Further Education. While it is not anticipated that the voluntary, community and education sector will contribute ‘cash’ to PIVOT Dublin, it is certain that they will be involved and active in the delivery of projects and programmes and this contribution will be shown in the PIVOT Dublin budget as contributions ‘in kind’. The budget for the PIVOT Dublin Programme of Events in 2014 is €13,875,000; of this approximately 25% will consist of contributions in kind, and the balance will be cash. This budget includes the Icsid programme, and the promotion and organisation of PIVOT Dublin up to and including 2015 because it is anticipated that a winddown period will be required to ensure that the benefits and experiences of PIVOT Dublin are fully realised. PIVOT Dublin will, through its Dublin+ initiative, work with the other bodies to bring added value to projects in this year of design for Dublin, particularly where they can be linked to the PIVOT Dublin agenda and its four Core Themes (as detailed in Q.11).


Finances

The funding for PIVOT Dublin will be shared between the beneficiaries and sponsors. One of the main funders will be central government both through the Department of the Taoiseach but also through Government departments who see themselves as the “parents” of this type of project because their departmental objectives benefit from the synergies that such collaborations naturally bring to their areas of interest, whether that area of interest is employment and enterprise, heritage and culture, or community and tourism. While the main beneficiaries undoubtedly will be the local authorities within whose area PIVOT Dublin will operate, it is widely acknowledged that Dublin drives the Irish economy. The majority of people and business in Ireland are based on the east coast, which serves as Dublin’s hinterland (circa 2.3m people based on Census 2006 figures). There are 1.2m people living within the administrative boundaries of the four local authorities. The funding of the project has been shared on a pro rata basis between the four local authorities to reflect the size and scale of the different bodies. The four local authorities will act as joint hosts of PIVOT Dublin in 2014 should Dublin be awarded the World Design Capital designation. The private sector will gain a huge amount from its involvement in this project, and will contribute both in kind and in cash. The sector has given its commitment in principle and is awaiting with anticipation the decision of the jury before setting out in detail their specific individual commitments.

Information Dublin

The city is famous for many reasons, but our people are its greatest asset and they will be fully supportive of this opportunity. We know that they will come out to party, chat, and participate; and that they will support Pivot Dublin through funding from their local authorities. The character of its people aside, Dublin has many other notable advantages in its favour. It is an operational home to a significant number of international businesses. Some such as Guinness and Jameson were founded here; while others, including Google, Intel, IBM and Facebook are new to our city. It has a range of venues in which to host conferences, workshops and seminars, (as detailed in Q.6). It has a great range of theatres and sporting venues, some of which are owned by the local authority. Privately-owned operations include; the Abbey, Gate, Grand Canal, Tivoli, Gaiety and Olympia theatres. Our concert venues include; O2, Vicar Street, Croke Park and the new Aviva stadium. Dublin has produced many world-renowned and iconic music giants, not least of which are U2 and Riverdance. Dublin is also home to a significant number of international literary, recording and visual artists, and PIVOT Dublin will be well placed to receive support from them. The table oppposite provides an overview of the income and expenditure budget for PIVOT Dublin. Both the income and expenditure headings include a combination of in cash and in kind. A detailed budget breakdown, which contains commercially sensitive information, is available to the World Design Capital 2014 Organising Committee and Jury on request.

B. Include letter(s) of guarantee from all major parties.

Refer to Q.3 C.

Provide information on any projected elections that might impact the sustainable support of the WDC. Describe how election outcomes would affect the above-mentioned funding.

The next Irish parliamentary election will be held in 2015 and local elections in June 2014 Ireland will hold a presidential election in November 2011. However, irrespective of elections it is the norm that incoming councillors and national politicians respect and support the decisions of outgoing members.

118 PIVOT DUBLIN


Finances

Information Dublin

income and expenditure pivot dublin 2014 programme of events and overheads

organisation, management & communications pivot dublin team Core Team dedicated to PIVOT Dublin plus additional staff & PR and event management consultants on a needs basis to meet specialist skills not found in a local authority setting.

promotion of pivot dublin and wdc Including PR and Events, Travel, Workshops, Conferences, Publicity Material, Advertising Icsid Competition Costs, Conference Speakers and Exhibitors

programme budget strand 1 The World Design Capital Festival Events Signing Ceremony: Joining the Conversation in Helsinki - December 2012 The PIVOT Dublin New Year’s Eve of Design: Ignite – December 31st 2013 and 1st January 2014 PIVOT Dublin Gala Event: A Hundred, Thousand Welcomes – St. Patrick’s Day Festival 17th and 18th March 2014 The PIVOT Design Conference: Exchanging Ideas - three day Conference, May 2014 The PIVOT International Design House: Sharing Stories - seven day Exhibition, September 2014 Convocation Ceremony: Starting a new conversation - December 2014

strand 2 PIVOT Dublin Core Theme Projects

City-wide large scale projects and satellite projects and events developed under the four themes of

Connecting Cities Making Cities Lighter Making Cities Flow Making Cities Smile strand 3 The Dublin+ events

Annual landmarks in Dublin’s design annual calendar enhanced and used as a focus to celebrate Dublin’s designation as World Design Capital 2014 under the four themes, including: ‘Connecting Cities’ events include: Design Week; Open House; Absolut Fringe Festival. ‘Making Cities Lighter’ events include: Innovation Dublin; OFFSET; Science Gallery. ‘Making Cities Flow’ events include: Jameson Dublin International Film Festival; 24 Hour Universal Design Challenge. ‘Making Cities Smile’ events include: Young Working Class Heroes; Culture Night; Darklight Film Festival. Contingency Total €13,875,000 Funded by: Local Authorities, voluntary and community €4,875,000 Central Government & Semi State Organisations €5,250,000 Private Sector, Business & Industry, Sponsors, Foundations & Individuals €3,750,000 Total €13,875,000

note: Independently organised events (Strand 2) and core cost of Dublin+ Events (Strand 3) are not included in the budget.

119 PIVOT DUBLIN


Conversations

KBOD

… what struck me was you could create the most fantastic, energy efficient building and people could be entirely miserable in that building. COG: When you start to experience the city at a pace, that means that you feel it, smell it, touch it and are a part of it rather than where you in some ways isolate yourself from it. I think one of the issues Ireland has traditionally had, was failure to embrace the concept of public, so we celebrate the detached house, private car. Public parks aren’t used the same way they are elsewhere and what we’ve seen over the last ten years with the influx of new cultures is that cultural shift towards recognising that public space can be public space. It’s not secondary. It’s not an inferior version of your garden and I think the bikes have contributed to that. The Sitric-Meitheal 2009 poster

MD: What it’s done as well is nearly empowered us to connect up our transport system. We say we’re not very connected with the Dart, the Luas, the bus... they’re not very well connected but they are in a sense because the bicycle and the other modes of traffic are altogether. KBOD: I was a designer for years, everything from software to carpets to organic growing, I’ve been a lot of things, I was a farmer and a nurse. But I got to a point where I became completely disillusioned by designers and design because it was not doing what you’re doing and I decided to step out of design for a couple of years and do a degree so I did an Masters in architecture and advanced environmental and energy studies. The course was about energy and buildings and what struck me was you could create the most fantastic, energy efficient building and people could be entirely miserable in that building. COG: It’s about the creation of commodities to be consumed. My own journey as well, was in product design but then I worked as a labourer in Boston for a while before I returned to work in visual communications. I was always very intrigued to work in Holland as we’re always celebrating Holland as a good culture for design but my interest in going there was really to understand the culture a bit more and how it operated it’s politics because that’s the environment in which the work takes place. The last thing I went to before leaving Holland in the mid 90’s was a talk by Peter Dormer an English philosopher and art historian, and he spoke about how brilliant Holland was, how far ahead of the rest of Europe it was, in terms of it’s design, in terms of it’s ability to innovate, in terms of its ability to almost socially engineer. But what he said was that there was one chink in that delightful beautiful design that in a way reflects some of the things we talk about within this wonderful design. He spoke about the difference between Tolerance and respect, he said I can tolerate someone who lives their life based on what star sign they are. So I’m a Gemini I’m going to do everything in two different ways, but I don’t respect that as a way to work. He observed Holland as being a society that was very high on tolerance but low on respect. While I think we can criticise the last ten years in certain ways, it has opened up a tolerance for new thinking that maybe still needs to mature. I now think we’re at a process where we need to reconnect with each other, and ourselves and how we find the language to communicate that.

COG

While I think we can criticise the last ten years in certain ways, it has opened up a tolerance for new thinking that maybe still needs to mature. I now think we’re at a process where we need to reconnect with each other, and ourselves and how we find the language to communicate that.

120 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

Back to School Sean & Yvette Photography

121 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 121


Conversations

MD: I think they got people engaged and involved as well, in a way they hadn’t been in the last ten years. COG: That’s what cities facilitate. That’s what’s great about the bikes. There’s no social barrier there, there’s no physical barrier there. DM: It’s also about confidence and our sense of achievement. I was just talking earlier about the fact that I remember in the 80’s when U2 became incredibly successful and their success was global. MD: yeah, it’s the feeling, that sort of good feeling that you get and as you said that feeling of pride also. DM: Also, I think Dubliners are very curious about people. Irish people are curious about people. That’s part of a welcoming thing that we have, and that’s what I thought was wonderful about the Special Olympics because people would suddenly have someone from Uganda or Sierra Leone or wherever, countries they wouldn’t know very much about. COG: What’s interesting about the culture of networking around our particular culture is that we’re great at making connections but we don’t necessarily transfer that into action

DM

Also, I think Dubliners are very curious about people. Irish people are curious about people. That’s part of a welcoming thing that we have… KBOD: I started this garden at the bottom of the street which is the Sitric Community garden and even now, after five years, every time I go down there I meet somebody new. COG: But it was initiated without funding. KBOD: exactly, and that’s the ethos. It’s all about everybody pitching in. If we have a party, we don’t charge, we just ask everyone to bring food, entertainment etc. DM: It has spread around to our area also. Like where I live, which is on the other side of the city, they’ve started to close off streets in the summer, where families can then go with young children and there are police around and it’s just wonderful. There’s a whole sense of festivity around which is terrific. KBOD: The funny thing about having started these things in Stoneybatter is I’m going back to New York quite a lot as my parents are quite elderly and I found out that in the summertime, they’ve been shutting streets in New York for the last 100 years. So design...I think there is a real problem with perception of design that you have to come up with a product. Design is much more for me about systems and when I was telling my story about doing this course and finding these excellent buildings that were suffocating people and making them feel miserable, I started thinking much more about what kind of environment makes people feel healthy? COG: Evidence based design approach... DM: Let’s look at Dublin’s mid-19th Century heritage. And the two areas of Dublin, North and South. One is built around the Mater hospital, one built around the Meath Hospital. What perfect examples of good design. In fact, the British Architectural Review commented on this, because you had the single storey house over basement, which is very typical Dublin style, then you had the two storey, then you had the little square over centre. So, you start with the young couple moving in, then they have children so they move to a bigger house and then their children move out and so the little square of single story houses cater to that. So the single thought of all that architectural design was people’s lives.

122 PIVOT DUBLIN


Turn design inside out

123 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 123


Programme

Pivot Dublin

Programme Response to questions 11, 12, 13

124 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

pivot dublin: turn design inside out 11. Cities are encouraged to develop a theme around which to plan activities and promotion. Provide an outline of your proposed theme.

we have a vision for pivot dublin world design capital 2014. And that is to achieve transformational change through design – to turn design inside out, upside down and on its head. And we will do this through a project-based programme of events: live design processes with participation by the city’s residents, businesses, government, visitors and designers. The city’s local government, business sector and our national government are all committed to this agenda of change. With Dublin as World Design Capital, we will have an amazing opportunity to stand back and reflect; and to stand out and create. In 2014, we want PIVOT Dublin to excite, engage, collaborate and create change.

125 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 125


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

how can pivot dublin make this happen? There’s no nation better at forging international links than an island nation! In Ireland we understand the vital importance of global outreach. Dublin’s global network provides us with access to a rich variety of knowledge and experience. It links us directly to a vast array of innovative projects that are engaging design as a tool for social, cultural, economic and environmental development. Over many decades we have built extensive development aid networks that focus on helping poor and vulnerable people across the world. Within these aid networks, innovative designled solutions are continually developed which positively affect the long-term social and economic impact of humanitarian development projects. We have a great opportunity to learn from these innovations because we have the networks to learn and the networks to give. With Dublin as World Design Capital 2014, we can use design as a positive force for change.

126 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

the pivot dublin plan PIVOT Dublin uses the city as a fulcrum through which there is a continual flow and exchange of knowledge, skills and resources. We will make the most of our multi-faceted networks and connections to guide the development of innovative, appropriate and effective solutions that help address local, national and global needs. We will distribute these newly developed skills and solutions to the benefit of others. We will be a worthy World Design Capital through the collection of ideas and the dispersal of solutions. PIVOT Dublin recognises that we may not have the solutions (yet!) but, aided by our great array of networks and connections, we can apply the design process to developing them. The PIVOT Dublin programme will be applied as a design process with Dublin as its focal point; its springboard.

127 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

the pivot dublin legacy Central to this strategy is the commitment that for every input to PIVOT Dublin there will be a corresponding output. What we learn, create and solve, we will pass on. Our city will be the pivotal point where life is breathed into ideas. We will make Dublin a live test-bed for design projects, a site of exchange between participants, and a point of interchange from project to reality.

128 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

pivot dublin: the structure PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 is structured around four themes, rooted in Dublin’s ground conditions. These themes are locally significant and globally relevant, they represent issues that face all cities and which we want to address. We are planning for a multitude of events involving many different promoters and participants to take place in 2014, ranging from big design projects to intimate discussions, collaborative experiments to surprising expositions and the four themes will guide their direction and ambition. They will provide a focus for local and international participation, with the aim of creating positive outcomes not only for our city but, through their participation, for cities worldwide.

129 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 129


Programme

Theme 1:

PIVOT Dublin

Connecting Cities

Every city can mend its cracks. We will explore how we can make, or remake or simply ‘dial up’ connections within cities and between people; how we can network isolated communities and resources; improve blighted neighbourhoods and reconnect fragmented public spaces. We will explore and redefine heritage and its inextricable link to identity. We will explore connections between cities and how we can make better use of the growing reliance and impact we have on each other. This theme is about connecting resources to needs; ideas to finance; and conversation to action.

Theme 2:

Making Cities Lighter

Every city can be designed to be more sustainable. We will ask how we can reconcile cities’ increasing demands with diminishing global resources. We will examine infrastructural challenges which Dublin and other cities face and find ways of meeting these challenges for today and tomorrow. We will examine the choices made in everyday life and how their impacts on wider ecologies can be reduced. We will ask how those contributing to climate change can share the burden with those who are feeling its effects.

130 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

Theme 3:

PIVOT Dublin

Making Cities Flow

Every city can be made easier. We will examine movement in and between cities: how people, products, and ideas move and flow around. We will examine the lifecycle of ‘stuff’ and how our processes can be made easier. We will look at how innovative ideas from across the world can be communicated and adapted to different locations. We will examine how local production can be developed in the globalised economy.

Theme 4:

Making Cities Smile

Every city can be happier. We will engage and excite people. We will rethink what city living means and how identity and love of life can be expressed in our globalised urban spaces. We know that whether by choice or necessity, urban living is the future for most people in the world. So what can we do to make turn people onto wanting to, instead of having to, live in our cities?

131 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 131


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

pivot dublin’s vision for 2014! 12.

Outline your vision for the Programme of Events. The summary should be as detailed as needed to convey the essence of your plan. Provide an outline of your proposed theme.

PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 embraces the whole city; from informal settings to expansive gatherings; from seasoned design practitioners to curious newcomers, from new communities to old. The PIVOT Dublin programme is an inclusive conversation about possibilities, a demonstration of our determination to turn design inside out, an expression of our desire as a city to find reinvention and recovery. In PIVOT Dublin, the design process seeks to discover and define our needs and opportunities; it is a focal point that feeds into the development and delivery of solutions which provoke positive transformational change both in Ireland and abroad, in developed and developing countries alike. The PIVOT Dublin programme expands our four themes; ‘Connecting Cities’, ‘Making Cities Lighter’, ‘Making Cities Flow’ and ‘Making Cities Smile’ and explores them through a series of design seed projects starting in 2011, growing a programme which continues through to 2014 and beyond. This will be both the experience and the legacy of PIVOT Dublin.

132 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

as world design capital 2014 pivot dublin will be: a pivot point A focus for conversation, learning and exchange. global Connecting the local to the global across the world. welcoming A celebration of the value of difference. urban Creating a better environment for everyone. transformational Focusing on the design of what we do as much as what we make. lasting Each event is linked to a legacy to ensure that we participate, we learn and we pass on.

133 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 133


PIVOT Dublin

Programme

seed projects The ‘seed projects’ have commenced, building networks for change across disciplines and sectors. They inform the development of briefs for the 2014 projects. 2011 is also Ireland’s ‘Year of Craft’ including Dublin’s hosting of the World Craft Council Conference in June, PIVOT Dublin’s World Design Capital bid will be contribute to this.

doing the groundwork 2012 is another interesting year for Ireland’s capital, with both Dublin’s designation as European Capital of Science and our hosting of the IxDA Interaction Design Conference. Dublin World Design Capital events will be held as part of both programmes, developing connections for our 2014 year both here and abroad. During this year, vital scoping and research to develop the 2014 projects further takes place. Also in 2012, we are looking forward to participating in Helsinki’s World Design Capital programme!

the ground is prepared 2013 is a year of intensive preparation! Workshops to gather stakeholders are part of the vital work of this year, continuing to build networks and engage with the people of Dublin and all communities of interest.

Preparations for 2014 are in full swing

The seeds are planted

We celebrate a year of Science

pivot dublin programme

134 PIVOT DUBLIN

strand 1

strand 2

The World Design Capital festival events

The Core Theme Projects

The series of key events which celebrate the designation, spread awareness and give the year structure and rhythm. An opportunity to celebrate the festival of the year!

These projects will have city-wide participation and an agenda of transformational change. They will draw diverse stakeholders together to examine a specific problem or opportunity; and seek new approaches which can be tested through participation by the city’s residents and businesses. These will set the agenda for each of the four themes during the year, giving a focus for events and programmes.


PIVOT Dublin

Programme

pivot dublin wdc 2014 Our World Design Capital Year has arrived! Our exciting, challenging and lively programme for 2014 has three strands.

reaping benefits The conversation’s not over! In 2015 we will continue to build on the events held during our year as World Design Capital. Teams and networks will be maintained to implement the outcomes of the year, translating ideas into real, longer-term action. Dublin will be hosting the Cumulus (International Association of Colleges of Art, Design and Media) conference where the debate will continue, appraising Dublin’s year as World Design Capital, and its legacies.

1916 centenary year This is a big year for Dublin as the city commemorates the centenary of the 1916 Rising – the symbolic start of Ireland’s independence which took place on the streets of the city during Easter 1916. The outcomes from 2014 will continue to be developed, establishing a legacy for the next 100 years.

PIVOT Dublin is ignited A year of legacy building

Ireland commemorates 1916

2014 2015 2016

The Core Themes are

strand 3

Connecting Cities Making Cities Lighter Making Cities Flow Making Cities Smile

The Dublin+ events

In addition to the core projects in each theme, satellite projects and events will be developed by a diversity of communities and participants who are passionate about Dublin. The testimonials we have included in this document illustrate some of the institutions and individuals who will be contributing to PIVOT Dublin.

135 PIVOT DUBLIN

Annual landmarks in Dublin’s design annual calendar, these will be enhanced and used as a focus to celebrate Dublin’s designation as World Design Capital 2014.


PIVOT Dublin

Programme

2014 in detail

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

strand 1

the world design capital festival events

the pivot dublin gala event:

a hundred, thousand welcomes the pivot dublin new year’s eve of design:

ignite

strand 2

the core theme projects

Connecting Cities

Making Cities Lighter

core theme project 2

Making Cities Flow

core theme project 1

Making Cities Smile

strand 3

d+

the dublin+ events

offset d+ jameson dublin international film festival d+

136 PIVOT DUBLIN

d+


PIVOT Dublin

Programme

convocation ceremony:

starting a new conversation

the pivot dublin design conference:

exchanging ideas

the pivot dublin international design house ‘dublin house’:

sharing stories

core theme project 4

core theme project 3

d+

darklight film festival

absolut fringe

d+

culture night

24 hour universal design challenge

innovation dublin design week d+

137 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

2014 in detail strand 1

the world design capital festival events PIVOT Dublin’s key events will celebrate the designation, spread awareness and give the year structure and rhythm. In developing these, we will concentrate on making them accessible, engaging and diverse, inspirational in their thought, and a great experience for participants. signing ceremony:

the pivot dublin gala event:

The Signing Ceremony will be the first official PIVOT Dublin event, held in Helsinki in December 2012. The PIVOT Dublin team and representatives of Dublin’s communities will attend, as well as representatives of design, national and local government, funding partners and key stakeholders, to continue the programme of exchange with Helsinki World Design Capital 2012.

17-18th of march 2014 The Gala event will be held during the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, on the 18th of March 2014. With approximately a million people attending in Dublin alone, and Irish government ministers travelling to represent the country in all four corners of the world, St. Patrick’s Day is a national cultural festival with an unparalleled reach. PIVOT Dublin and the festival’s organisers are collaborating to use this reach in 2014 to promote the World Design Capital programme and bring it to a worldwide audience. Focus of the gala programme will be on showcasing Irish design and the PIVOT Dublin Gala event, which will play host to more than 1,500 guests, will be held in that stunning Dublin landmark, Guinness Storehouse.

joining the conversation

the pivot dublin new year’s eve of design:

ignite!

31st of december 2013/1st of january 2014 New Year’s Eve of Design will kick-off the celebration to the World Design Capital Calendar Year with a city-wide celebration of lights and an explosion of ideas. The theme of the New Year’s Eve of Design is ‘Ignite’, the spark that starts the conversation all around the world about Dublin, about design and about reinvention. In Dublin, we love a celebration, so high public participation is planned and expected over the two days.

138 PIVOT DUBLIN

a hundred, thousand welcomes


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

the pivot dublin design conference:

exchanging ideas

may/june 2014 Dublin is a city of rooms. The PIVOT Design Conference will be set in spaces which reveal the inner nature, the hidden spaces, of the city. The programme will connect a stimulating and eclectic array of people with ideas: children with policy makers; community representatives with economists; educators with national and international designers; aid volunteers with businesspeople. The first day will explore the conference topics through intimate conversations, held in 100 of the city’s most special rooms (see response to Q.6 for venue details). On the second and third days, the conference will foster exchange and decision-making by gathering an audience of 2,000 in the iconic new Convention Centre Dublin.

the pivot dublin international design house:

sharing stories

late august 2014 The conversations begun at the PIVOT Dublin Conference will move out over the neighbourhoods of the city, as individual private houses open up to play host to the invited International Design Exhibitions. Global and local discussions will be combined, as we get people together around the kitchen table to explore, examine and engage with the impact of design in everyday life.

convocation ceremony:

starting a new conversation

december 2014 The Convocation Ceremony will be held in Croke Park, home of Ireland’s Gaelic sports and the country’s most successful grassroots organisation. The event will be public, including an exhibition hurling match, and will encapsulate our participatory approach to PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014.

139 PIVOT DUBLIN

AIB Street Performance World Championship 2010 Space Hopper Guinness World Record Attempt, Photo by Joey Dunne


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

strand 2

the core theme projects PIVOT Dublin’s four themes are: Connecting Cities, Making Cities Lighter, Making Cities Flow and Making Cities Smile. These are developed through the ‘Core Theme Projects’. Each of these projects starts in 2011 with a ‘seed project’, which takes a specific angle on the theme, with continuing development into a larger project with an expanded agenda in 2014. There will also be a range of smaller, independently organised ‘satellite’ events and activities which will contribute to the four themes. They will include design projects, events, exhibitions, challenges… and even parties! The briefs for the seed projects and their potential focus in 2014 are as follows:

Connecting Cities this theme is about connecting resources to needs, ideas to finance, conversation to action. The seed project will focus on networking neighbourhoods and amenities where they have become isolated, improving blighted areas, healing fractures in communities, and reconnecting fragmented public spaces. Understanding and valuing identities and restitching our historic places and structures are a key aspect of the brief. This project will develop the role of natural and built heritage assets in strengthening the cohesion of our communities. Partners will include: local communities, local businesses, conservation specialists, landscape architects and urban designers.

140 PIVOT DUBLIN

Making Cities Lighter this theme examines how those contributing to climate change can share the burden with those who are feeling its effects. Recent dramatic urban growth has made water one of the biggest infrastructural challenges facing the Dublin region in the coming years. But it is also a critical issue internationally, becoming more urgent because of climate change. This seed project will examine water in our city – its consumption, production, its place in our culture and its connection to a global ecology of water. The project will bring together our citizens, those involved with the supply of water, designers and new technologies in finding a sustainable future for our water system.


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

Making Cities Flow

Making Cities Smile

this theme is about how local production can be developed in the globalised economy. In this seed project the potential to redesign the market for locally produced goods in Dublin will be explored, with the aims of: stimulating micro-producers; reinvigorating local cultures of making; and reducing wasteful distribution networks. Learning from the technological innovations being developed by Irish development aid agencies in their work with local producers in developing countries will contribute to the debate. The project will connect designers and craft makers to new technologies to stimulate innovation, and to develop opportunities for local production fed by scientific research. The project will form part of Ireland’s Year of Craft 2011. This will be a collaboration between the general public, members of the craft industry, the scientific research community, local enterprise support and the development aid sector.

in this theme we ask what we can do to make people want to instead of have to live in our cities? This seed project explores how we can reinvent housing in Dublin by bringing difficult central urban sites into use, and developing new typologies to empower self-builders, encourage diversity and regenerate disadvantaged districts. The public, developers, self-builders, local authorities, financial enablers and designers are being brought together to develop new housing models which are more sustainable, more easily achievable and more desirable. A key outcome will be the construction of a first phase of such housing.

Dublin House Project GKMP Architects and Moniker Dublin House Project

Dublin House Project GKMP Architects and Moniker

141 PIVOT DUBLIN


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

strand 3

the dublin+ events The exciting PIVOT Dublin programme will include enhanced and upscaled versions of Dublin’s existing landmark events including Open House, Design Week, and OFFSET amongst others. Dublin’s designation as World Design Capital is a fantastic opportunity to leverage these events and take them in new directions. They will be programmed to complement the core themes of PIVOT Dublin and their existing profiles and audiences will be a valuable addition to the PIVOT Dublin landscape. Major design events taking place in Dublin throughout the year include: jameson dublin international film festival end february 40,000 filmgoers attend annually. It creates a unique forum of exchange between the public and filmmaking community through a whole range of events that allow interaction with filmmakers.

offset march A hugely popular weeklong festival and creative conference that turns the spotlight on the capital’s creative scene.

absolut fringe festival mid september

An exciting celebration of Irish and International design, with events highlighting the important contribution good design makes to the cultural and economic life of Ireland.

innovation dublin mid november 40,000 participants from all walks of life at nearly 500 events attend this promotion of innovation and creativity in the city.

24 hour universal design challenge mid november An exciting and challenging event that demonstrates how more inclusive design solutions can create sustainable designs that meet the needs of all people.

Ireland’s largest multi-disciplinary arts festival in which 150,000 people participate in 650 events held across over 40 venues.

science gallery events annual events

culture night mid september

All year round, this public-focused gallery (a world-first) opens science up to passionate debate and encourages the interaction of scientists with wider society.

100,000 Dubliners explore and engage with culture in one night of entertainment, discovery and adventure in Dublin.

open house mid october Approximately 15,000 visitors come to over 100 featured buildings in this free event, open to everyone, in which buildings of all types and periods open their doors over one weekend.

dark light film festival late october A celebration of Ireland’s independent, DIY and artist films with an emphasis on experimentation with digital technologies.

142 PIVOT DUBLIN

design week early november

hard working class heroes festival mid september Hard Working Class Heroes (HWCH) is an Irish music festival for emerging bands. It has taken place in Dublin on an annual basis in September of each year since 2003. The Irish Times has referred to it as “an essential must-see/do on Ireland’s music calendar” and young designers have described the HWCH festival as one of the best designed festivals in the city.


Programme

PIVOT Dublin

‘ignite’ the world design capital 2014! 13.

Outline your vision for a multidisciplinary Opening Event. Include details that will demonstrate how the Gala will highlight the contribution of design in the city, and how the chosen venue will be utilised for this purpose.

The Opening Event for PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 will set the tone, the scene and the standard for what is to follow. We promise an event that is exhilarating, exciting and engaging. An event that will get people talking, thinking and reacting. An event that will spark off the process of turning design on its head in style. An event that will ignite…

Dublin Theatre Festival Dodgems, Photo by Chris Nash

143 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Programme

the pivot dublin new year’s eve of design:

ignite

31st of december 2013/1st of january 2014

an explosion of ideas The PIVOT Dublin New Year‘s Eve of Design will be a celebration of lights, kicking-off the World Design Capital 2014 in style! The theme of the New Year’s Eve of Design is ‘Ignite. This is the spark that starts the conversation all around the world about Dublin, and design; it is the moment where we begin to turn our city inside out. Warm and welcoming, Ignite embodies our culture and our people. It is unifying locally and globally, and signals our new position and our determination to make PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 a year to remember. And, this being Dublin, it will kick off with a party…

dublin illuminated Using the naturally impressive canvas of Dublin city and the river as spine to guide the visitor from the communities of the city to the Dockland area, the proposed event will be a synergy of choreographed illumination. State of the art building mapping will be commissioned from design innovators for key buildings including the historic GPO, Liberty Hall and Trinity College, complemented by bridge and river animation from Grattan Bridge to Samuel Beckett Bridge. Flotillas with flame sculptures in the mouth of the bay will create cohesion between the city and bay, with fixed illumination points stretching from Dollymount to Booterstown creating a glowing embrace to be enjoyed from far and wide.

Grand Canal Theatre Daniel Libeskind, photo by Ros Kavanagh

144 PIVOT DUBLIN

Illumination on the River Liffey photo by Ben Sollis


PIVOT Dublin

Programme

procession of lights This heart-warming procession of lights for all ages will take place in the city centre at sundown. ‘Ignite’ will encourage a high level of community participation, with local communities designing and creating processional torches, air and water lanterns. A rich pageantry of Dublin’s communities will build up excitement, with participation by Dublin’s ethnic community festivals. The light procession will bring people together to Dublin’s most amazing design showcase area: the Grand Canal Dock, where the public will stretch along the water and illuminate the docks. The landmark buildings all around the docks will be lit up, from the “Red Carpet”, the Alto Vetro and the Grand Canal Theatre to Charlotte’s Quay and Hannover Quay.

midnight celebration A midnight fireworks spectacular, positioned on the first bridge of the Bay for maximum visibility, will allow 100,000 viewers on the north and south quays to be charmed and thrilled by the awe-inspiring light show. The central stage on Grand Canal Square will feature an all-night-long celebration of the best of Irish music, performances and projections. The ‘Ignite’ event will have corresponding events in the other main cities of the Island of Ireland: Belfast, Derry, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. This means that the entire country will be engaged with our designation as World Design Capital 2014. The event will be televised across the globe.

new year’s day bay event The first day of the year 2014 will be a day out, where people and families go to the water, the beaches, the river Liffey and the Docks. This is a family day. Design installations and outdoor exhibitions will be installed, and many more locally-organised events will take place in key locations around the Bay, from Howth peninsula in the north to Dalkey in the south. The projected attendance for Ignite Dublin is up to 100, 000 people.

proposed partners The Dublin New Year Festival is delighted to collaborate on a launch event that corresponds with the festival’s planned spectacle of light. This partnership offers the opportunity for a greatly enhanced event.

145 PIVOT DUBLIN

Skyfest St Patrick’s Festival 2009


Programme

the pivot dublin gala event:

a hundred, thousand welcomes 17-18th of march 2014

showcase national design The Gala event will be held during the St. Patrick’s Festival, on the 17th and 18th of March 2014. The St Patrick’s Day parade is a richly designed festival, and where better to explore ideas about interactive design and the city than on a day marked by public participation across all walks of life. Children come out in huge numbers on this day, and the urban living city comes alive, giving us a glimpse of its potential and a real window into the changing nature of Irish communities, culture and design.

pivot dublin st patrick festival parade PIVOT Dublin will leverage the reach of St. Patrick’s Day to promote the World Design Capital programme and bring it to a worldwide audience. The globe turns green for St Patrick’s Day, as cities worldwide celebrate the Irish diaspora. The projected attendance for the St. Patrick’s Festival is over one million people!

PIVOT Dublin

pivot dublin gala event The PIVOT Dublin Gala event will be held in a Dublin trademark, the Guinness Storehouse. With its past as an industrial building in the brewing industry, and its new status as a top-notch, state of the art visitor attraction, this exciting and unusual venue is perfect for such a memorable event. Located in James Gate, one of the original entrances into the old city, the Guinness Storehouse is part of Dublin’s design and media quarter, adjacent to the Digital Hub and one of Dublin’s primary design schools, the National College of Art and Design (NCAD). The venue is an exceptional complex of 15,800 square meters, ideal for showcasing a multi disciplinary event, as it includes event and conference facilities, exhibition space, an enterprise centre and cinema. It is also the perfect authentic Dublin venue, with its rooftop Gravity Bar a showcase for breathtaking panoramic views over the city. Guinness Storehouse can host 270 guests for predinner drinks in the panoramic top floor; up to 320 guests for a seated dinner in the Arrol Suite; and also additional guests across the seven stories of the complex, making a total of 1,500 guests. The Storehouse will celebrate Irish design by displaying its story in the multi-story museum space, from Newgrange to the latest medical product design (see Question 6.b). Designers and design schools will be featured, to showcase the best of Irish design. Interactive installations and film projections will spice up the party, which will also feature live performances from the best of Irish traditional musicians and comedians. The projected attendance for the Gala event is from 300 people (at the Gala dinner) up to a total of 1,500 guests.

London Eye on St Patrick’s Day, Photo by Siobhan Walker Photography

146 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Programme

Guinness Storehouse Visual Concourse

Guinness Storehouse Cooperage exhibition

147 PIVOT DUBLIN


Conversations

KBOD: Yeah, it was very functional as well. COG: For me, with ‘Design and why now?’ is we are at a particular moment of change and Diarmaid Ferriter the historian and political commentator made a comment last week where he said vision costs nothing. What’s very interesting about design as a discipline as opposed to say engineering is that it does involve a degree of vision. COG: To bring it into the context of the conversation we’re having at the moment, in terms of that notion of the role of design. The work that I do, while my background is in visual Communication, I spend most of my time helping people envisage things and envisage them at a level of scale, it’s all about how do you help them (clients) articulate a sense of shared vision. MD: Well, I identify with that so much. It’s about impact and what the end product is and you say to people, as we have thousands of volunteers working for the Special Olympics and staff members as well, but you know you have you’re day to day work that you have to do, but when people understand that you are actually changing lives of so many people. Not just people with an intellectual disability, but the lives of their parents, families, volunteers, everybody. COG: The real skill is about how you allow that platform of engagement to still exist rather than trying to say this is a professional job, go away. It’s to bring them in but then harness a kind of collective vision where it becomes an enabling tool. SR: It’s about the balance here between awareness and empowerment and how design can make us aware of the things that are unique about Ireland and about our character and I suppose empower us in the now. We have a sense that we are being controlled by external forces now more than ever, whether it’s from global multinationals or from a European perspective. To empower our own individual character and to get that understanding of who we are, well a design process can really come in there. SR: I think as part of the Dublin bid for World Design Capital, we will certainly rely on our capacity to collaborate and our strength of community. MD: When you think about the special Olympics, 165 countries came here with 10,000 athletes and 20,000 family members and 3,000 members of the international media. What they experienced when they were here and I think anyone who was in Croke Park in that evening in June would clarify this, was that surge, that feeling of joy, optimism excitement and most of all pride. I remember president McAleese saying for the two weeks the games were here, ‘We have run that word pride dry’ and I think that’s what happened. It was the involvement of the entire community because it was very ordinary people that just happened to do something extraordinary and it left a huge impact after, in terms of the legacy that was left in Ireland and changing awareness etc. One of my abiding memories from the whole event at Croke Park was when we wanted to inject a sense of colour into Croke Park. We decided, right, let’s go to the prison services and ask would prisoners make the flags because we wanted to involve everyone and we did. MD

What they experienced when they were here and I think anyone who was in Croke Park in that evening in June would clarify this, was that surge, that feeling of joy, optimism excitement and most of all pride. COG: What I love about that is how that gives a sense of purpose to people who otherwise feel like there is no purpose in their lives like they’re on a holding pattern. Through giving them something they actually have to create KBOD: You know, I think a lot of us are on a holding pattern at the moment. This is why in a way the Celtic Tiger has done, it’s only the big success stories that get out there and there are so many people that are on holding patterns right now because of the financial situation who have enormous potential. COG: What’s interesting though about that type of organisation is your seeding a whole series of individual entrepreneurial actions. You’ve started a movement that gives permission for things to happen, which in a way seems to be at the heart of the Dublin Design Capital bid. SR: People, have showed us that when we are given the opportunity to take part in a large event that yes we can rise to the challenge.

Special Olympics Flame

148 PIVOT DUBLIN


Wall hanging Kilkenny Design Workshop Archive objects

149 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 149


Attendance Response to question 14

150 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Attendance

who’s coming to the opening of pivot dublin? 14.

Based on previous international or regional events or projection models, provide an overview of the expected attendance for the leading Opening event. Please explain the process by which these numbers were estimated. Our country is known as ‘Ireland of the Welcomes’. Ireland and Dublin host a number of major annual festivals and significant events. We have the skills, energy and enthusiasm to organise and manage events that attract huge numbers of visitors. And we will leverage those skills to really put PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 on the map. st patrick’s festival (March).

This attracts close to 1 million visitors to Dublin annually.

absolut fringe festival (September).

This spectacle of music, theatre, comedy and dance attracts 150,000 people annually.

docklands maritime festival (May/June 2009) Attracts 70,000 visitors.

bloom garden festival (June) Attracts 60,000 annually.

heineken green energy music festival (May).

Held annually in historic Dublin Castle, this popular festival attracts 50,000 music fans over three days!

jameson dublin international film festival (February): 40,000 film fans come along every year.

bealtaine (May):

In 2010, this popular nationwide festival which celebrates creativity in older age attracted over 25,500 attendees to the Dublin events.

Friend Illustration, Gaetan Billault

151 PIVOT DUBLIN

In recent times, Ireland has a proven track record in hosting and handling major international events. Ireland hosted the 2003 Special Olympics World Games. The opening ceremony in Croke Park was attended by 75,000 people. We also hosted the 2006 Ryder Cup (at the K Club in Kildare, just outside Dublin) and the early stages of the 1998 Tour de France, the world’s best known bicycle race. The 2011 Uefa Europa League Final will be played in the Aviva Stadium in May 2011. Dublin won the right to host this event through a joint collaboration between Dublin City Council and the Football Association of Ireland. Projected attendance in Dublin for the weekend is to top 90,000 people, with 50,000 people going to the venue. Attendance for the World Design Capital Festival Events, plus the other multitude of potential occasions (please see response to Q.12 Programme of Events) over the course of PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 will be determined by the particular event and selected venue. For example, the New Years Eve ‘Ignite’ Dublin event coincides with the thousands of people already taking to the Coastline. The Guinness Storehouse can host between 300 and 2,000 attendees for the St. Patrick’s Day Gala event; the Convention Centre Dublin can host over 3,000 people for the PIVOT Dublin Conference; and Croke Park can host upwards of 300 participants, set against the backdrop of the 82,000 seater stadium for the public convocation ceremony. What else would you expect from the city that hosts the biggest annual female sports event in the world; The Women’s Mini Marathon. Since it began, nearly 740,000 women have taken part and on June 7th 2010, it had a record field of 40,397 entrants!


Conversations

KBOD

Well this is the the whole idea of participative design and we haven’t really done that in Ireland yet. It’s just an incredible moment now. COG: There is a process of reinvention taking place as well and I have to think of O’Donnell Tuomey, the Dublin based architects, for me they took something from history that is very difficult to paint in parts but rather than ignoring it they re-appropriated it to become something that was about creation, that was about about potential. What comes out of that in terms of when we see the furniture design, is a strong degree of craft that it also has a real human quality to it. DM: It means that Letterfrack is no longer associated with a place of detention but is now a source of creativity. Maybe people don’t think of Dublin in terms of design but if you think of what happened there and how we can actually change perceptions... we are capable of that too. MD: I chaired the St. Patrick’s festival for a number of years, fours years to be precise and during that time on Friday and Saturday it was amazing what we were able to do apart from the massive big parade which brought half a million people into the city on the 17th March, there was also 50,000 people in a cave between The National Concert Hall and the Conrad Hotel. The atmosphere was electric, you just couldn’t believe it! COG: With all this stuff going on, I mean we look at Pivot Dublin and I love the name of that because it is about this fulcrum, this point of change. What’s great now is the energy of what’s happening and if we see this as being a kind of fulcrum point, what’s the potential that we see by putting design on the stage or the city on a stage? KBOD: Well this is the the whole idea of participative design and we haven’t really done that in Ireland yet. It’s just an incredible moment now. We have all been leveled by the current financial situation so it’s almost a wonderful process of freeing people to actually work together and that is what we are finding with the life-line project. This is a community led project looking at a site, an old derelict railway line which runs from Broombridge to Broadstone and is acting as a kind of catalyst for new thinking around designing for health and the city. Now, with the communities in partnership with Railway Procurement Agency and Dublin Institute of Technology, we’re looking at the potential working together for the next five years. COG: You do have something. You have vision, energy, passion, an understanding of potential and that becomes infectious. KBOD: What we need is we need advice. What kind of business model to we develop? Macbeth poster Abbey Theatre, Zero G

COG: For me, that’s one of the most interesting debates within Pivot Dublin and within the design capital. That moment where it’s not about government guiding the child through but more about creating the structures that enable it.

COG

You do have something. You have vision, energy, passion, an understanding of potential and that becomes infectious.

152 PIVOT DUBLIN


X-Ray Spex Karl Toomey

Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

153 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 153


Promotion Response to question 15

154 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Promotion

PIVOT Dublin

our promotional plan 15. Describe what initiatives will be taken to increase the profile of the events and showcase innovative uses of design over the period during which you would hold the WDC designation. Explain the overall promotional plan for the year.

Our communications and promotional strategy will have people all around the world thinking, talking, telling, sharing, creating innovating, but most of all, smiling, about PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014. pivot dublin is thinking The design process – discovery, definition, development and delivery - is at the heart of our promotional plan and will trigger actions across a broad range of channels to many different audiences. PIVOT Dublin has three strands, which include our core theme events and our four seed projects. These will provide the backdrop for our actions. The continual flow of knowledge, skills and resources from PIVOT Dublin will create our promotional platform. We will highlight the newly developed skills and solutions arising from the PIVOT Dublin conversations and we will ensure that they are distributed globally through our media networks. We will use the collection of ideas, and creation and dispersal of solutions as an opportunity to tell the story of PIVOT Dublin locally and all over the world. We want to make sure that PIVOT Dublin’s influence permeates to people in every corner of the Dublin region and beyond. We want to involve people in design, to talk to as many audiences as possible, and draw all our diverse audiences together with a dynamic and relevant campaign. We want to communicate the fact that design can offer meaningful solutions.

155 PIVOT DUBLIN

pivot dublin is talking And the story of PIVOT Dublin has begun. We have already connected with a wide range of audiences at home, as well as leveraging off our networks and connections outside of Ireland. Design conversations are taking place via our website pivotdublin.com, on our Facebook and LinkedIn groups, in workshops, in one-to-one meetings and through questionnaires on attitudes to design. A series of workshops were held throughout 2010 to discuss and generate support for the bid. The outputs from these workshops have influenced our bid content. We have heard people’s attitudes to design through a survey devised by the Designing Dublin team. Our short film of design conversations in unique locations across the city features on the newly designed pivotdublin.com. The local design community is already talking, tweeting, posting and blogging on pivotdublin. com, and we have assembled a team of internationally based bloggers to contribute to the site. We will launch our bid proposal at a special event in Dublin, which will provide a major promotional opportunity for PIVOT Dublin.


Promotion

pivot dublin is telling! We have developed short term, medium term and longer term communications strategies, which will clearly disseminate PIVOT Dublin’s core themes of: Connecting Cities, Making Cities Lighter, Making Cities Flow, and Making Cities Smile. Our promotional plan identifies a number of actions, which will bring the PIVOT Dublin story to life in 20112014 and beyond. It entails promotion of PIVOT Dublin via regular briefing of the key players, intensive public awareness raising across diverse media, and relationship building with national and international partners. We will invite a number of key design Irish ‘champions’ based internationally to promote the PIVOT Dublin brand, and we will initiate a promotional partnership with Icsid and the Helsinki World Design Capital committee to promote the PIVOT Dublin brand in the lead-in to 2014. We have analysed and prioritised our key audiences and have clarified specific objectives for each one to influence their current thinking about design. We will devise strong broadcast media, print media and web strategies and will establish a lobbying group of partners across the public and private sectors to assist us in our promotion. We will work with Icsid, and learn from the current World Design Capital holders, Helsinki, to ensure a seamless handover once our year has come to an end.

pivot dublin is sharing! We will promote PIVOT Dublin using our Core Theme Events and our four Seed Projects as well as linking in with other key events in the Dublin cultural calendar.

156 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

the world design capital festival events signing ceremony

joining the conversation Coinciding with the signing ceremony in Helsinki, we plan to stage a multi-disciplinary civic celebratory event in Temple Bar, Dublin’s Cultural Quarter. We will invite representatives from national and local government, the public and private sectors, design communities and all our partners as well as local residents to ‘virtually’ attend the Helsinki event by watching it on a giant screen in Meeting House Square, streamed live from Helsinki. We will celebrate the richness of the Irish culinary tradition with traditional fare to toast Icsid and Helsinki’s success and to wish Dublin well. We will present our guests with specially branded programmes for PIVOT Dublin and we will invite them to ignite, the PIVOT Dublin New Year’s Eve of Design. We will promote the Signing Ceremony in the media through partnerships with Eurovision, national radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines, social media and through pivotdublin.com. the pivot dublin new year’s eve of design:

ignite

Ignite will be the spark to begin the conversation about Dublin, design and re-invention. PIVOT Dublin will link up with Dublin’s newly established New Year’s Festival, which seeks to build a profile for Dublin similar to that enjoyed by Edinburgh, Sydney and New York. We are already building links with the Dublin festival to brand the New Year’s Festival 2014 as a ‘Design Festival’. We will use our links with the Irish abroad to promote the PIVOT Dublin Festival and the design theme worldwide. We will mount a Twitter campaign to ask our global contacts to come on board and participate in person, or via social and other media. We anticipate that this event will attract record public participation and visitor numbers, and that the Lord Mayors of Dublin City and Counties will officially welcome Icsid to the city at a high profile civic reception. The event will be a high-spirited two days of fun over December 31st 2013 and 1st January 2014, emphasising the unique difference of PIVOT Dublin and its determination to turn design inside out.


Promotion

the pivot dublin gala event:

a hundred, thousand welcomes

st patrick’s day festival Ireland’s national day attracts more than a million visitors and is televised all over the world. It is the perfect promotional opportunity to showcase Irish design. PIVOT Dublin is already working with Fáilte Ireland, (the Irish Tourist Board) and St Patrick’s Festival to promote the PIVOT Dublin programme and bring it to a worldwide audience in 2014. Through its multi-million euro promotional budget, Fáilte Ireland will advertise and promote PIVOT Dublin’s participation as part of the St Patrick’s Festival, which includes a huge parade that in 2014 will showcase Irish design and be a focal point for world cameras. St Patrick’s Day in Dublin will be a unique cultural occasion where Design visitors can experience at first hand the best of Dublin; its vibrancy, its quirkiness and its sense of fun. Chats over a pint of ‘whatever you’re having yourself’ and casual encounters will stimulate design conversations. the pivot dublin design conference:

exchanging ideas

This will be a three-day conference with a difference. Delegates will initially gather in 100 ‘special’ rooms across the city region. We will shadow the delegates and film their intimate design conversations inspired by these special locations, as a series of vignettes which we will make available to the media, and on pivotdublin.com, promote them to a wider audience. National and international media will have the opportunity to eavesdrop on the conversations and to report on them to their local audiences. Our cameras will follow the delegates back to the iconic Convention Centre Dublin and capture the design exchanges and discussion involving an audience of more than 2,000 delegates. We will initiate a media partnership with the Irish Times, a major national newspaper, to print and distribute a special supplement with the newspaper to coincide with the conference. This supplement will include abstracts of papers, interviews with PIVOT Dublin key speakers, case studies of the Dublin seed projects and insights of the people behind design in Ireland. We will provide press packs, abstract papers and arrange opportunities for media interviews with PIVOT Dublin delegates and other speakers.

157 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

the pivot dublin international design house ‘dublin house’:

sharing stories

We will invite International Design Exhibitions to explore the impact of design in everyday life through typical Irish ‘kitchen table’ conversations in a selection of Irish homes. We will facilitate the visiting design exhibitions to provide images of the exhibitions they create in Irish homes to publications in their own countries. We will also place images and articles on the pivotdublin.com and Irish design publications. We will curate an exhibition using these images and ideas, showcasing the best of world design and designers in Irish homes which will form part of the PIVOT Dublin legacy and which will travel nationally and internationally with appropriate promotion. the pivot dublin convocation ceremony:

starting a new conversation We will partner with Icsid and the new host country to promote the seamless handover from Dublin to the city–designate. We are planning a high-profile celebratory hand-over event to be held in Croke Park Stadium, home of Ireland’s Gaelic Sports and Ireland’s most successful grassroots organisation. This will be a celebration of Dublin’s year as Design Capital and our legacy. The event will be attended by our President and senior members of Government, design and industry leaders. We will formally link our website to the website of the incoming city. As it will be our final gathering, we will illustrate the benefits of the year to Dublin and announce our legacy projects.


Promotion

promoting our seed projects PIVOT Dublin has four seed projects which will be initiated in 2011 and evolve into larger citywide projects between now and 2014. We have a unique promotional plan for each of these projects and have chosen to describe the ‘Dublin House’ project as an example of our approach. Dublin House seeks to attract like-minded individuals interested in designing their own homes on infill sites in Dublin’s historic Georgian quarter in the city centre. A number of families will be involved in designing homes to suit their particular needs. We have already begun to promote and implement this project. An ideas competition was held to look at new ways of developing housing on brown-field sites based on Georgian development plots. This was promoted in the national media and on pivotdublin.com. We organised a workshop which was attended by more than a hundred interested individuals which we promoted on national radio, in the property sections of our national newspapers and via social media. We will promote this seed project as part of a wider regeneration of a Georgian street in the city in order to elicit national and international interest as well as local interest in the chosen site. We propose to invite an independent TV production company to make a documentary following this project in which we identify families’ needs and track the design solutions right up to their taking possession of their new homes. We will also use social media to stimulate further interest in the project. We will provide stories for radio with updates and feature articles for newspapers and magazines. We expect this project to attract the interest of an international audience.

158 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

what we can offer A fully staffed press office, Wi-Fi and audio-conferencing facilities and access to the highest quality media support including press releases translated and issued internationally. A sophisticated media network supportive of design, including 12 Sunday newspapers, ten daily newspapers, 40 regional papers, three national TV stations, Euro news; five national radio stations, 20 local radio stations and a very active social media network. The combined four local authorities’ internal structures offer unprecedented potential to help deliver this bid for the city region via an International department with lobbying influence and networks; an Economic Development division with contacts world-wide, and an Arts and Culture division with instant access to arts infrastructure and event management experience, public art and heritage.

pivot dublin is smiling!

Our promotional plan legacy will ensure that we have encouraged awareness raising of a wide variety of design events throughout 2011, 2012 and 2013 as well as marking the various Icsid milestones. As we draw closer to 2014, our plan will emphasise Dublin’s unique differentiating qualities: initiating conversations, narratives and networks. The aftermath of PIVOT Dublin will show how we have increased the profile of the design community nationally and internationally, as well as communicating that designers have solutions to social, economic and environmental issues. We will have created a sense of excitement about design, appealing to the public imagination through the all the PIVOT Dublin activities and events, our seed projects and all the associated projects. People everywhere will be aware of the ‘Icsid World Design Capital’ brand. Design skills and design industries are fundamental to achieving vibrant communities, societies and economies. We are confident that our promotional activity will effectively communicate this to the public, our government, the private sector and all PIVOT Dublin’s stakeholders.


PIVOT Dublin

Promotion

Illustration Steve Doogan

159 PIVOT DUBLIN


Conversations

SR: I think from a lot of what we’re talking about here, we’re seeing communities and individuals emerge to create something bigger and build a sense of pride, a sense of achievement and empower potential. Particularly, I’ve found with my work in Uganda, the end product was not the ultimate achievement. What really was the result, was the fact that by working with communities as a designer, more in the sense of a creative facilitator, to offer a process and to say you guys do this and you guys realise the industry that’s associated with this and you sell the product and you design it from the start. That gave us that real sense of confidence in the community and these are really in this context, poor remote communities that don’t have much going for them. DM: Unlocking creativity. COG: Exactly and there is an element when you talk about those things that are inter-related and one is that when you have a design intervention it actually becomes a generative platform. It generates new ideas. So what starts out as a life-saving measure, from what I understand of what you have done, (to SR) starts to have a knock on effect of providing an education platform, providing a platform for industry and further knock on-effects. The other thing that’s most interesting is not just about it being generational but trans-generational. I think what Dublin has potential to do, specifically Pivot Dublin, is create projects that go across generations, things like Special Olympics, things like that student project. What they are doing is providing a language of creativity that transcends a particular age group. SR: Well, Kaethe touched upon the shift in demographic and the fact that we would now support a much older generation and in order to do that effectively, we need to equip younger people with skills to creatively tackle these issues. KBOD: The other thing too is in for instance, if you talk about park design, particularly, if you look at playgrounds for small children. In fact we need to create places where older people can meet. DM: But there is a great playground in Broadstone and it’s wonderful that whole idea of playing. You know somebody said you grow old because you stop playing and you stay young because you continue playing and I think Dublin is a city like that and we have a playful side to ourselves. KBOD: Kids are wonderful in their ability to explain this kind of thing. When I did this project with the kids on our street I listened to an interview and one of the kids said ‘actually we think parks should be more educational. I have been on slides and swings now for 8 years and frankly I’m bored.’ What a brilliant comment. Playgrounds should cater for all ages. SR

I think from a lot of what we’re talking about here, we’re seeing communities and individuals emerge to create something bigger and build a sense of pride, a sense of achievement and empower potential. SR: Indeed, design can be about awareness as can play. COG: What I find particularly enjoyable about that particular age group and about creating permissions for them to operate in, is that natural tendency to want to reinvent, to invert, to innovate. They don’t know they are doing that but they are doing that. The real challenge now, is to create an environment that takes the sense of fear away and creates permission to explore and foster that sense of community. There’s a whole reinvention taking place of how we exist within cities. DM: We’ve changed so much in the past few years, visually, with the Celtic Tiger and with all the new architecture. For example, we completed re-imagined the whole dock area. COG: But the fabric of the city is much the same, I mean we’re sitting in a room here that has three and a half metre ceilings and has been around for centuries and this kind of room for me describes what Dublin is about. It started out as one room of grandeur to probably housing four different families to being an office or a commercial space and now has returned to being a family in the middle. This kind of ebb and flow and breathing and innovation of the same spaces...Dublin still has this potential and what Pivot Dublin captures is this very specific moment in time, in terms of urban development, national politics and local passion and interest. So, we really need to start to harness that and actually have the net.

MegaFloat 2 Life Jacket Sam Russell

160 PIVOT DUBLIN


Lego table abgc architecture and design

161 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 161


Design Infrastructure Response to question 16

162 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Design Infrastructure

design facilities as they stand 16.

Provide a list and description of existing design facilities in the city. This could include (but need not be limited to) the following:

design infrastructure From museums that celebrate their Victorian heritage, to ultra-modern showcases for science; and libraries specialising in Universal Design to pop-up artists’ collectives, as our guests at PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 will quickly discover, Dublin’s design infrastructure is fluid, vibrant, overlapping and rarely stands still. A. Design museums

irish museum of modern art (imma) www.imma.ie/en/index.html

The IMMA in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham is Ireland’s leading institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. Attracting 400,000 visitors every year, it creates widespread access to the arts in Dublin with programmes that are innovative and inclusive.

national museum of ireland – decorative arts and history (collins’ barracks) www.museum.ie/en/intro/arts-and-history.aspx

The National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts and History is dedicated to the role of objects throughout Irish history. In this museum items such as Michael Collins’ officer’s sword sits next to Eileen Gray’s designer furniture. It is estimated that the Art & Industry collections contains 150,000 objects.

IMMA ‘Dust in the air suspended’ exhibition, New Graphic

Language Museum, C&G Cyprus

163 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Design Infrastructure

B. Design-focused galleries

national college of art and design gallery www.gallery.ncad.ie

darcspace www.darcspace.ie

This is a place for students of design to display their projects and ideas in an intriguing space in Dublin’s historic Liberties area.

The Dublin Architecture Space (or darc space) is an architecture gallery which hosts challenging exhibitions and events addressing built environment issues facing Dublin and its designers.

royal hibernian academy

douglas hyde gallery

www.royalhibernianacademy.ie

The RHA is dedicated to developing the public’s appreciation of the visual arts including sculpture, architecture and painting over five galleries (one of 1,800 sqm and four smaller galleries of over 305 sqm).

www.douglashydegallery.com

This publicly-funded gallery consistently hosts some of the city’s most unusual and thought-provoking exhibitions.

access to arts clyne gallery www.clynegallery.com

temple bar gallery and studios www.templebargallery.com

Established by artists in 1983 for artists, this is one of Ireland’s leading contemporary art venues.

Based at Exchange Street Upper in Temple Bar, it features applied art and fine art: paint on canvas & paper, print, photography, sculpture in glass, bronze, silver, mixed media… in fact, any media art is embraced!

gallery of photography

RHA Signage Language

www.galleryofphotography.ie

science gallery

Since 1978 the Gallery of Photography has become Ireland’s premier venue for photography, offering a range of education an outreach courses.

www.sciencegallery.ie

Trinity College’s world-first; this is a new type of gallery where today’s white-hot scientific issues are thrashed out, where ideas meet and opinions collide.

centre for creative practice www.cfcp.ie

Gallery and venue for meetings or exhibitions, situated in the heart of Dublin City Centre on Pembroke Street Lower. Regular talks on design, animation and related topics are hosted.

Science Gallery ‘Infectious: Stay Away’ exhibition Detail

164 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Design Infrastructure

C. Dedicated centres or wings within cultural centres devoted to design

chester beatty library www.cbl.ie

A Dublin art museum and library housing a beloved collection of 6,000 manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and some decorative arts from Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Based in Dublin Castle, it includes representative samples of the world’s heritage (artistic, religious and secular) from about 2,700 BC to the present.

Chester Beatty Library Exhibition

D. Sections of libraries devoted to design

Each of the libraries listed below have extensive collections of design related literature:

national college of art and design library www.ncad.ie/library/index.shtml

Based in the city centre, the National College of Art and Design Library is an important and exciting information resource for those studying art and design in Ireland. It has a collection of over 81,000 books and exhibition catalogues, and subscribes to about 300 serials with much of the collection on open access.

dublin institute of technology library

griffith college faculty of design library

www.dit.ie/library

www.gcd.ie/library

The Bolton Street library has reference, reserve, journal, thesis, AV collections related to design and architecture and the DIT Mountjoy Square Library holds the collections for art, design and photography.

Supports the Faculty of Design provides access to research and journal articles

Dún Laoghaire institute of art and design library www.iadt.ie/en/CurrentStudents/Library

Books, Journals, DVDS, Videos, CD-ROMs, Exhibition Catalogues and Reference Material.

irish architectural archive www.iarc.ie

A vital national cultural and design resource, ranging from single items - a book, pamphlet, drawing or photograph - to the thousands of drawings and files created by large architectural practices. It is the largest body of historic architectural records in Ireland, with in-excess of 250,000 drawings and 400,000 photographs.

university college dublin – planning and architecture library www.ucd.ie/library/about/branch_libraries

The Richview Library at School of Architecture and Planning is the largest architecture library in Ireland. It makes available a wide range of material collections.

Temple Bar Gallery

165 PIVOT DUBLIN

the public library services Library services of Dublin’s local authorities all have sections dedicated to design. These are networked together through inter-library loans to provide a valuable resource to students and the general public. The library services also have online resources for Dublin’s architectural heritage.


PIVOT Dublin

Design Infrastructure

E. Other

ballyfermot college

fumbally exchange

www.bcfe.ie

Fumbally Exchange is a new community of designfocused small businesses, sole traders and start-ups. It aims to cultivate an atmosphere for creative and regenerative growth by sharing information and facilities and creating strong bonds across the design world. It also hosts regular design exhibitions and lectures.

The College’s media Building contains state-of-the-art television studios and editing facilities and a performance space

national film school Dún Laoghaire www.iadt.ie/en/InformationAbout/NationalFilmSchool

IADT’s NFS Building has a state-of-the-art facility, including a High Definition TV/film studio.

iadt media cube www.mediacube.ie

Media Cube is a specifically-focused business incubation unit for the Digital Media sector.

temple bar www.templebar.ie

Temple Bar is Dublin’s Cultural Quarter right in the centre of the city. It is the location of many Irish cultural institutions and artists’ studios and galleries, and its narrow cobblestoned streets provide excellent and exciting cultural events all year round.

designer mart www.templebar.ie/markets-15/designer_mart

Irish School of Animation

A Saturday outdoor market in the centre of Temple Bar, showcasing handmade craft and design produced by Irish and Ireland-based designers.

design centre in powerscourt town house Ballyfermot College of Further Education

www.designcentre.ie

the red stables www.redstablesartists.com

The Red Stables offers working spaces and studios for visual artists and designers and is located in 121 hectares of parkland in St Anne’s Park, Dublin.

imma’s artists’ residencyprogramme www.modernart.ie/en/nav_11.html

IMMA’s residency programme is intended to provide opportunities for artists to research and develop their work practice, and is open to artists and designers of all nationalities working in any medium.

studio 8: imma www.modernart.ie/en/page_212215.html

A space for young people at IMMA using a variety of traditional and non-traditional printmaking techniques.

the temple bar food market With foods from handmade chocolates to fresh bread; and vegetables to cheese, the focus here is on organic food with a small carbon footprint.

Founded over 20 years ago as a forum for up and coming and established designers to showcase their clothing, the Design Centre shop has proven a great success. It brings Dublin the finest fashion from Irish designers and international fashion houses. Current designers featured include: Philip Treacy, John Rocha, Roisin Linanne, and Synan O’Mahony.

the sugar club

the digital hub

www.irishdesignshop.com

www.thesugarclub.com

This venue regularly hosts designers talking about design; including Pecha Kucha events and those supported by IxDA, the Interactive Design Association.

irish design shop

www.thedigitalhub.com Emerging Irish craftspeople and designers now

An Irish Government initiative to create an international centre of excellence for knowledge, innovation and creativity focused on digital content and technology enterprises. A nine-acre site located in the historic Liberties area of Dublin, 10 minutes from the city centre is now home to a wide range of companies involved in software, web design, computer gaming, digital animation and digital art.

166 PIVOT DUBLIN

have somewhere to promote their handiwork, thanks to the efforts of Laura Caffrey and Clare Grennan, who established the Irish Design Shop in Bow Lane East, Dublin.


PIVOT Dublin

Design Infrastructure

IMMA Studio 8 New Graphic

167 PIVOT DUBLIN

IMMA New Graphic


Conversations

Conversations

Episode 3 Systems

SR: I teach part-time and also work as a design consultant in the area of design for development aid. RY: What interests me about designing Dublin is what value and method of work underpins design? What do we think about people and treating people? You can’t not work in a place like Ballymun and not be aware of things like exclusion, both self-exclusion from certain things and exclusion from the outside. It’s a complex matter, it isn’t as simple as saying you have been excluded. The whole effect of education... it doesn’t work. JR: I mean I teach on modules that are very much box-ticking, however I have so much freedom in terms of creative thinking and changing direction of a course as an educator than I did in academia. I think that’s a great thing but it’s also a sign that academia has faults. You shouldn’t only have to be creative outside the curriculum. NW: I concur, It’s a badly designed system. Just recently last Friday in NCAD we had a event called architecture for schools. It was a day long event, hosted by the Irish architecture Foundation and in the audience we had people from dept. of education, environment, teachers... any agency interested in furthering education about architecture in schools and in design. It came up again and again and again, that the curriculum is what is preventing us from designing a really effective system. EM: Maybe, predictably, since I’ve spent my life teaching, let me come to the defence at least of the third level, where I was. I was left with the feeling that I was given absolute freedom to design my course and was not hamstrung to lay down a curriculum that was designed by the Department of Education. It’s teaching people to realise something isn’t well designed or to see that something is well designed, to see the letters above the butchers are something that are well done in according to some sense of design. My sense of design is that it stretches all the way down and I try to teach people not to design but to see. RY: Everybody knows that the transition from primary school to secondary school doesn’t work, that at this adolescent time, children particularly young boys start to separate... there are all kinds of psychological issues around this. We’re taken from one multi-skilled, multi-learning teacher to a set of specialists and this is where all the problems occur. Everyone agrees on this but no one is designing it. MJG: I think there’s a crisis in second level schooling in Ireland, and it’s specific to Ireland but it is particularly acute here that there is a model which is based on really an assembly line vision of education where really you’re just adding on bits and bolting them onto the chassis until the car can be examined at the end of the assembly line. JR: I think the education experience in Ireland has been quite exciting, I’ve always enjoyed working in primary schools most of all especially 5th and 6th class because they’re at that age where they’re able to do a huge range of things but they haven’t hit secondary school where they get the great downer. We’re quite good when it come to small children but we actually leave teenagers out. We’re terrible when it comes to teenagers, we see children as people, we see teenagers as a problem to be managed and we’re terrified of them!

Contributors: Jane Ruffino – Journalist, Broadcaster, Educator (JR) Eddie McParland – Trinity College Dublin (EM) Nathalie Weadick – Irish Architecture Foundation (NW) Michael John Gorman – Science Gallery (MJG) Ray Yeates – AXIS Ballymun (RY)

MJG: I see a really interesting context here... the world has changed radically. An asteroid hit the earth in the 1990’s and that was the internet, it was new communications technologies, mobile technologies and our education systems, our cultural systems, they all have to adapt to this and many of them are based on a vision of information transfer as being a goal of education and that is deep-rooted in the second-level system. In the third level, it’s very much luck of the draw. If you get an inspiring lecturer you can be very lucky, but if you don’t, it’s all about feeding little vials and filling them with water, you know ‘filling the pale rather than lighting the fire’ as W.B. Yeats once said. I think there’s a huge and very interesting challenge here. How do you re-imagine education in Ireland and elsewhere to support creativity and innovation? I don’t see anyone who’s really doing that right now.

Recording Date: February 25th Location: Sam Stephenson’s House, Dublin 2

MJG

I think there’s a huge and very interesting challenge here. How do you re-imagine education in Ireland and elsewhere to support creativity and innovation?

168 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

Clondalkin Leisure Centre South Dublin County Council Architectural Services Department

169 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 169


Design Industry Response to questions 17, 18

170 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Design Industry

professional organisations 17.

List any professional organisations that exist locally and/or nationally to represent designers.

In areas from fashion to animation and architecture, the profile of design and Irish designers has never been higher. Recognition of design and its value has significantly changed and grown over the past 20 years. Design professional organisations in Ireland represent a wide range of disciplines. Design professional bodies are responding to the economic situation in Ireland by helping designers to broaden their skill base or helping unemployed members stay active in their organisation communities. All organisations are now looking to the future with crossdisciplinary collaboration a major focus.

Inchicore School Donaghy + Dimond Architects

171 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Design Industry

multi-disciplinary organisations institute of designers in ireland (idi) Established in 1972 to promote high standards of design and to foster professionalism in designers, it has strong links to professional bodies, government agencies and universities in Ireland. The IDI is active in promoting design as a career choice throughout the education system, from young children to college students. The IDI has 293 members. creative d The first of its kind in Dublin, CreativeD is a networkbased programme specifically designed for the creative industries. Its aim is to define, develop and promote creative businesses and to ensure that individually and collectively the creative industries become a significant force in our new economy. The CreativeD network currently comprises 40 companies. design business ireland Design Business Ireland (formerly the Graphic Design Business Association) was established to represent, support and promote the Irish graphic design consultancy sector. In 2008, the organisation evolved to include other design disciplines such as Visual Communications, Multimedia, Commercial Interior Architecture, Product Design, Design Management, Branding Strategy, and developed a singular goal; to promote effective design.

built environment royal institute of the architects of ireland (riai) The RIAI was founded in 1839 with the objectives of advancing quality, professionalism and training in architecture. It has links both internationally and domestically, and promotes architecture to the public through initiatives and publications such as House Magazine. It also accredits courses related to architecture at third level. The RIAI are involved with policy on a national level and were involved in the Government Policy on Architecture 2009-2015. The RIAI has approximately 3,000 members.

Cork City Partnership Rua Architects

172 PIVOT DUBLIN

Sculptural Swings Garvan de Bruir Design


Design Industry

PIVOT Dublin

engineers ireland Engineers Ireland work to promote the engineering profession and represent all disciplines of engineering throughout the country. In first and second level schools all over Ireland its ‘STEPS to Engineering’ Programme helps children discover and explore careers in engineering and science. At third and fourth level, Engineers Ireland accredit engineering programmes in line with best international practice. Engineers Ireland has 24,000 members. irish planning institute (ipi) Established with the aims of improving and promoting the status of the planning profession and contributing to planning education in Ireland, the IPI works with many Irish universities and accredits planning courses at third level. The IPI maintains a dialogue with government on planning issues at all levels, and is an active member of the European Council of Spatial Planners. The IPI has 750 members.

Clondalkin Leisure Centre South Dublin County Council Architectural Services Department

173 PIVOT DUBLIN

Criminal Court of Justice architect Henry J Lyons & Partners


PIVOT Dublin

Design Industry

irish landscape institute (ili) The ILI works to ensure a connection between the Irish landscape and the work carried out by its members. It is also involved in the development of landscape education in Ireland and the Landscape Architecture School in University College Dublin (UCD). The ILI has 203 members. urban forum The goal of the Urban Forum is to create a platform for strategic thinking and discussion on matters of interest to those working in the built environment. Its membership is drawn from a spectrum of professionals, industry members and government agencies. The forum organises academic meetings on subjects of significant interest for members. These meetings stimulate discussion, debate and creative thinking. On foot of these meetings, policy initiatives are prepared and tabled to relative government departments and local authorities to influence change.

Bloom Garden Festival 2010 Doylescapes

174 PIVOT DUBLIN

Art Block Entrance UCD Stephen Diamond Associates

architectural association of ireland (aai) The AAI was founded in 1896 ‘to provide a medium of friendly communication between members and others interested in the progress of architecture’. Members include; architects, students, artists, academics and others interested in architecture. It has a range of excellent programmes and lectures promoting architecture to all. interiors association (ia) The Interiors Association is a support network for Interior Architecture and Interior Design professionals. Its aim is to enhance the profile and status of the Irish Interior Design industry through affiliations with international bodies. The IA host meetings with Irish design colleges to facilitate discussion on course content and the future of design education in Ireland. the irish architecture foundation (iaf) The IAF, was created in 2005 with the aim of promoting a better built environment for everyone. The focal point of the organisation centres on architecture and urban design, and aspires to promote architecture to the public, through a wide range of activities and initiatives, from the organisation of the Open House (See Question 25), to international exhibitions such as the Irish Exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and from talks to education programmes.


Design Industry

PIVOT Dublin

‘Language’ book Diana Copperwhite

the dublin civic trust The Dublin Civic Trust is an independent organisation that works recognise and protect Dublin City’s architectural heritage. As an educational trust, they are dedicated to the principles of building identification, sensitive repair and minimal intervention, as well as appropriate use of the city’s historic building stock. Since its establishment in 1992, the Trust has recorded Dublin’s principal historic streets, including documenting over 15,000 buildings, and has contributed to the restoration of a number of historic buildings, and produced architectural conservation policies. docomomo ireland DOCOMOMO is the international committee for documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement. DOCOMOMO Ireland forms part of the international DOCOMOMO organisation. It aims to foster interest in the ideas and heritage of the modern movement in Ireland, exchange knowledge relating to conservation technology, history and education, elicit responsibility towards this recent architectural inheritance and act as a watchdog to important Irish modern movement buildings and sites.

175 PIVOT DUBLIN

marketing and advertising institute creative advertising and design (icad) ICAD was established to ‘foster, promote and reward creative excellence in Irish advertising and design’. This is achieved most prominently through the prestigious ICAD Awards. In response to the economic downturn ICAD has initiated projects such as the Creative Coffee Collective, where creatives can meet to discuss future opportunities. ICAD has approximately 300 members. institute of advertising practitioners in ireland (iapi) IAPI is the representative body for Irish advertising agencies with the role of promoting the highest professional and creative standards in advertising. It runs a postgraduate course in Digital Communications and Advertising in association with Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). IAPI has approximately 51 company members. marketing institute of ireland (mii) The MII is the professional body for marketing throughout Ireland with the objectives of upholding professional standards and improving the skills of marketing professionals. Membership is open to professionals with responsibilities in marketing, academics and those studying marketing. The MII has approximately 2,000 members.


Design Industry

PIVOT Dublin

Handmade Brooch Sabrina Meyns

environmental organisation an taisce An Taisce – ‘The National Trust for Ireland’ was established in 1963 to protect our built and natural heritage. The organisation’s main objective is to create greater awareness of sustainable development. They are a champion for the quality of life that works to protect Ireland’s rich natural and cultural heritage through heritage ownership, environmental education, partnership and advocacy for improved national policies.

other fields of design craft council of ireland (cci) The CCI is the main champion of the craft industry in Ireland. It fosters growth and commercial strength, and encourages quality design and innovation amongst the craftspeople of Ireland. The CCI offers education and support from first level all the way up to adult learning. The CCI has 1,866 members. illustrator’s guild of ireland (igi) The IGI works to support the development of illustration in Ireland. It has established a community of illustrators within Ireland, and provides a means whereby illustrators can promote themselves individually and through group activities. The IGI has 34 members.

176 PIVOT DUBLIN

interaction design association (ixda) IxDA believe that the human condition is increasingly challenged by poor experiences. They intend to improve the human condition by advancing the discipline of Interaction Design. IxDA consists of a community of people that choose to come together to support this intention and relies on individual initiative, contribution, sharing and self-organisation as the means to achieve their goals. IxDA has approximately 600 members in Ireland and 15,000 globally. design, print and packaging skillnet The Design, Print and Packaging Skillnet is a training network which works with companies in the design and print and packaging sectors to deliver training solutions which will improve business performance. Skillnet has 100 members. institute for design and disability (idd) The IDD was created in 1992 by a handful group of like minded people who were interested in forming an organisation, which was to be the first of its kind, consisting of designers and other professionals to promote the concept of design for all. This Institute quickly became the European Institute for Design and Disability, now active in 22 EU member states, and with little resources became influential in shaping EU policy – including the introduction of the principles of universal design into the curricula of all occupations working on the built environment.


Design Industry

‘Laundry Show’ IGI Illustration Dara Ní Bheachain

177 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

Right Space Exhibition the Plastic House, Architecture Republic

Walled Garden IADT Stephen Diamond Associates


Design Industry

IGI Drawers Adrienne Geoghan, Chris Judge, Kevin McSherry and Una Gildea

178 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Design Industry

PIVOT Dublin

key design industries and their impact on us‌ 18.

List key design industries in your city. How have they made a significant impact on the social, cultural and economic development of the city?

Permeable boundaries in new technologies and media offer designers opportunities to work in a range of industries and projects from medical devices and animation, to on-line video games. Collaboration between design disciplines and industry is now intrinsically linked to the innovative drivers of our city, and to its larger social, cultural and economic development. Irish designers have a great focus on user-centred design; they know that design is about having fun through learning, and just having fun; about finding new ways of living in our city; about the touch of beautifully crafted materials and objects and about sustainability and the environment, here and around the world. We are an open economy where our design industries create and influence overlapping relationships between, government strategic policy and our responsive education sector. Design thinking connects between so many sectors. It is a part of who we are, a part of how we define ourselves.

179 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Design Industry

animation The magic at the heart of animation is story telling. The Irish animation industry has thrived in the very area that is fed undoubtedly by Ireland’s ancient tradition of oral storytelling in Ireland, which goes back millennia. More recently, the spark that illuminated our animation skills was undoubtedly the decision of Sullivan Bluth, Murakami – Wolf Swenson and Emerald City to base themselves in Dublin during the recession of the 1980’s. The impact of this cannot be overstated; it created more than just employment, it created a space in which the animation industry could become part of people’s everyday lives. In 2010, three Dublin animation graduates were nominated for Oscars; Dublin based Nicky Phelan of Brown Bag Films, Tomm Moore of Cartoon Saloon, along with Richard Baneham who won the Best Visual Effects Oscar for his work on Avatar. International animation successes such as the ‘The Secret Of Kells’, ‘Roy’, ‘Picme’, ‘Octonauts’ and ‘Granny O’Grimm’ are all Irish produced, designed and written. Award winning studios currently leading the way also include Kavaleer Productions, Monster Animation, Jam Media, Boulder Media and Caboom. Dublin’s strong third

Guitar Hero 3 Havok

180 PIVOT DUBLIN

Irish School of Animation

level educational and training infrastructure for animation, in Ballyfermot College and IADT in Dún Laoghaire, has consistently turned out award-winning animators, and has contributed greatly to the strength and depth of quality in this industry. Animation is a global industry where Ireland punches far above its weight. Our success in animation, and the cultural, social and economic profile we now have in this industry, is a tremendous source of pride for our city and a wonderful inspiration to the next generation of Irish animators.

gaming Dublin has become a centre for the games industry. The worldwide success of Emmy-award winning firms like Havok, and the Digital Hub (a government sponsored initiative to promote digital media industries, which has used outreach programmes to make a hugely positive impact on the community of its inner-city location) has led to a cluster effect. Gaming is an industry where multinational partnerships loom large, and where humour, unpredictability and irreverence are assets. Havok started out in Dublin in 1998, and is considered to be a world-beater in the design of interactive software


PIVOT Dublin

Design Industry

Inga Reed Craft Council of Ireland

Enignum ii Joseph Walsh Furniture, Photo by Andrew Bradley

for digital media creators in the games and movie industries. Havok technology is being used in nearly 270 of the world’s best-known games titles, with a further 130 in development. Havok-designed products are also used to drive special effects in movies such as the Matrix and Harry Potter. Drawn by the success of indigenous firms like Havok, Vivendi, Microsoft Games, Activision and EA Games have all set up in Dublin. This is yet another design area in which our standing is very high, because in the past five years, quietly, Dublin has become one of the largest online gaming hubs in the world. Online gaming is $15bn industry worldwide with 500 million players and growing. The biggest console publisher, the biggest massively multiplayer online (MMO) game publisher, the biggest social game developer and the biggest gaming platform company all have a significant design presence here: in fact, 60% of the top 20 games on Facebook have been created by companies, like Zynga and Popcap, which are active in Ireland. These big industry players bring significant revenue and resources to the local economy and culture of technology and digital innovation.

181 PIVOT DUBLIN

craft Irish craft may be deeply rooted to our past but, as with fashion design, many of our young designers are also firmly looking to the future. A vibrant export business, it is part of the preservation of our cultural heritage going back thousands of years. The Irish craft industry is flourishing with the help of The Crafts Council of Ireland, government agencies and a growing appreciation of the work of our talented designers by buyers worldwide. The major craft sectors are in pottery, glass, jewellery, textiles (particularly knitwear) and furniture. Irish craft businesses are characteristically small in scale, however the industry is a significant employer, while also providing viable, sustainable enterprises. One of these is Shuttle Knit, a small knitting and weaving firm. Unique because they don’t use patterns, they produce a range of ladies knitwear, accessories and handmade woven throws. A second is Superfolk, the nomadic design studio of NCAD graduate Gearóid Muldowney. Superfolk’s heart is in the craft of production, whether that be hand-made or industrial, and the studio aspires to strike a balance between craft and design.


Design Industry

New furniture designers making waves internationally include self-taught designer Joseph Walsh who fuses art and craft, to create remarkable pieces from native Irish hardwoods such as olive, ash, elm, walnut, and sycamore. Another designer garnering international attention is Sasha Sykes, who creates bespoke furniture. She draws her inspiration from traditional materials and crafts and, working with acrylics and resins, she exposes the textures and forms of straws, leaves, twigs, timber, mosses and lichens. So much of Irish craft and furniture design created objects which are a tribute to Irelands heritage and, are, in a playful way, referring to an Irish way of life; one which is rooted in the land, its animals and in its weather. These conditions helped forge Ireland’s historical identity, yet Ireland can no longer be defined by these out-of-date concepts, and so Ireland’s current generation of craftspeople are using their skills to search for a new cultural language. They are telling new stories, to the acclaim of new international audiences.

Piece 4 Úna Burke

182 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

fashion Irish fashion is a small but high-profile and lively industry; it is about high-end quality and points of difference and is not associated with mass manufacturing. Fashion design in Ireland is very much associated with craft and the strong links between the material, the maker and the designer. Irish tweed, fine linen, knitwear, crochet and lace have played key roles in the evolution of an identifiably Irish style. Indeed designer John Rocha, originally from Hong Kong, is famous for his use of silk with fine Irish linen. Irish fashion has evolved from the pioneering Sybil Connolly and Neilli Mulcahy, whose adaptations of Irish vernacular materials in the 1960’s made Dublin a recognised centre for couture, to today’s designers such as Lainey Keogh, with her quirky Irish knitwear; Philip Treacy’s fantastical hats; and Pauric Sweeny’s ‘must have’ handbags. Clothes designer Louise Kennedy also works in crystal and interior design. Paul Costelloe designs clothes, homewares and jewellery. Orla Kiely is famous for her bags, works in lifestyle design and fragrances, and has collaborated with Citroën to design a limited-edition car. Indeed six established Irish designers - Rocha, Keogh, Costelloe, Treacy, Kennedy and Kiely - have all featured on Irish postage stamps. The newest wave of fashion designers includes Úna Burke whose extraordinary leather creations have been in demand by enthusiastic stylists, fashion agents and photographers including Lady Gaga, who requested eight pieces from Úna for her global Monster Ball tour – a commission guaranteed to garner hundreds of column inches in the international fashion media. The popularity of fashion courses in third level institutions alone demonstrates our pride and fascination with fashion and its impact on society. Fashion in Ireland is always forward-looking, always eager to turn tradition on its head, even when it is taking inspiration from traditional materials. With its emphasis on craft and quality, it creates a domestic market for traditional raw materials such as wool and lace.


Design Industry

PIVOT Dublin

e-learning ‘By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn’, a Latin proverb that could easily sum up the Irish experience in this new strand of digital based education. Ireland has been a home to e-Learning advancement since the 1980’s. Ireland has an international reputation for its high levels of education. Our national culture of respect for education and lifelong learning was evident in our early understanding of the potential for e-learning. A catalyst for this industry and one of the early commercial successes was CBT Systems (later called SmartForce), founded in Dublin in 1984. SmartForce went on to become the leading e-learning provider in the world. The company began trading on the NASDAQ in 1995 and by the time the company merged with Nashua, NH based Skill Soft in 2002, it had annual revenues of over $200 million. Since that initial foray, Ireland has spawned dozens of e-Learning companies, many of whom are now leaders in their own respective areas of expertise and ongoing pioneers of some of the most out-of-left field ideas. These world leaders include: ThirdForce, an established provider of e-learning to over two million learners in education, government, healthcare, hospitality and commercial organisations worldwide; and Interactive Services, a company that designs for Fortune 500 companies. The e-Learning industry representative body, the Irish Learning Alliance, advocates a business model that combines entrepreneurship and partnership with research institutions and state organisations.

Interactive Book of Kells D&AD Global Design Award, XCommunications

Muzu TV website Frontend

183 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Design Industry

architecture Architecture is important to Dubliners. In recent years some exceptional and iconic new urban landmarks have transformed our landscape: from the Altro Vetro Building to Daniel Liebskind’s dramatic new Grand Canal Theatre at Grand Canal Dock; and from Calatrava’s elegant Samuel Beckett Bridge on the Liffey, to the curvaceous and shimmering Aviva Stadium and the new Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. Despite the economic downturn and the decline of the architectural sector locally, four recent Dublin buildings have also secured places on the prestigious shortlist of the World Architecture Awards: the Aviva, the Grand Canal Theatre, the Long Room Hub and Timberyard social housing – an award previously bestowed on Dublin-based Grafton Architects for their acclaimed Università Bocconi in Milan. The international profile of Irish architects and architecture is certainly high. Dublin has seen both urban renewal and suburban expansion over the past 15 years and Irish architects have been to the forefront of this recent dramatic change. The reputation for Dublin as a city of new and wonderful buildings, with many proven and talented designers has never been more deserved. From improvements in the quality of housing, to the regeneration of communities; and from the positive economic impact felt during the years of construction to the revitalising of public areas, the impact of this renewal and expansion cannot be overstated.

Mews houses Waterloo Lane, Grafton Architects

184 PIVOT DUBLIN

Church of St Moore and St Thomas Clancy Moore Architects


Design Industry

industrial design Industrial design is a focused industry in Ireland. The most well known product designers are a local based company, Design Partners. They are a multi-award winning practice with an excellent reputation internationally for designing keyboards, smartphones and gaming headsets that are acclaimed both in design and commercial terms. Their design approach is to collaborate closely with their clients. Not only do they design, engineer and prototype; they also build emotion understanding and empathy for their designs. They have featured in Time Magazine Top 10 Gadgets 2010 for their Logitech Revue, the first Google TV device, and have recently won 5 awards at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Dublin also has many small firms who are specialists in the various disciplines of product design. Eighty6Design excel in medical product design. Shane Holland is a leading luminary in the design of lighting and furniture. The Kilkenny Design Consultancy has designed everything from cookers to street furniture, from medical devices to coffee machines, and Boxclever have designed

PIVOT Dublin

a range of highly successful products from cameras, security devices and large gaming cabinets. Industrial design is one area of design that is with all of us, all day, every day. Is in an inherent part of our culture and society.

medical technology Ireland’s medical technology sector is booming, and we are now the second largest exporter of medical products in Europe. Around 160 companies are involved in designing, developing, and manufacturing here, with over 90 of the companies being indigenous. Product designs range from precision metal implants including pacemakers, to microelectronic devices, orthopaedic implants, diagnostics, contact lenses and stents. Companies in Ireland including Medronic and Teleflex, export ₏6.8b worth of medical technology product annually and employ the highest number of people working in the industry in any country in Europe, per head of population. Exports of medical devices now represent 8% of Ireland’s total merchandise exports; and growth prospects globally remain good.

Chair Mcor Technologies

185 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 185


Design Industry

PIVOT Dublin

The medical technology industry involves intensive collaboration between a broad range of partners, including research institutions, clinicians, manufacturing companies and government agencies. With expert in-house teams such as the RCSI-CIST in Dublin helping to support the innovation, testing, licensing and marketing of new surgical devices and technology and advising on prototype construction. The economic success of this industry has direct two-way links with education because the high standards of our education system (and our history of success in related industries such as pharmaceuticals) mean that a potential workforce to grow this sector exists. In turn, the growth of the sector encourages students.

engineering The recent construction boom in Ireland saw many highend engineering achievements, with the construction of some of the city’s most innovative architecture and infrastructure, such as the Samuel Beckett Bridge (Engineering Ireland Excellence Award 2010), the Port Tunnel and the Dublin Docklands development. From successful branches of international engineering companies (ARUP Ireland, White Young Green Ireland, Mott MacDonald Ireland) to major Irish Dublin-based firms (O’Connor Sutton Cronin, Tobin Consulting Engineers, Delap & Waller, Roughan & O’Donovan), structural, civil and environmental engineers represent a key design industry in the city. From a bridge that helps get commuters home earlier in the evenings to a tunnel that takes lorry traffic out of the city centre, the impact of all these major engineering projects on day-to-day city life is undeniable. Many of these top firms are now working on current design and engineering challenges in the city such as energy, waste management, flood control and environmental management. Software engineering has also been a strong sector in the Irish economy over the course of the past 15 years. During this time, Dublin has become known for its versatile and creative software engineering. Currently home to more than seven European headquarters of the most successful IT companies, including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Facebook and LinkedIn, Dublin is considered as ‘the’ European hub for software engineering.

Aviva Stadium ME Engineers

186 PIVOT DUBLIN


Design Industry

Also many technologies developed by Dublin-based web engineers have been integrated into the global websites of the Hostelword reservation system, Cartrawler next generation car rental distribution system, NewBay digital lifestyle solutions, and Changing World personalised digital services solution. Dublin based Contrast Web Design are developing inventive and refreshing phone applications, while iQ Content are currently working on accessibility and creating better websites for everyone.

renewable energy technologies Ireland’s ultimate goal, articulated by the Irish Government and by agencies such as Sustainable Energy Association of Ireland (SEAI) is to become self sufficient in, and a net exporter of, energy. Our strategic plan sees a future of strong export-led growth in the design of sustainable energy products and services. In the short term, Ireland’s focus is mainly on wind technology, a main driver behind a plan to have 40% of power generation from renewable energy by 2020. While windmills in the Irish landscape are seen as the most obvious expression of that intent, in tandem a vast range of small and large companies have been making strides with their designs in progressive, research driven energy technology. While the sector is small in scale, it is already making an impact outside of Ireland. The US energy secretary recently signed a grant agreement with Wavebob, a company working on wave energy converters, to support the development of a commercial-scale wave energy demonstration project in US waters. Bord Gáis one of Ireland’s electricity companies is in advanced negotiations to take a stake in Openhydro, a Dublin-based tidal energy company whose Open-Centre Turbine is designed to be deployed directly on the seabed. While SolarPrint, develops photovoltaic energy technologies, designed to convert light from any source into energy. SolarPrint’s technology has been devised to work in the same way that a plant converts light to energy using photosynthesis. All of our futures are dependent on technology and design innovators coming up with solutions to help us harness alternatives to current energy sources. Irish designers are playing an increasingly active part in this.

187 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

service design Better services and better service delivery have such a positive impact on day-to-day living and our social and cultural interaction with each other. With the majority of these export-oriented services businesses are the core of the Irish economy. In addition, our large public sector and third sector organisations have at their heart the delivery of quality services both at home and abroad. Like many Western Economies, this shift towards services means new sets of skills must be developed. As an emerging discipline globally, Service Design aims to apply a design methods and thinking to the development of new services, providing better, more holistic experiences. Irish based designers are part of this global conversation, through their professional networks, conferences and international work. Irish companies such as Servitize whose focus is on ‘moving the customer to the centre of your business’ applies a design thinking approach to service development by working their clients through the “Servitize Service Design Ladder” as a process for exploring their customer needs and designing innovative new services. Raymond Turner Associates is a Dublin based design leadership consultancy. Turner has worked with British Aviation Authority (BAA), the world’s largest private airport company. His recent work on the £2.5 billion Terminal 5, ensures that BAA’s investment in design was aligned to its corporate mission of being the most successful airport company in the world. Dublin based designer Ré Dubhthaigh is a Design Associate on the UK Design Council’s Public Services by Design programme, working with public sector organisations to radically innovate new services in light of economic and social pressures. This programme is a recognised global leader for using service design in the public sector. Dublin City Council have recently set up the Studio, an internal team of design experts with the remit to improve service delivery and embed a service design culture inside the council. While the national enterprise agency, Enterprise Ireland, is currently in the process of establishing a services division, and are keenly aware of the role design can play in developing new services and opening up new markets for Irish businesses.


Conversations

JR: I think the problem is that in order to solve these fundamental design and communication problems is that we need time and resources and everybody needs to be signed up to this experiment... MJG: I don’t actually think it’s that complex, I think the problem is for education. We’re a little bit hamstrung because there is an educational system, national curriculum and so on and there’s actually very little scope to pilot an alternative. So, even if one opened up a little space in the system for more experimental models, I think great things could be achieved. If you look at Dublin even, we have a wonderful tradition of being able to move from different disciplines and being able to have conversations across areas and in a way we unnecessarily hamstring ourselves with this traditional system. But it would be much more difficult in a city like London, where it’s a city of specialists, you have specialists on anything you like, such as Egyptian Numismatics or whatever and they all live and work in their little pockets so they don’t connect in the same way people do here. If there was ever a place where one could do experiments about reinventing creativity it would be in Ireland. NW: I think Dublin is a hugely creative city because of the opportunities for us to talk and connect and exchange and develop. This doesn’t happen in London, doesn’t happen in other cities that are perceived as being more design centered. Dublin has the potential because it’s small for this, and it’s so exciting. NW

I think the problem is that in order to solve these fundamental design and communication problems is that we need time and resources and everybody needs to be signed up to this experiment... JR: I mean it happens in other cities but it happens in Dublin more, where you just get into conversation and you find out how many people you know in common. People search for common ground and actually that’s a huge opportunity in a city that right now is a design opportunity. Its broken and designers love to look for solutions. NW: The difference about living in Dublin, is you’re one person removed from a new experience. EM: It’s probably something to do with the size of the city, and the population. In fact, the centre of Dublin is very small and the population is very small, particular when you look at the population of other ancient great cities. I mean Dublin itself is an ancient, great city by European standards but any other similarly ancient city is most likely to have a vastly greater population. RY: I’d like to attack the idea that might be emerging here that Dublin is inclusive... EM: You’re experience in Ballymun is very interesting, because Dublin at the moment of course, has problems and Dublin will solve those problems. Ballymun, 10/15 years ago had problems and now it has made huge, vast, incredible, inspiring progress. Now, if you take your experience and you take Ballymun as a kind of microcosm of growth and design and advance of development, of getting over problems, there must be a way of devising a model for the city to get over it.

NW

Open House Architecture Foundation

188 PIVOT DUBLIN

I think Dublin is a hugely creative city because of the opportunities for us to talk and connect and exchange and develop. This doesn’t happen in London, doesn’t happen in other cities that are perceived as being more design centered. Dublin has the potential because it’s small for this, and it’s so exciting.


Dublin photo series photo by Rich Gilligan

189 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 189


Design Education Response to questions 19, 20, 21

190 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

design education 19.

List the total number of design programmes offered in the city. design programmes in the city PG Dip, Masters or Doctoral Programmes Undergraduate (Bachelor, Certificate or Diploma) Programmes Total number of programmes:

56 79 135

This figure represents a total for those eight colleges as detailed and outlined in Q.20. Those principal eight colleges offering design related courses are listed below and treated separately in respect of Question 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e and 20f. At the end of Question 20, we have listed some of the many other Dublin colleges that offer wide ranges of design-related courses at differing levels. Ballyfermot College of Further Education (BCFE) Dublin City University (DCU) Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) National College of Art and Design (NCAD) National University of Ireland – Maynooth (NUIM) Trinity College Dublin (TCD) University College Dublin (UCD)

Scraperboard illustrations from the BBC/RTÉ documentary series ‘The Story of Ireland davidrooney.com

191 PIVOT DUBLIN

Public Transport Project Aris Venetikidis

PIVOT DUBLIN 191


Design Education

20.

PIVOT Dublin

List all educational institutions offering a design curriculum within the city.

A. Name of Institution

D. Average annual number of graduates from this programme

F.

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

BA (Hons) Animation 15 Aidan McAteer Advanced Diploma in Animation 15 Alan Shannon Certificate in Television and Digital Film 15 Alex Sherwood Certificate in Animation Drawing Studies 25 Andrew Kavanagh Certificate Cinematography 15 Audrey Stedman Certificate Art Design Mixed Media 40 Barry O’Donoghue Certificate in Interactive Digital Media Production 15 Brian Woods National Diploma in Classical and Computer Animation 16 Cathal Gaffney Higher National Diploma in Television Operations Colbert Fennelly and Production 15 Colum Slevin Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design 22 Damian Farrell Higher National Diploma in Film 15 Darragh O’Connell Higher National Diploma Animation 20 Dave Harris Higher National Diploma Illustration 10 David Satchwell Higher National Diploma in Fibre Art and Textile Design 12 Gary Timpson Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design 22 Jason Ryan B. Name of Programme John Rice Louise Ridgeway diploma/certificate courses E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by Marec Fritzinger BA (Hons) Animation this programme or institution that elevate the Mark Cumberton standard of design for the city Advanced Diploma in Animation Niall O’Loughlin Certificate in Television and Digital Film Nicky Phelan Artist in Residence Certificate in Animation Drawing Studies Nora Twomey The BCFE Artist in Residence 2010 was Bruce Block, the reCertificate Cinematography Padraig Collins spected Hollywood producer and author of The Visual Story. Certificate Art Design Mixed Media Paul Young Certificate in Interactive Digital Media Production Richard Baneham ISA Con National Diploma in Classical and Computer Animation Robert Cullen The School of Animation at BCFE runs ISA Con, an animation Higher National Diploma in Television Operations Ross Murray and Production and gaming event that brings industry leaders from the worlds Ruth Daly Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design of animation and game design to Dublin. In 2010 and 2011 atRyan McElhinney Higher National Diploma in Film tracted high-profile speakers from DreamWorks, Pixar and Rare. Seamus Malone Higher National Diploma Animation Sean Mullen Higher National Diploma Illustration Awards Simon Rodgers Higher National Diploma in Fibre Art and Textile Design BCFE students are consistently high achievers when it comes to Siobhan Mullen/De Stefano Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design winning awards. The school has produced Oscar nominees and Steve Deane winners, as well as BAFTA and IFTA award winners. In 2010 Tomm Moore alone, four of its animation graduates received Academy Award Wee Brian McGrath C. Level of qualifications offered nominations. BCFE Animation student film ‘The Artists’ won William/Bill Hodman (i.e. undergraduate, Masters, PhD, or the the Animation of the Year category at the 2010 Student Media equivalent in your educational system) Awards. BA Animation student film ‘Blip’ won Best First Anima tion at the Galway Film Fleadh 2009. BA – Bachelor of Arts National Higher Diploma Certificate

ballyfermot college of further education

Established in 1979, Ballyfermot College of Further Education is a leading educator in broadcast media and an impressive number of its students have been recipients or nominees of Academy Awards, BAFTAs and IFTAs. Its alumni have also made a big contribution to the Irish print and broadcast media and music industries. BCFE offers a choice of 39 courses of Further and Higher Education in nine departments: Art, Design and Graphics; Moving Image; Business; Engineering; Lifelong Learning; Media; Music, Performance, Management and Sound; Social Care; Television and Film; Travel, Tourism and Reception.

192 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

A. Name of Institution

dublin city university DCU Ireland’s youngest university at 21 years old, has an impressive and established track record. With close to 11,500 full and part-time students students, DCU is ranked 279th in the 2010 Times Higher Education rankings and The Sunday Times University of the Year in 2010. It’s in the top 4% of universities worldwide and is one of only four universities in the top 300 that are less than 30 years old.

B. Name of Programme

postgraduate courses MEng Electronic Systems MEng Telecommunication Engineering MSc Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering MSc Software Engineering MBS Marketing MA Film and Television Studies MSc Multimedia MA International Communications

undergraduate courses BA (Hons) Communication Studies BEng (Hons) Digital Media BEng (Hons) Information and Communications BSc (Hons) Computer Applications BSc (Hons) Multimedia BSc Marketing, Innovation and Technology Engineering BEng (Hons) Information and Communications Engineering BEng (Hons) Digital Media Engineering BEng (Hons) Electronic Engineering BEng (Hons) Mechatronic Engineering BEng Engineering (Common Entry) BEng (Hons) Biomedical Engineering BEng (Hons) Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

diploma/certificate courses Graduate Certificate Electronic Systems Graduate Certificate Telecommunications Engineering Graduate Diploma Electronic Systems Graduate Diploma Telecommunications Engineering Graduate Certificate or Diploma Computer Aided Mechanical and Manufacturing Graduate Diploma Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Graduate Certificate Digital Marketing

193 PIVOT DUBLIN

C. Level of qualifications offered

Managing Workplace Diversity DCU partnered with Channel Content, a leading Dublin-based learning and communications company, to create a unique and MEng – Master of Engineering flexible multimedia-based training course entitled “Managing MSc – Master of Science Workplace Diversity”. Graduate Diploma Graduate Certificate BA – Bachelor of Arts BEng – Bachelor of Engineering BSc – Bachelor of Science

D. Average annual number of graduates from this programme Total graduate number (414 in 2009) from all design related courses, this includes

Annual Commercialisation of University Research Student Awards. DCU hosted the Annual Commercialisation of University Research Student Awards in November 2009. The award is for the best commercialisation plan based on a new technological product or service created by university researchers.

F.

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

Aodhan Cullen BSc in Multimedia 79 Brian Buggy BEng in Digital Media 14 Colin Cunningham BSc in Software Engineering 38 Donal O’Shea MSc in Multimedia 19 Ena Prosser BA in Communication Studies 62 Gerry Brophy MSc in Telecoms Eng 52 John Jordan Liavan Mallin Michael Kelly E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by Michael Patten this programme or institution that elevate the Noel Curran standard of design for the city Noel O’Connor Peter Smyth The Invent Centre Paul Kerley Invent is a state of the art Innovation and Enterprise Centre based at Dublin City University. It was established to transform knowledge into commercial success, and to provide the critical link between the university and the marketplace. Invent works on the transformation of cutting edge research into innovative and commercially exploitable products and services, with purpose-built incubation space for technology-based start-up companies. SqmC Ltd. DCU company SqmC Ltd. were finalists in the 2009 InterTrade Ireland Seedcorn Competition. SqmC designs and produces electronics for remotely monitoring machines and gathering data. Computer Aided Detection In May 2010, researchers from the Centre for Image Processing and Analysis (CIPA) licensed its breakthrough Computer Aided Detection (CAD) technology to Biotronics3D, a UK based company active in the research, development and marketing of advanced, image-based medical diagnostic devices. SmartPM Dublin City University is a partner in a major European Union research project targeting energy efficiency for home and office appliances. The €20 million project “SmartPM” has the aim of reducing European electricity consumption, a vital tactic in reducing greenhouse gases.

PIVOT DUBLIN 193


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

A. Name of Institution

E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by this programme or institution that elevate the standard of design for the city

dublin institute of technology Established in 1992, the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) has 20,000 undergraduate students.

B. Name of Programme

School of Art Design and Printing Masters Project: ‘The benefits of CPD in the Visual Communications Sector in Ireland’ by Con Kennedy Masters Project: ‘What is the optimal structure for organizations representing design and designers on the island of Ireland’ by Barry Sheehan.

undergraduate courses BA (Hons) in Design/Interior and Furniture (4 years) BA (Hons) in Visual Communications (4 years) BA (Ord) in Visual Merchandising and Display (3 years) BSc (Hons) Architecture (5 years)

DIT lecturer Barry Sheehan is Chairperson of Design Week and Past President of the Institute of Designers in Ireland. Head of School of Art Design and Printing John O’Connor is a founder member of both the Graphic Design Business Association and Design Ireland.

BSc (Hons) Product Design (4 years)

postgraduate courses Higher Certificate in Design Studies (Part time) 2 years MA Professional Design Practice (Full time) 1 year MA Professional Design Practice (Part time) 1 year MSc Spatial Planning (incorporating Urban Design module) BSc Spatial Planning (incorporating Urban Design module and Design Skills Lab Programme) MSc Sustainable Development (Full time) 1 year MSc Advertising (Full time) 1 year

Students on the MA in Professional Design Practice (Full Time) collaborated with MA students from UCD in the Creative. Dublin Alliance sponsored initiative ‘Identifying Dublin: What is Dublin 4?’

School of Spatial Planning MSc Spatial Planning student Local Area Plan projects are run in collaboration with all four Dublin local authorities.

C. Level of qualifications offered

MSc Spatial Planning student Urban Design masterplan projects are run in collaboration with South Dublin County Bachelors Degree Council and Fingal County Council. Post Graduate Certificate BSc Spatial Planning students have collaborated with Dublin Masters Degree City Council via DIT Student’s Learning with Communities, the Creative Dublin Alliance and UniverCities programmes on the ‘Breaking Barriers, Creating Connections’ regeneration plan for D. Average annual number of graduates from North West Inner City RAPID project and the Drimnagh Smarter this programme Travel Town bid project.

Approximately 200 design graduates per year. BA (Hons) in Design/Interior and Furniture BA (Hons) in Visual Communications BA (Ord) in Visual Merchandising and Display BSc (Hons) Architecture BSc (Hons) Product Design Higher Certificate in Design Studies (Part time) MA Professional Design Practice (Full time) MA Professional Design Practice (Part time) MSc Spatial Planning (incorporating Urban Design module) BSc Spatial Planning MSc Sustainable Development (Full time) MSc Advertising (Full time)

35 35 20 30 30 20 15 15 10 25 15 15

School of Architecture Projects include studies on: ‘Design for Affordable Housing’, ‘The Future of the Workplace’ and ‘Conservation and the Built Environment’. Sustainable Urban Development: ‘An Examination of Sustainable Town and City Development for Ireland in the Face of Uncertainty. ‘ Dublin City Foresight: ‘A Feasibility Study to Establish an Urban and Regional Foresight Laboratory for the City of Dublin and the Region’. Smart Growth: ‘An Examination of a New Approach Towards Integrated, Mixed Use. Sustainable Development in Planning the Future of Irish Towns and Cities’. The Department of Architectural Technology also has active dialogue with manufacturers and works with them on joint projects including: a Century Homes joint architecture and architectural technology timber /sustainable design project, and the Tegral-sponsored vertical conservation project.

194 PIVOT DUBLIN

F.

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

Angela Brady Andrew Griffin Anita Groener Anna Macleod Ann-Marie O’Neill Aoife Blicher Arthur Matthews Barry Sheehan Bernadette Burns Brenda Dermody Brian Fay Brian Nolan Caoimhe Kilfeather Ciarán Cuffe Clare Bell Conall Boland Cormac Allen Darrell Kavanagh David O’Connor Dermot Boyd Éanna ní Lamhna Elaine Butler Eunan Byrne Garry Lysaght Gavan Duffy Gerard O’ Carroll Gregor Timlin James Horan Jamie Helly Jennifer Chan Joanne Peat Joanna Cleary John Meagher John O’Connor John Quinlivan John Short Joseph Corr Kieran Corcoran Lenzie Sullivan Loman Cusack Martin Gaffney Mary Ann Bolger Michelle Fagan Michelle Hetherington Neville Knott Nick Cloake Noel J Brady Oisin MacManus Orna Hanly Paul Kelly Peter Cody Peter Crowley Ray Power Robert Ballagh Robert Tully Roisin Murphy Ronan McCrea Sam Stephenson Shayne Brady Stephen Kavanagh Tom de Paor Tom Kelly


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

A. Name of Institution

D. Average annual number of graduates from this programme

the institute of art, design and technology

postgraduate courses PDip Cultural Event Management MA Screenwriting MA Visual Arts Practices MA Digital Media MA Broadcast Production for Radio and Television MSc in Cyberpsychology

The Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) was established in 1997 and has over 3,000 students.

B. Name of Programme

postgraduate courses MA Visual Arts Practices MA Screenwriting MA Digital Media MA Broadcast Production for Radio and Television MSc in Cyberpsychology

undergraduate courses BA (Hons) Animation BA (Hons) Business Studies and Arts Management BA (Hons) Design for Stage and Screen BA (Hons) Visual Communications BA (Hons) English, Media and Cultural Studies BA (Hons) Film and Television Production BA (Hons) Model Making, Design and Digital Effects BA (Hons) Photography BA (Hons) Applied Psychology BEng Digital Media Technology BEng Audio Visual Media Technology BSc (Hons) Computing Multimedia Systems/Web Design BSc Computing in Multimedia Programming BA (Hons) Visual Arts Practice

diploma/certificate courses

F.

5 15 20 10 20 16

undergraduate courses BA (Hons) Animation BA (Hons) Business Studies and Arts Management BA (Hons) Design for Stage and Screen BA (Hons) Visual Communications BA (Hons) English, Media and Cultural Studies BA (Hons) Film and Television Production BA (Hons) Model Making, Design and Digital Effects BA (Hons) Photography BA (Hons) Applied Psychology BEng Digital Media Technology BEng Audio Visual Media Technology BSc (Hons) Computing Multimedia Systems/Web Design BSc Computing in Multimedia Programming BA (Hons) Visual Arts Practice

30 40 30 30 40 30 24 28 40 30 30 20 20 40

diploma/certificate Certificate in Human Computer Interaction

16

E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by this programme or institution that elevate the standard of design for the city

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

Alan Holly Andrew Kavanagh Andy Clarke Anne Tweedy Barry Dignam Barry O’Donoghue Bronagh O’Hanlon Damien Byrne Daniel De Chenu David O’Reilly David Quin David Smith Donal Nolan Eamon O’Neill Enda Loughman Eoghan Kidney Helen Doherty James Murphy Jason Ryan Jim Devine John Buckley John Walsh Keith Foran Liam Doona Linda King Maeve Connelly Mary Avril Gillan Orla McHardy Sherra Murphy Steve Woods Thelma Chambers

Media Cube This campus-based Digital Media Incubation Centre, established in 2007 is a hub of activity for the digital media business. C. Level of qualifications offered It provides an environment for the growth and development of new businesses in Digital Media and creative industries by PDip – Postgraduate Diploma offering practical support and promoting their interests. MA – Master of Arts MSc - Master of Science Interaction 12 BA – Bachelor of Arts IADT, in conjunction with the IxDA Dublin Chapter, has been BEng – Bachelor of Engineering successful in its bid to host Interaction 12 in the Convention BSc – Bachelor of Science Centre Dublin in February 2012. This will be the first time that IxDA has hosted the conference outside North America. Special Purpose Award Certificate Certificate in Human Computer Interaction

Sundance Film Festival A number of IADT students have been selected for the Sundance Film Festival. ‘Small Change’, written and directed by Cathy Brady and produced by Tommy Fitzpatrick, will compete in the International Narrative Shorts Category this year. Awards Graduates and students have won Royal Television Society (RTS) Student Awards, IFTAs, ASIFA Hollywood Annie Awards; and IADT animation graduates have been awarded 26 times in 10 years at the Galway Film Fleadh. Gobias Productions – made up of five students from IADT – won all of the judges’ categories in the student film competition for the film ‘On The Cutting Room Floor’ at the DARE2BDRINKAWARE Awards Ceremony 2009. Managing Workplace Diversity

195 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 195


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

A. Name of Institution

Metals BDes MA

national college of art and design Established in 1746 as the Royal Metropolitan School of Art, the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) has 1,000 full time and 1,200 part time students.

20-30 5

Visual Communication BDes 24 MA 2

B. Name of Programme

E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by this programme or institution that elevate the standard of design for the city

undergraduate courses Bachelor of Arts in Art & Design Education Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and Fine Art Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and Design and Visual Communication Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and Design and Fashion Design Bachelor of Design in Textile Design Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and Design and Textile Design Bachelor of Design in Craft Design (Ceramics, Glass & Metals) Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and Design and Craft Design Bachelor of Design in Industrial Design

European Institute for Design and Disability NCAD collaborates on events, various initiatives and projects with the EIDD in Ireland. Integrated Transport Map In 2010, NCAD student Aris Venetikidis’ designed the new colour coded map of bus and rail services for Dublin. NCAD Gallery The NCAD Gallery on Thomas St. is a new space for students of design to display their projects and ideas. The gallery also hosts seminars, lectures and workshops. NCAD Kitchen of the Future Competition A Miele-sponsored design competition involving final year students in the School for Design in Industry in NCAD .

postgraduate courses MFA in Fine Art Master of Science in Medical Devices Design Master of Arts in Visual Arts Education Master of Arts in Art in the Contemporary World Master of Arts in Design History and Material Culture Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy in Design Master of Letters or Doctor of Philosophy in Education Master of Letters or Doctor of Philosophy in Visual Culture Postgraduate Diploma in Art and Design Education Postgraduate Diploma in Community Arts Education Master of Arts in Art in the Digital World PhD Fine Art

TFE Task Furniture in Education (TFE) is coordinated and led by researchers in NCAD. TFE is a Marie Curie FP7 (IAPP) IndustryAcademia Partnerships and Pathways funded programme, commenced in January 2011 to run for four years. The programme emerges from ongoing and previous research undertaken in the Industrial Design Department at the NCAD on school furniture design and analysis.

The Invisible Boundaries NCAD 24 Hour Design Challenge The NCAD design challenge involves a range of multidisciplinary design teams. Each team works together to address C. Level of qualifications offered specific problems with one objective, which is to create innova tive, realisable design. MA – Master of Arts MLitt – Master of Literature Space for Learning Exhibition MSc – Master of Science NCAD hosted the top ten designs from a competition where PhD – Doctor of Philosophy architects/architecture graduates worked with 15-16 year old MFA – Master of Fine Arts students on the design of educational spaces. It featured more PDip – Postgraduate Diploma than 1,500 students in 90 schools around the country, working BA – Bachelor of Arts with 120 architects. BDes – Bachelor of Design Certificate MittleModa Awards NCAD Fashion Graduate Amanda Grogan was the overall win Diploma ner at the 18th MittleModa Awards. Easy to Use Design Awards The Easy to Use Design Awards are a creative collaboration between Arthritis Ireland and The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) with the support of Pfizer.

D. Average annual number of graduates from this programme Fashion Graduates in BA in Fashion Graduates in BA in Textiles

15 24

Other Awards Every year NCAD fashion graduates win national competiFashion & Textiles tions. Examples include: Persil Irish Fashion Awards, Nokia Young Fashion Designers awards and the River Island Graduate Postgraduates MA in Fashion & Textiles (Approx.) 1-2 Bursary award. NCAD students and graduates regularly win PhD in Fashion & Textile 1 national level awards at the RDS Crafts Show, the Crafts Council Industrial Design Showcase Awards and the Golden Fleece Awards. BDes MA MSc PhD

196 PIVOT DUBLIN

20-25 2 10 1

F.

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

Alan Aboud Alan Dunne Alan McCool Alex Scott André Hackett Andrew Campbell Andrew Folan Angela Woods Ann Fitzgibbon Bob Gray Bill Bolger Brenda Dermody Brendan Boyle Brendan Deacy Brian Cronin Brian Keaney Brian Moore Brian McGuinn Catherine Lynch Chris Haughton Ciaran O Gaora Ciaran Swan Conor Clarke Conor Nolan Daniel Kearns Daryl Kerrigan David Caron David Rooney David Wall Deborah Veale Declan and Garech Stone Dermott Power Diana Copperwhite Ed McGinley Edel Tucker Eileen Dunne Eileen Shields Estella Solomons Frank Long Gearóid O’Conchubair Glen Forde Harry Clarke Helen Cody Helen McAllister Henry Pim Isabelle Peyrat Isobel Sarsfield James Waldron Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh Jen Kelly Joe Coll John Behan Kevin Atherton Kevin Finn Leah Hilliard Lisa Godson Lisa Young Louise Walsh Madeleine Moore Mark Inglis Mary Dotherty Margaret Lonergan Michael Duhan Mick Wilson Mick O Dea Mike Birtchnell Nano Reid Neil Read Nigel Cheney Oisin Kelly


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

Oliver Whelan Orla Kiely Patrick Mooney Patrick Swift Paul Gibney Paul Hughes Paul McBride Peter McGrory Philip Napier Philip Treacy Rachel O’Connell Robert Armstrong Ruairí Robinson Samantha Corcoran Sarah Durcan Seán Keating Shane Holland Siún Hanrahan Sorcha O’Brien Stephen Kavanagh Steve Chan Steve McDevitt Susan MacWilliam Terry Greene Tom Meeneghan Tony Dunne William Butler Yeats

A. Name of Institution

F.

national university of ireland - maynooth

Frank Devitt Damini Kumar Martin Ryan PJ White

Part of an existing college established in Maynooth over 200 years ago, the National University Of Ireland – Maynooth ( NUIM) was established in 1997 and has approximately 8,400 registered students.

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

B. Name of Programme

postgraduate courses PhD Design PhD Innovation M.Litt in Design

undergraduate courses BSc Product Design (Marketing & Innovation)

C. Level of qualifications offered Doctoral Degree Masters Degree Bachelors Degree

D. Average annual number of graduates from this programme The first graduates are expected at the end of this academic year. The programme is expected to graduate approximately 30 students per annum. E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by this programme or institution that elevate the standard of design for the city

N/A

197 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 197


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

A. Name of Institution

E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by this programme or institution that elevate the standard of design for the city

trinity college dublin Established in 1592 Trinity College, with almost 17,000 students, is consistently ranked as the top university in Ireland and in the top 50 worldwide.

TrinityHaus Formed in 2008 to examine the interconnected areas of research and design in relation to the built and urban environment, TrinityHaus has a holistic, multidisciplinary approach which is underpinned by creative thinking.

B. Name of Programme

Steps A programme of interactive events involving the Engineers Ireland’ “STEPS to Engineering” initiative in which TCD students and staff showcased some of the exciting engineering projects and research undertaken by Trinity’s engineering students.

postgraduate courses MSc or PDip or PhD Computer Science MSc Interactive Digital Media MSc Interactive Entertainment Technology MSc or PDip Technology and Learning

undergraduate courses BA Business and Computing BA Computer Science B Eng Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering B Eng Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering B Eng Electronic / Electronic & Computer / Computer Engineering

diploma/certificate courses

Certificate in Human Computer Interaction

CRANN research centre The CRANN research centre at Trinity works on the development of new nanomaterials with improved mechanical, magnetic, electrical or optical properties and their subsequent application in electronic or medical devices. The ATRL This interdisciplinary, postgraduate research centre of the School of Drama, Film and Music at Trinity College is designed to explore the emergent fields of creative art practice and new technologies.

The Science Gallery The Science Gallery is a world first and aims to open science up to passionate debate and encourage the interaction of scientists with wider society. The gallery is a unique public venue where PDip – Postgraduate Diploma today’s white-hot scientific issues are debated publicly, and MSc – Master of Science where ideas meet and opinions collide. PhD – Doctor of Philosophy

C. Level of qualifications offered

BEng – Bachelor of Engineering BA – Bachelor of Arts

The Innovation Alliance Formed by Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, this alliance is part of the national drive to realise Ireland’s ambition to create a Smart Economy.

D. Average annual number of graduates from this programme MSc Computer Science PhD Computer Science MSc Interactive Digital Media MSc Interactive Entertainment Technology MSc Technology and Learning

10 25 15 15 20

undergraduate courses BA Business and Computing BA Computer Science B Eng Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering B Eng Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering B.Eng Electronic / Electronic & Computer / Computer Engineering:

30 35 50 60 43

Biosciences Development The new Biosciences Development (35,000 sqm) will redefine the scientific research landscape in Trinity College, and will allow Ireland to take an international lead on the delivery of quality pharmaceutical and biotechnology research infrastructure. The Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus This has circa 16,000 sq.m. of lettable space for small and medium-sized enterprises. Its centrepiece is the Tower Building a Design and Craft Centre which houses 26 craft tenants. The Trinity College Dublin Innovation Award Awarded to an individual or organisation making an outstanding contribution to the promotion of an entrepreneurial culture within Trinity College or Ireland in general. Previous winners include Havok, Intel and IdentiGEN. Trinity College’s Centre for Health Informatics The centre developed ‘Solas’, a virtual community for children with chronic illnesses, which won the Astellas Changing Tomorrow Award. Miravex Miravex is a campus company specialising in the areas of optics and image analysis for the cosmetic investigation of skin conditions. It won the first Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) University Innovation Challenge Award.

198 PIVOT DUBLIN

F.

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

Alan O’Connor Anil Kokaran Anthony Paul Quinn Antoin MacGabhann Aonghus McNabola Bidisha Ghosh Brendan Tangney Brendan O’Kelly Brian Caulfield Brian Broderick Bruce Dudley Misstear Charles Algernon Parsons Darina Bridget Murray David Taylor Dermot O’Dwyer Donal O’Mahony Donal O’Sullivan Edmund Burke Eoin O’Neill Ernest Walton Garrett Bennett George Berkeley George Stoney Hugh Reynolds James Ussher Jane Grimson Jon Joly John Hegarty Jonathan Swift Kevin Kelly Khurshid Ahmad Kingston Mills Laurence Gill Linda Doyle Linda McHugh Mads Haahr Mairéad Brady Mani Ramaswami Margaret O’Mahony Marie Redmond Mark Dyer Martin Fellenz Matthew Causey Michael Louis Brennan Oliver Goldsmith Oscar Wilde Patrick Prendergast Paul Coughlan Paul Johnston Richard Reilly Robert Mallet Roger West Sara Pavia Sarah McCormack Siobhan Clarke Steven Collins Thomas Dermot Geraghty Trevor West Trevor Orr Vinny Cahill William Lecky William Rowan Hamilton


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

A. Name of Institution

Students from the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy have worked in conjunction with the Dublin Local Authorities on urban design-related projects under the auspices of the Urban Design Studio Module.

university college dublin University College Dublin (UCD) is the largest university in Ireland. This research-led university has almost 25,000 full-time and part-time students.

Staff and students in architecture have engaged in numerous live projects and community-based initiatives in areas of the city from Tallaght to the Liberties. The staff of the UCD Architecture studio have been recipients of countless AAI, RIAI and Opus Awards for their design work.

B. Name of Programme

postgraduate courses PDip Architecture MRUP Regional and Urban Planning MSc Sustainable Energy and Green Technologies MSc Urban and Building Conservation PhD Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering MArchSc (Architectural Science) MArch (Architecture) MSc Urban Design PhD Sustainable Development PhD Urban Regeneration and Community Participation PhD Planning

undergraduate courses Bachelor of Architecture Bachelor of Arts: Geography, Planning & Environmental Policy Bachelor of Arts: History of Art Bachelor of Science: Computer Science Bachelor of Science: Landscape Architecture Bachelor of Engineering

Miriam Fitzpatrick, lecturer in Architecture in UCD, has initiated a special award in ‘The Design of the Built Environment’ as part of BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition for 2011. Dr Amanda Gibney from the UCD School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Landscape received a National Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2009. Many UCD MSc Urban Design student groups have taken part in learning initiatives with Local Authorities, public bodies and the design professions. These initiatives include: the Play and Urban Design Workshop with Dublin City Council and others; and the Water and Urban Design Workshop with urban design firms and representatives of the relevant government departments. Learning initiatives run within the University across disciplines – for example, sharing GIS learning with planning students. The ‘NowWhat?’ Summer Initiative of 2009 was hosted at UCD School of Architecture. It was designed to tap into the wealth of creative talent amongst graduates and students who need space to research, learn new skills, and for dialogue withlike-minded people.

C. Level of qualifications offered UCD School of Geography, Planning & Environmental MSc – Master of Science Policy (GPEP) MEng – Master of Engineering GPEP is part of a European consortium contributing to the ACRE PDip – Postgraduate Diploma project: “Accommodating Creative Knowledge: Competitiveness MRUP – Master in Rural and Urban Planning of European Metropolitan Regions within the Enlarged Union”. PhD – Doctor of Philosophy Students at the MRUP Masters Course in Planning undertake a MArch – Master of Architecture development plan preparation process, which includes analysis MArchSc – Master of Architectural Science and city design propositions; typically for a middle sized town. BArch - Bachelor of Architecture The students also undertake an urban design studio based BSc - Bachelor of Science module, generally dealing with the outline design of a city block. BSc - Bachelor of Architecture

BA - Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy

D. Average annual number of graduates from this programme Architecture Landscape Architecture Building and Civil engineering BA Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy BA History of Art All Engineering, manufacturing and construction total Masters in Engineering Masters in Architecture/Planning etc combined Masters in Regional and Urban Planning

45 25 70 25 20 200 25 20 38

E. Any projects undertaken or awards received by this programme or institution that elevate the standard of design for the city UCD School of Architecture, Landscape & Civil Engineering UCD Lecturers Gerry Cahill and Loughlin Kealy co-ordinated a highly influential and seminal 1986 project on Dublin City Quays with the architectural students of UCD.

199 PIVOT DUBLIN

Miravex The UCD Energy Research Group is part of the School of Architecture, Landscape & Civil Engineering. It has worked on projects related to innovation in building envelope design and construction; designing for daylight- study and analysis of architectural daylight design solutions; and life cycle energy performance of buildings integrated analysis of energy performance through the buildings life-cycle that will allow the exploration of new correlations between design process and construction. IBEAM Irish Building Environmental Assessment Methodology (IBEAM) project, led by the UCD Energy Research Group, aims to promote best practice in the environmental design of buildings. Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR) The CWRR, an initiative of the UCD School of Architecture, Landscape & Civil Engineering, is undertaking significant research projects relating to constructed wetlands, which are an innovative, low-cost, and sustainable form of wastewater treatment. In 2010 the centre hosted the second Irish Conference on ‘Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Environmental Pollution Control’.

UII Urban Institute Ireland (UII) at UCD is a centre for the development of new technologies, policies and ideas designed to improve the quality of the working and living environment. It is already established as an important centre internationally for research on urban and development issues. TRIL (Trinity+UCD+Intel) The Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) Centre, based in UCD, is a research collaboration that addresses the physical, cognitive and social consequences of ageing, and develops technology solutions which support independent ageing, ideally in a home environment. The Clarity Centre The Clarity centre involves more than 60 researchers in University College Dublin, Dublin City University, and the Tyndall National Institute (TNI). The centre researches how the combination of sensors, software, and the internet will enable new types of information services across a wide range of sectors; from health and the environment to education, retail, and entertainment. NovaUCD This Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD is the most successful incubation centre in Ireland. NovaUCD has brought a number of innovative designs and concepts to market, including: BiancaMed, Changing Worlds, Celtic Catalysts, OncoMark and Equinome. Physics & Art “Tunnelling Art & Physics” is a collaborative exchange between undergraduate students in UCD School of Physics and NCAD. Is is designed to share and combine these two disciplines.

F.

Prominent Professors or Graduates of the programme(s)

Alan Mee Amanda Gibney Andrew Devane Cathal O’Neill Ciarán Cuffe Colm O’Lochlainn Consolata Boyle Cyril O’Neill David Naessens Derek Tynan Derry O’ Connell Dominic Stevens Duncan Stewart Elizabeth Francis Hugh Campbell Joan O’Connor John O’Regan John Tuomey Justin Kilcullen Kevin Roche Karen McEvoy Kevin Bates Liz McManus Louise Cotter Mary Doyle Michael McGarry Niall McLaughlin Niall McCullough Owen Lewis Pat Scott Patrick Hickey Paul Keogh Peter Doyle Ray Ryan

PIVOT DUBLIN 199


PIVOT Dublin

Design Education

other third level institutions offering Robin Walker design courses Róisín Heneghan Ruairi Quinn Dublin Business School Seán Ó Laoire DBS offers courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level Shane de Blacam relating to marketing and advertising. Shane O’Toole Shay Cleary Grafton Academy of Dress Design Sheila O’Donnell The Grafton Academy offers a diploma in fashion design. Shelly McNamara Its illustrious list of alumini includes: Ib Jorgensen, Neilli Siobhán Ní Éanaigh Mulcahy, Louise Kennedy, Richard Lewis, Paul Costelloe Thomas Gray and Sharon Hoey. Tom de Paor Tom Maher Griffith College Dublin Valerie Mulvin GCD offers digital media, interior architecture, fashion Yvonne Farrell design and marketing courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Institute of Business and Technology IBT offers courses in marketing at undergraduate level. Institute of Technology Blanchardstown ITB ffers courses at all levels ranging from mechatronics to landscape design to web design. Institute of Technology Tallaght ITT offers courses in; engineering, marketing, creative digital media and web design from undergraduate to postgraduate level.

200 PIVOT DUBLIN


Design Education

PIVOT Dublin

forging international connections 21.

Describe the global reach of your city by demonstrating how these institutions, as described above, have built international reputations.

Dublin’s colleges and universities are part of a global network of knowledge. They are linked through international academic alliances and are active in significant international organisations. The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) is a member of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) while Kieran Corcoran, Head of Design at DIT, is currently president of the European League of Institutes of Art (ELIA). Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) and the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) are also members of ELIA. Support for international students in each college is also strong; with international offices ensuring students enjoy their time in Dublin. Students from Dublin’s universities also visit colleges all over the world, as part of Erasmus programmes and other similar initiatives, to expand their knowledge and bring new ideas back to Dublin.

201 PIVOT DUBLIN


Design Education

ballyfermot college of further education (bcfe) Ballyfermot College of Further Education, though a small institution, has an international reputation that is unprecedented in the world of animation. The graduates of BCFE have amassed an impressive collection of awards and nominations. Animator Richard Baneham won an Oscar and BAFTA in the Visual Effects category for ‘Avatar’. Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell, of Brown Bag Films, were nominated for an Oscar in the Short Animation category for ‘Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty’ and Tomm Moore of Cartoon Saloon was nominate for an Oscar in the Animated Feature Film category for ‘The Secret of Kells’.

DIT Graduate Show

202 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

dublin city university (dcu) Dublin City University has developed a number of national centres of excellence that have transcended traditional boundaries. It is committed to collaboration with national and international organisations and with other universities on technology and research projects. The University has a strong record of strategic collaboration and many of its major research projects are built on partnerships with other universities and colleges, as well as with major international companies. For example; DCU leads Ireland in fusion power research, with a team of 33 DCU scientists taking part in a €10 billion global collaboration to make a breakthrough creating safe nuclear energy by fusion. In addition, DCU has strategic alliances and partnerships with a number of universities including; the University of Buffalo, Cornell University and Arizona State University, while DCU’s School of Computing has forged research collaboration links with companies such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs and Ericsson. The university is strongly committed to international education and to internationalising its campus. DCU has 1,719 International Students in 2010/11, drawn from 115 countries and representing 17% of the DCU student body. Apart from the large number of exchanges, the university also welcomes international students as part of its ‘Study Abroad Programme’ and offers programmes jointly with institutions based outside Ireland.


Design Education

PIVOT Dublin

dublin institute of technology (dit) DIT is a member of the European University Association and participates in student and staff exchanges with universities around the world. The Institute hosts around 1,000 international students from 102 countries. This represents 16% of the campus population. DIT is active in Cumulus, the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art Design and Media. This association of universities and colleges of art and design has 165 members in 43 countries. DIT was involved in the ATypI International Type Design Conference to Dublin in 2010, with lecturers Clare Bell and Mary Ann Bolger active in the organisation of the conference. DIT participates in Irish and International Design Organisations. Lecturer Gregor Timlin is a Senior Researcher in the Helen Hamlyn Centre in London. Lecturers John Short and Tom Kelly organise exchange programmes with students in China. They created an exhibition of drawings, photomontages, collages and mixed media digital images for exhibition in the Irish Pavilion at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. The images were created by visual communication students and lecturers of the School of Art and Design, DIT and the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (SIVA) at Fudan University. Commissioned by Culture Ireland, the brief wasto visually record their personal responses to the EXPO world fair experience in Shanghai during a one week period in September. Glenn Murcutt, is the CRH Visiting Professor at DIT’s Dublin School of Architecture. Awarded the Pritzker prize in 2002, and an active practitioner, Professor Murcutt is held in the highest regard as a teacher and a contributor to architectural education. In his role as Visiting Professor at DIT he works primarily with final year students. DECIPHER is a €4.2 million research project, supported by the European Union, to help people learn more about art collections in museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. The project, led by the DIT’s Digital Media Centre, won first place in competition with over ninety other proposals to the EU. DIT’s Digital Media Centre will focus on designing the user interface for the project.

2000 Venice Bienale project, N3 De Paor Architects

203 PIVOT DUBLIN


Design Education

PIVOT Dublin

Zero Zero Level Libby Carton, Carton LeVert

204 PIVOT DUBLIN

dún laoghaire institute of art, design and technology (iadt)

national college of art and design (ncad)

IADT has built an international reputation in the creative, cultural and digital media sectors. Along with the University of Ulster (UU), and three other Dublin colleges, IADT is part of Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media (GradCAM). IADT is the only Irish full member of CILECT, the International Association of Film and Television Schools, in addition to its membership of GEECT, the Groupement Européen des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision. Since its inception in 2004, IADT’s annual National Film School Lectures have introduced many leading practitioners to its students; including Oscar winners and film creatives of the highest international reputation. The National Film School at IADT is a partner in the ENGAGE project - a MEDIA/EU funded training initiative for writers, directors, animators and producers with the aim of fostering creative collaboration across borders. IADT has established international links, underpinned by Memoranda of Understanding with colleges in US, Canada and Singapore. Through the EU Erasmus programme, staff and student exchanges are also in place with a number of European countries.

NCAD has strong links with over 90 universities from all over the world. Artists and designers of international standing are invited to teach or give special lectures in the College every year. Exchange programmes with colleges and universities in Europe and the United States (including Fulbright Scholarships) take place annually. The College is also a member of Cumulus, an association of 140 universities and colleges of art and design. Many of the NCAD students have featured prominently in international design competitions and many of the college’s graduates have made an international impact: particularly Philip Treacy, Eileen Shields and Daryl Kerrigan in fashion, The Stone Twins in graphic design, and Brian Keaney in product design.


Design Education

national university of ireland, maynooth (nuim) Award winning designer, Damini Kumar, is the Director of Design and Creativity at NUIM and was also appointed the European Ambassador for Creativity and Innovation by the EU commission. NUIM’s Innovation Value Institute (IVI) is working to transform the way organisations derive business value from Information Technology through collaboration with members of the IVI consortium. This distinctive collaboration continues to provide a unique environment for the synthesis of leading industry best practices and pioneering academic output, training and education. The patrons of the IVI include Intel, the Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft and Cisco to name a few.

trinity college dublin (tcd) Trinity has a strong international reputation as a researchled university. TCD has developed significant international strength in research in eight major themes that include globalisation, cancer, genetics, neuroscience, immunology and infection, communications and intelligent systems, nano and materials science as well as Irish culture and the creative arts. Trinity College is a very productive, internationally recognised research centre. It has an Innovation Centre, which fosters academic innovation and consultancy, provides patenting advice and research information and facilitates the establishment and operation of industrial laboratories and campus companies. Trinity College Dublin (TCD) is a member of CLUSTER, an association of 12 elite universities of science and engineering. It represents a multi-location European university of science and technology with the aim of educating the next generation of engineers with leadership and entrepreneurial skills. There is an international mix to its student body; 16% of students are from outside Ireland, and 40% of these are from outside the European Union. TCD students also have an opportunity to study abroad in other leading European universities through Trinity’s partnership agreements.

205 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

university college dublin (ucd) UCD has the largest student mobility programme in Ireland. UCD currently actively exchanges around 1,000 students per annum through the Erasmus network and its partner universities outside the EU. UCD is a member of Universitas 21 (U21), the international network of leading research universities. Through U21, UCD is participating in a broad range of collaborative activities which support the internationalisation agenda. UCD is also a member of UNICA - the network of universities representing the capital cities of Europe. UCD runs overseas programmes for over 3,000 students in partnership with leading international universities in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, and Sri Lanka. The Energy Research Group, an internationally recognised centre of excellence, is based in the UCD School of Architecture, Landscape & Civil Engineering. The Group continues to lead and participate in wide range of projects promoted by the European Union and national authorities including; Thermie, Solinfo 3 and Innobuild. The international standing of UCD has increased rapidly in recent years and the University is currently ranked within the top 100 in the Times Higher Education rankings. Ireland’s largest university, UCD alone accounts for over 30% of international students in Ireland. UCD is home to over 4,500 international students from 122 countries. UCD School of Architecture has active Erasmus exchanges with more than 20 schools in Europe, as well as a network of exchange partners in Asia, Australia and the US. It also regularly hosts visits from leading international figures in architecture. In recent years, these have included; David Chipperfield, Elias Torres, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Niall McLaughlin, Kenneth Frampton and David Leatherbarrow.


Conversations

MJG

You talk about the boom, and I think there’s a sense that now is a very exciting moment and the reason for that is we are thinking, okay, what are we going to do? How are we going to rebuild. For me, Dublin has always been a city that’s about ideas and as a city of ideas and chat and conversation… JR: I think it’s funny because people talk about their problems in Dublin and their problems in Ireland and we actually do have problems but 10 years ago we had more problems. We had access to credit that was out of control. A city that was actually being decimated with terrible buildings that have not been finished and were not user-centred and apartments with no storage space... now we have problems but we have the will to solve them. People used to ask me about the boom and I would say “It’s like a teenager with a credit card, this is not going to go well!”. RY: The majority of them people were not saying that at the time however, they were thanking god they had arrived! JR: but the boom did bring a huge amount of emphasis to the city, we have a much more diverse population, we have a better educated population, we have a population that’s better travelled and we got some decent new buildings and also this huge thing is that we got buildings to fight over such as the Convention Centre Dublin. Everybody has an opinion on it. Finally, everyone has an opinion! I feel it was a great colossal failure but I’m glad for it, grateful for it. MJG: You talk about the boom, and I think there’s a sense that now is a very exciting moment and the reason for that is we are thinking, okay, what are we going to do? How are we going to rebuild. For me, Dublin has always been a city that’s about ideas and as a city of ideas and chat and conversation, more than a visual culture, let’s be honest, that idea environment just went away, it disappeared. Everyone was interested in real estate. It was like real estate porn, everyone was looking at the property pages and conversation was boring for many years in the city. MJG: I mean I find in the Science gallery, people come to me and they want to do stuff, they have big ideas, they have projects, they come with little pieces of paper with stuff scrawled on it. This is exciting, this is interesting, I mean your festival of ideas... things are happening again. NW: Just back to your point about people fighting over ideas, I run an event called Open House, which is very much shedding a light and showing here’s the good stuff and the bad stuff that’s happened and it’s about giving people a voice to have that argument or discussion and they’re dying for it because over the past 15 years it wasn’t so important to them... but now the IF and open house is so successful because we are post-boom, maybe PIVOT Dublin will be successful because we are post-boom and maybe blot out the terrible sort of noise of the past. RY: So how do we design something like universal health insurance that means people can be taken care of? And that conflict that antigone conflict between the individual and the state is central to the idea. EM: In that calamity and despair and in the sadness of the crash, there is a huge amount of the kind of thinking that you’re pointing to of the realisation of moral values which now during the boom seem not to be the real thing and the kind of morally positive aspect that you are referring to. MJG: I see a lot of bubbling up of lots of really interesting initiatives at the moment that are sort of land graphs of people, weather it’s artists taking over some place on Baggot Street and describing it as ‘The Irish Museum of Contemporary Art’ with absolutely no license, but why not?

206 PIVOT DUBLIN


Tony Ryan Academy De Blacam & Meagher Architects

Illustration Kevin McSherry

207 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 207


Public Appreciation Response to questions 22, 23, 24, 25

208 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Public Appreciation

PIVOT Dublin

dublin’s high five! 22.

In order to demonstrate the general public’s appreciation for design, list the attendance figures for the top five most visited design-related museums, galleries, centres or events in the previous year.

2010 attendees

culture night One night in Dublin, where arts and cultural organisations open their doors to all. 2010 Attendees (estimated).

innovation dublin A festival to provide Dubliners with an opportunity to discuss, promote and celebrate innovation in the city.

jameson dublin international film festival Ireland’s premier feature festival prides itself in creating a unique forum of exchange between the public and the filmmaking community through hosting a range of events that allow the public to interact with filmmakers.

bt young scientist exhibition This dynamic event, centred around a competition for school children’s research and technological designs, is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, if not the world.

open house Dublin’s biggest architectural event, in which the city’s normally private spaces are opened up for all to explore.

100,000 40,000 40,000 34,000 25,000

top five attendance figures for design-related infrastructure

national gallery of ireland

2009 attendees

782,469

irish museum of modern art (imma)

417,706

national museum of ireland (decorative arts and history)

313,790

chester beatty library national library of ireland

206,338 138,809

Every single attendee at each of these five great institutions was admitted for free which makes a grand total of 1,859,112 free admissions! 209 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

and the award goes to… 23.

List award programmes or other types of recognition in place for designers in the city.

Dublin recognises and celebrates its talent with an extensive array of awards across the spectrum of design and related disciplines.

ILI Award Residential Courtyard Rockbrook, Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects

210 PIVOT DUBLIN

‘Public Choice Award’ 2010 RIAI Criminal Court of Justice, architect Henry J Lyons & Partners


Public Appreciation

awards by representative bodies institute of creative advertising and design (icad) awards ICAD’s purpose: to promote and reward excellence in Irish advertising and design is achieved most prominently through its awards. Categories include: Print Advertising; and Design.

institute of creative advertising and design (icad) and irish times ‘best yet’ award. The Irish Times and ICAD, have introduced in 2011, the inaugural Best Yet newspaper competition for young creative teams. The aim is to find the brightest and best young creative minds in Ireland.

interaction design association (ixda) awards The inaugural IxDA Awards will recognise ten outstanding works. They open for submission in 2011 and will be awarded at the Interaction 12 Conference, to be held in Dublin in February 2012.

institute of designers in ireland awards The awards celebrate the high standards achieved by Irish designers. Categories include: Residential Interiors Design; Website Design; and Furniture Design.

design business ireland (dbi) – irish design effectiveness awards (ideas) DBI is the home of the IDEAs, which are awarded to design solutions measured for their economic effectiveness and perceptible influence.

PIVOT Dublin

irish planning institute (ipi) awards Four awards are presented by the IPI biannually and winners are entered into the European Council of Spatial Planners Awards where a number of IPI nominated projects have won.

engineers ireland excellence awards Annual awards devoted to rewarding excellence in the Irish engineering sector. Award categories include: Engineering Project of the Year; Chartered Engineer of the Year; and Volunteer of the Year.

association of consulting engineers of ireland (acai) awards The awards stimulate excellence and innovation amongst members of the association. Awards include: an Excellence Award; and a Young Professional Engineer of the Year Award.

irish wood marketing federation (iwmf) – student wood awards In 2006 the IWMF launched the Student Wood Awards. Categories include: Timber and Engineering in Construction; and Innovative Use of Timber in Design.

illustrators guild of ireland (igi) awards The IGI Awards are an annual event judged externally by some of the biggest names in international illustration, including: Stephen Heller, Phoebe Yeh, Milton Glaser and Ian Anderson. Spider Awards

royal institute of the architects of ireland – irish architecture awards (iaas) The IAAs show the Irish public the variety and quality of Irish architecture. Categories include: Best Conservation/Restoration Project; Best Sustainable Project; and Best Overseas Award.

architectural association of ireland awards The awards recognise projects that contribute to Irish architecture, encourage higher standards of architecture and inform the public about emerging directions in contemporary Ireland.

opus architecture and construction awards OPUS awards combine architecture and construction. They insist that an award-winning building must combine outstanding architectural vision, on paper, translated into a finished product.

irish landscape institute (ili) design awards The ILI Design Awards celebrate excellence in design of: the public realm; landscape planning, heritage conservation; and landscape research.

ICAD Gold Award 2010 Firestation Artists’ Studios Workshops and Masterclasses, Atelier David Smith

211 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

awards for fashion persil irish fashion awards 2010 The awards are a valuable resource that have been incorporated into college curricula and offer a prize of €10,000.

the nokia young fashion designer award (nyfda) The NYFDA is the premier student design award in Ireland. It offers final year fashion and design students an opportunity to demonstrate their talent and gain industry recognition.

fashion innovation awards

Emé Vandal autumn/winter 2010 lookbook

A contest for fashion designers and fashion students from colleges throughout Ireland; they showcase the highest expression of creativity from the most innovative designers in Ireland.

dit (dublin institute of technology) This student design award is given to the winner of the annual DIT Fashion Show. The fashion show is organised, produced and directed by the students of DIT.

innovation, technology and communication awards bt young scientist of the year competition This competition for school children’s research and technological designs, is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, if not the world.

green machines design award This award is administered by the Science Gallery. Entrants can be students or visitors to the gallery and is awarded to the best green design idea submitted.

ireland’s egovernment awards These awards raise awareness and recognise the innovators and experts who are pioneering the changes happening in how the Irish Government delivers services to its citizens.

eircom spiders Annual awards that honour Irish businesses, community organisations and individuals for their creativity and innovation. They recognise and showcase online excellence.

irish film and television awards (iftas) Awards that encourage and reward creative excellence in film and television. Categories include: Costume Design; Animation; and Production Design.

adfx (advertising effectiveness) The AdFx Awards honour the most effective advertising campaigns in both the Irish and international markets every two years.

digital media awards (dmas) The DMAs aim to raise awareness of the emerging digital media sector in Ireland and are engineered to honour creative excellence in the digital space.

accenture ‘leaders of tomorrow’ awards The Accenture ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ Award seeks out innovative and entrepreneurial young talent in order to foster Ireland’s next generation of leaders. It was won in 2010 by Clare McCollum for her smart ‘DipStick’ product design project - a drinks stirrer designed to detect drugs.

BT Young Scientist of the Year 2010 Award winner

212 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

crafts and product design awards

awards for the arts

architectural award

the elizabeth fitzpatrick travel bursary

arts council/opw kevin kieran award

crafts council of ireland (cci)

Awarded by the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA to enable students to further their studies abroad.

A biennial award valued at €50,000 over a two-year period which offers an emerging architect the opportunity to develop and deliver a research project and following completion of this, an appointment to design and run a building contract for the Office of Public Works (OPW). The award is given to applicants who demonstrate exceptional artistic promise and design ability and an innovative research project proposal.

The CCI give out a number of awards annually. These include: the Future Maker Awards and Grants; the Irish Craft Bursary Award; and the Critical Writing in Irish Craft Award.

rds national crafts competition Founded in 1968, with a prize fund in excess of €28,000 spread over 20 categories, the RDS National Crafts Competition is one of Europe’s leading independently adjudicated craft competitions.

showcase awards programme An awards programme at Ireland’s Creative Expo. Awards include: the Top 50 New Products Awards; and the Crafts Council of Ireland Craftsmanship Award.

easy to use design awards The awards are a collaboration between Arthritis Ireland and the National College of Art and Design. They recognise and celebrate innovative design solutions to everyday dilemmas facing arthritis sufferers.

house and home student design awards The House and Home Student Design Awards, held in conjunction with The Crafts Council of Ireland, celebrate commercial design in Ireland.

the royal hibernian academy awards and prizes 2010 The Hennessy Craig Scholarship (€10,000) The RHA Conor Fallon Sculpture Award, sponsored by Gormleys Fine Art (€3,000) The Ireland - US Council & Irish Arts Review Portraiture Award (€5,000) The Curtin O’Donoghue Photography Prize (€7,500) The AXA Insurance Drawing Prize (€5,000) The James Adam Salesroom Award an award based on overall performance by the artist The De Veres Award (€2,000) for a work of distinction The Don Niccolo D’Ardia Caracciolo RHA Medal and Award (€1,500) The Fergus O’Ryan RHA Memorial Award (€1,500) The Keating Mcloughlin Medal and Prize (€3,000) awarded by the ESB The Oriel Gallery Award (€1,500) The K and M Evans Painting Prize (€1,500) The Whyte’s Award (€1,500) The Conor Moran Award for Sculpture (€3,000), awarded by the ESB The Abdul and Katharine Bulbulia Art in Health Award (€1,500)

golden fleece award The Golden Fleece Award aims to support and promote a wide range of artistic creativity, recognising excellence in painting, textiles and sculpture, glasswork, and all the traditional crafts.

the james dyson award The James Dyson Award for the best product design student in Ireland is awarded annually during Design Week to the winner of a one-day design challenge.

Jerpoint glass Craft Council of Ireland

213 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

media coverage 24.

Provide a summary of design-related coverage in local media. This should include (but need not be limited to) the following:

Exciting Irish design conversations are bubbling to the surface everywhere, from web-based blogs and e-zines to traditional print media. Radio is a popular medium in Ireland, particularly in rural areas. On radio, design disciplines are covered both nationally and locally in programmes such as ‘Arts Tonight’ and ‘Arena’ on RTÉ Radio 1 ‘Culture Shock’ on Newstalk

(both of which are national stations); and in arts and culture programmes on local stations such as ‘The Kiosk’ on Phantom FM. However, television, print and online media provide the majority of coverage across the design disciplines, as follows:

A. Television programmes dedicated to design

rté about the house Up-to-date information on environmental technologies and sustainable design.

Award-winning gardener Diarmuid Gavin offers his innovative design skills to create gardens for families.

off the rails

showhouse

A showcase of the latest trends in fashion design.

Two professional interior designers take over two identical new houses and compete to create the winning interior.

arts lives Acclaimed series of documentaries covering an eclectic mix of designers, writers, musicians and artists.

ernst and young entrepreneur of the year Irish entrepreneurs are challenged to be innovative and find new business opportunities.

room to improve

Television series that follows housebuilders as they set out to build their own designs for life. Filmed over two years, the series matches four housebuilders with ambitious plans with four top architects in order to build their dream homes.

eco eye Eco Eye is a magazine-style series exploring key environmental issues and sustainable design in Ireland.

214 PIVOT DUBLIN

dragons’ den Irish entrepreneurs and designers pitch their ideas and products to some of Ireland’s most successful venture capitalists.

designs for life

Irish Architecture The RIAI Annual Review, Volume 1, 2011

i want a garden

Architect Dermot Bannon MRIAI sets out to prove that with a little vision, the requisite planning permission and the right design your dream home could be the one you are already in.

tv3 style wars Ten contestants compete for a senior creative role at Aurora Fashion’s international offices, and the chance to co-create a fashion line.

xpose Daily programme highlighting the very latest in fashion design trends.


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

B.

Design publications (i.e. trade journals, books, magazines)

architecture ireland

irish construction industry magazine

Architecture Ireland’s main objective is to give the widest possible coverage to Irish architecture and Irish architects.

Ireland’s leading construction publication, circulated to industry leaders and opinion-makers.

house magazine House Architecture/Design/Garden/Advice is the visual and contemporary magazine developed in collaboration with the RIAI.

engineer’s journal This journal is a valued source of industry news and analysis of the engineering industry in Ireland.

plan magazine

irish marketing journal Ireland’s leading magazine for the marketing, PR media and advertising industries.

construct ireland for a sustainable ireland The only magazine dedicated exclusively to sustainable construction in Ireland, it has played a key role in raising consciousness of the need for low energy, low impact, healthy buildings in Ireland.

A monthly magazine informing Ireland’s design professionals about the latest Irish and international architecture and interior design news.

build your own house and home

ireland’s home interiors and living magazine

the irish garden

Ireland’s largest selling monthly interiors and lifestyle publication.

An essential source book for Ireland’s growing number of home-builders.

Ireland’s gardening monthly written by Irish gardeners for Irish gardeners.

building material image interiors magazine ireland This magazine showcases innovative interior designed homes and informs readers on upcoming designers and interiors news.

This bi-annual journal is published by the Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI) and contains topical writing on architecture and architectural practice in an Irish and international context.

house and home An award winning magazine with creative home improvement, Do It Yourself (DIY), renovation, decorating ideas and expert interiors advice.

circa art magazine Circa is an online journal dedicated to contemporary art and its practices.

RTÉ Room to Improve

215 PIVOT DUBLIN

Brian Williams TG4 Idents, Banshee


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

C. Design themed columns in newspapers or magazines

the irish times The Irish Times is a national newspaper with a circulation of over 105,000, which covers design regularly in its weekly columns and weekend magazine. Writers on design include: Frank McDonald, Deirdre McQuillen, Emma Cullinan, Eoin Lyons, Gemma Tipton, Robert O’Byrne.

the irish independent The Irish Independent is a national newspaper with an average circulation of over 138,000. Journalists and contributors to its arts sections include: Henry Samuel, Ken Sweeney, Susan Daly, Jason O’Brien and Liam Collins.

the sunday times culture magazine The Sunday Times Culture Magazine contains regular features on architecture and design.

‘lecool’ city guide cover May 27 – June 02 2010 abcg architecture design

D. Web-based design content

archiseek

local authorities

The site is aimed at both the general public and the architecture community, with the aim of encouraging everyone to enter into the architectural debate.

Local authority architectural sections provide information on design and architecture as part of the Irish Government Policy on Architecture 2010-2015. The websites for the Dublin authorities’ architects are:

candy collective Candy Collective was founded with the ambition of showcasing exceptional creativity, wherever it may be, through interesting formats and memorable projects.

ratio – idi design Institute of Designers in Ireland website, contains information, recent stories and successes in the Irish design industry.

le cool dublin Le Cool is a free weekly magazine dedicated to the best cultural and leisure activities in Dublin.

dublin city council architects division www.dublincity.ie/Housing/CityArchitectsDivision/Pages/ CityArchitectsDivision.aspx

south dublin county council architects division www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=112&deptid=1

fingal county council architects division www.fingalcoco.ie/YourLocalCouncil/AboutFingal/OtherServices/Architects

Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown county council architects division www.dlrcoco.ie/aboutus/councildepartments/architects

Dublin also has a countless number of design related blogs. The following are given as a sample:

centre for design innovation blog (sligo) www.designinnovation.ie/blog

chrisjhorn’s blog www.chrisjhorn.wordpress.com

contrast the blog www.contrast.ie/blog

creative ireland www.creativeireland.com

design.ie www.design.ie

the digital hub ezine www.thedigitalhub.com/news.php?display=ezine

digitology

the mutation

www.digitology.ie

An Irish arts and culture blog that also publishes a monthly e-zine containing conversations on the arts, cultural criticism, food recipes, travel articles, culture essays and Irish music reviews.

graphic mind www.graphicmint.com/blog

national e-learning laboratory blog www.nellatnci.wordpress.com

inside view www.insideview.ie/irisheyes

216 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

Aisling Farinella Silent Storyteller PIVOT Dublin blog

Alan Mee Redrawing Dublin by Paul Kearns and Motti Ruimy PIVOT Dublin blog

Cathal O’Meara Sunday cycle, PIVOT Dublin blog

Jo Anne Butler Jennie Moran, PIVOT Dublin blog

Laura Caffrey Sabrina Meyns, PIVOT Dublin blog

Alan Mee Laneway project by me&him&you, PIVOT Dublin blog

Tess Casey PIVOT Dublin blog

Elizabeth Francis PIVOT Dublin blog

Paul Hughes PIVOT Dublin blog

Laura Caffrey PIVOT Dublin blog

www.pivotdublin.com

pivot dublin

ion blog www.ion.ie/blog/index.php

iq blog www.iqcontent.com/blog

ncbi centre for inclusive technology www.cfit.ie/component/content/frontpage

science gallery www.sciencegallery.com/blog

silicon republic www.siliconrepublic.com

the small print blog www.alwaysreadthesmallprint.com

webdistortion www.blog.webdistortion.com

x-communications blog www.xcommunications.ie/Blog.aspx

217 PIVOT DUBLIN

The PIVOT Dublin website (www.pivotdublin.com) which was set up as part of the city’s bid for World Design Capital 2014 has a wide range of information and blog contributions relating to design in Ireland.


Public Appreciation

Planet Parade Zulu Sound cover art, M&E

218 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Public Appreciation

PIVOT Dublin

dublin’s design events 25.

Provide a summary of all trade fairs, conferences or other high-profile events related to design in the city.

PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 participants will discover a city which has become a hive of activity for design activists and enthusiasts. City-wide events immerse and actively involve both the public and design community in small and large; connected and unconnected; and playful and intense ways. True to the spirit of turning design on its head, in 2014, PIVOT Dublin visitors will never have a dull moment‌

Second Room OFFSET 2010

219 PIVOT DUBLIN


Public Appreciation

Pivot Dublin

design events Design Week Opening Event Design Week RIAI Rush Library Design Week Red&Grey Design and Original Print, Alternative City

design week www.designweek.ie

220 PIVOT DUBLIN

Organised by a wide network of Irish design organisations and representative bodies, Design Week is an annual celebration every November of Irish and international design with over 60 events highlighting the important contribution good design makes to the cultural and economic life of Ireland. Design bodies, creative enterprises, design companies, studios and design colleges collaborate to showcase an exciting slice of the eclectic Irish design scene.

Numerous lectures, exhibitions, film screenings, conferences and seminars take place in Cork, Belfast, Kilkenny, Carlow, Drogheda, and 60 individual events demonstrate the breadth and depth of the Dublin design scene alone.


Pivot Dublin

Innovation Dublin Designing Dublin, Clongriffin

Innovation Dublin Debate Music

Innovation Dublin Lilliput Pop-Up Park, Citric Road

Public Appreciation

innovation dublin www.innovationdublin.ie

221 PIVOT DUBLIN

Launched in 2009, the annual Innovation Dublin festival promotes innovation and creativity in the city. With hundreds of ideas and submissions from Dubliners across all walks of life, 40,000 visitors attend almost 500 events, creating hundreds of new interactions and connections across the city.

The overriding aim of the festival is to provide Dubliners - entrepreneurs, students, researchers, artists and large corporations – with an opportunity to discuss, promote and celebrate innovation in the city.

PIVOT DUBLIN 221


Public Appreciation

Pivot Dublin

Open House Open House Sean and Ultan Maguire Conor and David Open House book 2010

open house www.architecturefoundation.ie/openhouse

222 PIVOT DUBLIN

One of the highlights of Dublin’s design programme, Open House is an annual opportunity for people to play, exchange, and learn about design. It’s a free event, open to everyone, in which buildings of all types and periods open their doors over one weekend in October and allow citizens to explore the architecture of their city. Open House organises special tours by hundreds of professionals and design enthusiasts of approximately 100 featured buildings and more than 50 walks and boat tours. In 2010, Open House was a three day event attracting over 25,000 people, 80% of whom were from a non-design background.

Visitors can explore Open Spaces and gardens around the city, and expand their horizons with 10 inspiring Open Minds events including the Open House Junior (OHJ) programme for families, children and young people. This year’s OHJ programme featured school and family workshops, guided activity tours, community and youth-led tours and a well-attended drop-in workshop.


Pivot Dublin

Red&Grey Design JDIFF poster 2008

Red&Grey Design JDIFF book spread 2011

JDIFF Audience

Public Appreciation

jameson dublin international film festival www.jdiff.com

17 – 27 Feb 2011

8

SPeciAL e ScReenwRiTing PaneL

OFF The gRiD – chaRLeS ceciL

Sat 19 FEB / IlaC CEntral lIBrary / 3.30pm – 5.00pm

The Irish gaming industry profile is growing, helped by the success and acquisition of indigenous middleware companies and also by the arrival of multinational players. With more than 400 people employed across the country, JDIFF invites you to explore the synergy between Gaming and Cinema.

Last year, Dublin was designated a UNESCO City of Literature and we are delighted to be working with Dublin City Libraries to celebrate the wealth of Irish screenwriting talent on display in this year’s Jameson Dublin International Film Festival . There will be a panel discussion with some of the writers of the short films and features featuring in this year’s event , providing an opportunity to meet these talented writers who will discuss their individual films, their approaches to writing, working as both individuals and part of a team and to answer questions from the audience.

ScReenTeST

Making a S

FrI 25 FEB / lIGht houSE CInEma / 10.00am – 2.00pm

Lights, Camera, Action!!!!

This year the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival celebrates the Irish film industry and, with the help of some key industry members, offers those interested in pursuing a career in film some tips on how to get started! Organisers of many of the film courses in the country will attend the event, bringing support material with them to better answer your questions!

approaches to Interactive Storytelling: a masterclass with Charles Cecil – Established in 2003, The annual Jameson Dublin InIt creates a unique forum of exchange between the This half day event will take place in the Light wED 23 FEB / thE morrISon hotEl / 2.00pm

House Cinema on Friday 25th February from through hosting ternational Film Festival (JDIFF) is Ireland’s premiere public and filmmaking community 10 .00am– 2.00pm. Places will be limited to those Charles Cecil has been a key figure in the interactive feature film festival, involving 40,000 filmgoers with a whole range of events that allow interaction with that apply through the festival website, a full entertainment industry for 25 years. He is currently line-up of those takingof partpublic will be available on Managing10 Director for UKfilmmakers based company screenings of over 120 films and hostingoperating talksas over in the form interviews, panel www.jdiff.com on February 4th. Sign-up early to Revolution Software which has released such critical days (usually in February) from actors, directors and discussions and Q&A sessions. People meet a widely avoid disappointment! and commercial hits as Beneath a Steel Sky and the The panel will include: Brokenthat Sword series. Charles is on thediverse advisory panel range of luminaries and gain insights in every other film professionals. The Film Festival takes In association with the BAI Brendan McCarthy, Wake Wood of the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival, place across all of Dublin City Centre’s Cinemas. area of the film world, including perspectives from Thomas Hefferon, The Pool and Develop Conference and regularly talks at events Brian O’Malley, Crossing Salween and to mainstream press about creativedirectors, and commercial producers, screenwriters and critics. Carmel Winters, Snap

aspects of the video games industry. In 2006 Charles was awarded the status of ‘industry legend’ by Develop, Europe’s leading development magazine. In association with the IFB

223 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 223

Watch actors from The Gai present scenes from the g right in front of your eyes cameras, clapperboards, b a director, watch as some scenes of all times unfold a street corner or cinema The Jameson Dublin Int and our partners the Gaie Dublin into a film set over the festival, as actors inte the movies across the city The Gaiety School of Ac School of Ireland, have be to 2011, twenty five years drama school.


Public Appreciation

Pivot Dublin

Unthink Offset poster design Offset George Lois Offset founders Richard, Peter, and Bren

OFFSET www.iloveoffset.com/welcome

224 PIVOT DUBLIN

Offset is a weeklong festival and creative conference that takes place in Dublin every October. Its programme of club nights, live performances, gallery shows, in-store events and much more take place all over the capital. Showcasing world-class creatives in design, illustration, fashion, photography, publishing, advertising, animation and more, the festival turns the spotlight on the creative scene thriving in Dublin.


Pivot Dublin

24 Hour Design Challenge What a load of Bollards, winning entry

24 Hour Design Challenge Chris Krujan

24 Hour Design Challenge My Way team

Public Appreciation

24 hour universal design challenge www.universaldesign.ie/24challenge

225 PIVOT DUBLIN

The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design is dedicated to enabling the design of environments that can be accessed, understood and used, regardless of age, size and ability. Its annual 24 Hour Universal Design Challenge aims to demonstrate more inclusive design solutions and to create sustainable designs that meet the needs of all people. Five teams are set a design brief and in 24 hours they must develop a design concept.

The teams work with an expert user called a ‘design partner’ to come up with a product or service that addresses a challenge commonly faced by the design partner in making their way around the streets of Dublin. The teams are made up of architects, landscape architects, engineers, product designers, interaction designers and students. As the facilitator of the Challenge in 2010 noted, “The 24 Hour Universal Design Challenge format always delivers.”

PIVOT DUBLIN 225


Public Appreciation

Pivot Dublin

Detail Science Gallery, Lightwave exhibition Detail Science Gallery, Biorhythm exhibition Detail Science Gallery, exterior signage

science gallery www.sciencegallery.com

226 PIVOT DUBLIN

Part of Trinity College Dublin, the Science Gallery is a world-first and aims to open science up to passionate debate and encourage the interaction of scientists with wider society. The gallery is a unique public venue where today’s white-hot scientific issues are debated publicly and where ideas meet and opinions collide. The public can engage with science and technology ideas and its impacts on their everyday lives.

It brings together young innovators, the research community, designers, policy makers, artists and industry. Its exhibitions change on a regular basis and include events, talks, debates and workshops, giving the chance for wide participation.


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

atypi conference

www.atypi.org/30_past_conferences/03_Dublin

The ATypI, Association Typographique Internationale, is the global forum for the type community and business. The ATypI 2010 Conference took place in the historic venue of Dublin Castle.

global service jam

www.globalservicejamdublin.com

A 48-hour challenge to design a new service, all carried out while connected to a global network of similar simultaneous events.

professional design organisations’ events

All of Ireland’s Professional Design Organisations listed in the response to Question 17 of this document have a year-round programmes of events, lectures, conferences and workshops, including those run by: the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, Engineers Ireland, Architectural Association of Ireland, and the Institute of Designers in Ireland.

ATypl Conference DIT Student images

227 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 227


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

design talks

pecha kucha

Dubliners like to chat and Dublin’s designers are no different! These popular talks happen throughout the year and cater for designers, those interested in design, and those who just want to share their ideas.

www.pecha-kucha.org/night/dublin

A packed night of design presentations in the Pecha Kucha format of 20 images x 20 seconds.

refresh dublin

offshoot

www.refreshingcitiesdublin.org

www.iloveoffset.com/offshoot.html Diverse design disciplines learning from each other.

One night events for creatives.

ignite dublin

sweettalk

www.ignite.oreilly.com/dublin

www.candycollective.com

Brings together local creative talent with international luminaries.

service design thinks dublin

defuse: design for use

www.ignite.oreilly.com/dublin

www.defuse.ixd.ie

A night of discussion of the latest developments in this important area of design innovation.

Design experts share their stories.

tedxdublin www.sciencegallery.com/tedxdublin

Thinkers and doers sharing ideas.

Offshoot

228 PIVOT DUBLIN

Get your point across in five minutes using only 20 slides.

Pecha Kucha


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

environmental design

other events

blooom

rethinking the city

www.bloominthepark.com

www.cultivate.ie

Ireland’s largest garden design, food and family event, Bloom takes place annually in early summer in the Phoenix Park and features 24 individually designed gardens.

This conference focused on developing the sustainability of Dublin city by bringing together stakeholders from a wide variety of sectors to explore solutions to Dublin’s energy, climate and economic issues.

plan expo green

science week

www.plan-expo.com

www.scienceweek.ie/index.asp

An annual event, displaying the best of sustainable Irish design and construction capabilities.

Promoting science, engineering and technology in our everyday lives.

interior design and art fair www.idafair.ie

Annual three day fair of contemporary Irish art and interior design.

globe forum 2010 smarter&greener: innovation for a sustainable future www.globeforum.com/en/TopRightMenu/Forums/Dublin

The Convention Centre Dublin hosted the 2010 edition of the Globe Forum. The event is an international marketplace conference based on the challenge to make cities smarter and greener.

iconwet www.icaere.ie/content/iconwet-2010

Conference on wetlands in Ireland and abroad.

irish sustainable building show www.sustainablebuildingshow.com

Ireland’s biggest sustainable building event.

dublin garden squares day www.dublincivictrust.ie

Celebration of Dublin’s Georgian garden squares.

national heritage week tcd-ucd innovation alliance- transforming ireland conference series - 27 conferences per year www.ucd.ie/earth/newsevents/transformingirelandsemi narseries2010

www.heritageweek.ie

This annual event features over 1,000 heritagerelated events. Engaging Space Bloom, Flann O Nualain

This focuses on using innovation to convert challenge into opportunity by bringing together key leaders from the research, policy and enterprise communities.

Science Week

229 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

web and interaction design

Dublin has become a thriving centre of web-based design and development.

ixda 2012

the dot conf

irish drupalcamp

www.thedotconf.wordpress.com

www.drupalwest.com

Annual Webdesign Conference for designers, developers and students, held in the Dublin Docklands.

Drupal is an open crowd-sourced content management platform that powers millions of websites and applications. It is built, used, and supported by an active and diverse community of people around the world. The Irish DrupalCamp brings together a diverse group of web developers and designers to collaborate on improving the Drupal platform.

www.ixda.org/category/tags/2012

other events

Dublin won the competition to host Interaction 12, the annual conference of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA) in 2012.

the national digital media and marketing summit

dublin web summit www.dublinwebsummit.com

Over two days in 2010, some of the web’s biggest names shared their invaluable insights, experiences and lessons. The 2010 summit, which included 50+ masterclasses, gathered together Chad Hurley (Founder of YouTube), Jack Dorsey (Founder of Twitter), Niklas Zennstrom (Founder of Skype) and many more. A fantastic event for everyone involved in web development and design; small or big business, start up, marketer, sales person or an advertiser.

Museum timeline X Communications

230 PIVOT DUBLIN

www.digitalsummit.ie

An annual conference that explores the power of social media, mobile digital communications and emerging technologies.

irish human computer interaction (hci) conference www.clarity-centre.org/iHCI2010

The Irish Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Conference seeks to provide a national forum through which HCI researchers, practitioners and industry professionals in Ireland can meet, present and discuss their work.

Fabulous Beast website Conor and David

irish internet association annual conference www.iia.ie/events/iia-conference

The Irish Internet Association is the professional body for those conducting business through the internet from Ireland, such as ISPs, retailers and web designers. The annual conference aims to enable members to discuss emerging ideas, technologies, and broaden knowledge across all aspects of the Internet.


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

film/animation

fashion

darklight festival

dublin festival of fashion

www.darklight.ie

www.dff.ie

One of the first digital film festivals in the world, the Darklight film festival every October celebrates Ireland’s independent, DIY and artist films with an emphasis on experimentation with digital technologies.

This annual festival models the best A/W fashion, with everything from high street to high end to retro vintage, all selected from the stylish retailers of Dublin city centre.

meeting house square undercover www.templebar.ie/Events-39/meeting_house_square

fashion evolution www.re-dress.ie/fashionevolution2010.html

A whole range of special events including outdoor cinema and concerts.

Every May, Ireland’s Ethical Fashion Week, Fashion Evolution revitalises the spirit of the Irish fashion industry with a schedule of exciting events.

isa con

africa fashion weekend dublin

www.isa-bcfe.ie/isacon2010highres.jpg

www.africafashionweekenddublin.com

An animation and games event for industry professionals and students.

An annual event, this brings the best of African established and up-and-coming fashion to a new audience.

other events blackrock animation film festival www.blackrockanimationfestival.ie

An annual festival, established in 2010 by Blackrock Business Network & The Media Cube, IADT, in association with Dún-Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council.

pegbar animation events www.pegbar.ie/wordpress/?page_id=4

This group inspires and fosters animation by organising events involving industry professionals.

Gaze 2010 poster Studio AAD

gaze, the dublin international lesbian & gay film festival www.gaze.ie

Since 1992 this annual festival has been a showcase of the most dynamic and exciting Irish and international LGBT film.

Dublin Festival of Fashion

231 PIVOT DUBLIN


Public Appreciation

Pivot Dublin

arts and contemporary culture St Patrick’s Festival DCC, City Fusion

st. patrick’s festival www.stpatricksfestival.ie

232 PIVOT DUBLIN

The four-day festival, held annually in March (when else!), which celebrates its 16th year in 2011, is Ireland’s largest and most internationally renowned cultural event, with over 1.2 million taking part, including 120,000 visitors from abroad. It features cultural and music events celebrating the creativity, talent and achievements of Irish people. Hundreds of thousands line the streets of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival Parade which includes theatre troupes, artists, dancers and marching bands.


Pivot Dublin

Public Appreciation

DUBLIN

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Dublin Chinese Festival DCC, English poster

Dublin Chinese Festival DCC, Chinese/English invitation

FESTIVAL

1 1 0 2

Festival r a e Y w e N e s e Dublin Chin 1st-14th February

Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2011 Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit

chinese new year festival carnival

This annual two-week festival celebrates the Chinese New Year. Events include; interactive art workshops, food and craft stalls, music and dance performance.

DCNYF Carnival at Wolfe Tone Square Chinese Film Festival • Animation, Arts and Craft Workshops Lion and Dragon Dancing • Lecture Series Exhibitions • Circus Traditional Chinese Music and Entertainment

www.dublin.ie/arts-culture

233 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 233


Public Appreciation

Pivot Dublin

Culture Night

culture night www.culturenight.ie

234 PIVOT DUBLIN

Hundreds of thousands of Dubliners, young and old, venture out on this night every September to explore and engage with culture in one night of entertainment, discovery and adventure. Arts and cultural organisations open their doors with hundreds of free events, tours, talks and performances.


Pivot Dublin

Studio AAD Fringe 2008

Studio AAD Fringe 2010 book cover

Studio AAD Fringe 2008 flyers

Public Appreciation

absolut fringe www.fringefest.com

235 PIVOT DUBLIN

Held every September, this is Ireland’s largest multidisciplinary arts festival. 150,000 people participate in 650 events held across more than 40 venues.

PIVOT DUBLIN 235


Public Appreciation

Pivot Dublin

Dublin Theatre Festival The Manganiyar Seduction

other arts and contemporary culture events africa day May 2010 www.africaday.ie

This annual event in May features interactive cultural and educational activities for both children and adults that celebrate and showcase the diversity of African cultures and societies.

céili culture festival www.ceiliculture.com/about.html

Dublin Theatre Festival Playhouse Dublin

Established in 2010, Ceili Culture is an annual festival celebrating Irish Music and Arts.

sogo - dublin art festival www.sogo.ie

An annual celebration of all that is unique, quirky, funky and classy between South Great George’s Street and Clarendon Street in Dublin’s city centre.

ranelagh arts festival www.ranelagharts.org

This active and lively festival takes place in and around this popular city centre suburb.

dublin festival of russian culture www.dublinrussianfestival.webs.com Fresh Dublin Theatre Festival 2010 poster

Established to annually celebrate the coming of spring, this festival delivers a spectacular and invigorating celebration of Russian culture.

Dún Laoghaire festival of world cultures 25-27 July, 2014 www.festivalofworldcultures.com

More than 200,000 people participate in Ireland’s ‘Global Carnival’ with its kaleidoscopic programme of concerts, club nights, fairs, markets, performances, street events and workshops.

ulster bank dublin theatre festival www.dublintheatrefestival.com

236 PIVOT DUBLIN

Europe’s oldest specialist theatre festival has been running since 1957. In 2010, the Festival presented 363 performances from 10 different countries in 22 Dublin venues.


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

other arts and contemporary culture events africa day www.africaday.ie

This annual event in May features interactive cultural and educational activities for both children and adults that celebrate and showcase the diversity of African cultures and societies.

céili culture festival www.ceiliculture.com/about.html

Established in 2010, Ceili Culture is an annual festival celebrating Irish Music and Arts.

sogo - dublin art festival www.sogo.ie

An annual celebration of all that is unique, quirky, funky and classy between South Great George’s Street and Clarendon Street in Dublin’s city centre.

ranelagh arts festival www.ranelagharts.org

This active and lively festival takes place in and around this popular city centre suburb.

dublin festival of russian culture www.dublinrussianfestival.webs.com

Established to annually celebrate the coming of spring, this festival delivers a spectacular and invigorating celebration of Russian culture.

hard working class heroes festival www.hwch.net

Hard Working Class Heroes (HWCH) is an Irish music festival for emerging bands. It has taken place in Dublin on an annual basis in September of each year since 2003. The Irish Times has referred to it as “an essential must-see/do on Ireland’s music calendar” and young designers have described the HWCH festival as one of the best designed festivals in the city.

Dún Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures

crafts and food identity

taste of dublin

dún laoghaire festival of world cultures

This annual four-day celebration of Dublin’s fine food and drink is held every June in the tranquil surroundings of Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens.

www.festivalofworldcultures.com

More than 200,000 people participate in Ireland’s ‘Global Carnival’ every July, with its kaleidoscopic programme of concerts, club nights, fairs, markets, performances, street events and workshops.

other events the sensational summer

year of craft 2011

www.templebar.ie/Events-38/summer_sensational

www.ccoi.ie/news

This age-friendly festival, held annually in Dublin’s tourist heart, Temple Bar, is bursting with familyfriendly events and entertainments.

The Crafts Council of Ireland and Craft Northern Ireland have designated 2011 as Year of Craft. The year marks the 40th anniversary of the Crafts Council of Ireland and will be celebrated through a diverse range of events and programmes at home and abroad to showcase the very best of craft made on the island of Ireland.

national crafts & design fair

taste of christmas www.tasteofchristmas.ie

An annual seasonal celebration of the best Christmas food, drink and shopping.

www.nationalcraftsfair.ie

docklands christmas market

Ireland’s premier commercial craftwork showcase, every December more than 500 of Ireland’s most respected craftspeople and designers show and sell their work.

www.ddda.ie/index.jsp?p=94&n=105&a=1794

dublin new year festival www.dublinnewyearfestival.com

Events, street performances and music for all ages to celebrate the new year.

237 PIVOT DUBLIN

www.tastefestivals.ie

This annual Christmas Market brings a magical German twist to Dublin’s Christmas celebrations.

12 days of christmas www.dublinnewyearfestival.com/?p=415

Held annually in Dublin’s Point Village, this festival celebrates Christmas in style, with classics such as twinkly lights, carol singers, mulled wine and Christmas gifts.


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

design education

other events

third level education

ncad lecture series and exhibitions

trinity week

An ongoing programme of events, organised by and

www.ncadnews.u123.hosting365.ie/news

Design: Red&Grey Design – www.redandgreydesign.ie

www.tcd.ie/trinityweek located in this city centre art and design college.

A week-long series of events, exhibitions and conferences organised by Trinity Long Room Hub on behalf of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science. In 2010, this week was themed ‘Ideas for the Future’. It included comprehensive range of events, with an Academic Symposium envisaging the world ten years from now entitled ‘20:20 Vision’.

dyson student creativity www.designweek.ie

238 PIVOT DUBLIN

A fascinating exhibition in Shanghai World Expo of drawings, photomontages, collages and mixed media digital images created by visual communication students and lecturers of the School of Art and Design, DIT and the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (SIVA) at Fudan University.

dit school of architecture

dit g6 series

University College Dublin has an active ongoing programme of events.

The Dublin Institute of Technology holds a monthly series of workshops, lectures and seminars by guest lecturers to help student designers bridge the gap from college graduation to the start of their professional career.

Media Box, IATD Murray O’Laoire Architects, photo by Anew McKnight

www.dit.ie/news/archive2010/expo

Held during Design Week every November, the event brings together 100 students from across the different Irish Design Colleges and courses. Teams are formed and a Design Challenge is set. The students must present their ideas at the end of the day to a panel of experts to win the Dyson Award for the best product design student in Ireland.

www.g6series.com

Trinity Week 2010 poster Red&Grey Design

dit image expo 2010

www.dublinschoolofarchitecture.com/conferences.html

DIT organises an ongoing programmes of events and conferences.

ucd www.ucd.ie/arcel/news.htm


PIVOT Dublin

Public Appreciation

schools’ education

networking events

charity events

architecture in school project ‘a space for learning’

podcamp ireland unconferences

riai simon open door

www.podcamp.pbworks.com/

www.simonopendoor.ie

These fascinating ‘unconferences’ depend on active participation from their audiences.

This is an annual fundraiser for the Simon Community, which campaigns on behalf of the homeless. Irish architects offer the general public an hour’s design advice in return for a donation to the Simon Community. Over the last six years, this event has raised nearly €250,000 for Simon and provided over 3,000 consultations to the public.

www.architecturefoundation.ie

As part of an ongoing programme, the Irish Architecture Foundation’s 2010 Architects-In-Schools project ‘A Space for Learning’ placed 120 architects with 1500 students in 90 schools across Ireland, culminating in an exhibition at NCAD Gallery and the publication of a book.

a space for architecture in schools 2010 www.architecturefoundation.ie

The Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF) Symposium ‘A Space for Architecture in Schools’ continued the momentum of the above ‘A Space for Learning’ project by bringing together representatives from education and architecture to explore the purpose and potential of participatory design initiatives in schools. A resulting Manifesto of the vision and strategy for future architects-in-schools schemes in Ireland will be published will be published by the IAF in spring 2011.

bt young scientist exhibition

digital hub quarterly networking event www.thedigitalhub.com/events

Dublin’s international digital enterprise area organises an ongoing programme of activities and actively fosters local and community participation.

bizcamp www.bizcamp.ie/galway

These user-generated business conferences and events use open, participatory events to foster peer networking.

connector www.connector.tv

Digital marketing company Connector uses social media and events to foster connections and collaborations amongst the digital generation.

www.btyoungscientist.ie

This is an always-fascinating annual young scientist and technology exhibition for second level students. In 2010, there were 520 exhibited projects at the event in the RDS.

the rds primary science fair www.rds.ie/primarysciencefair

This annual event allows students from primary schools across Ireland to display and share their class projects at a major exhibition.

ischool summer camps and innovation scholarship www.trinityhaus.tcd.ie

This annual event aims to find and foster the next generation of entrepreneurs.

spréacha www.draiocht.ie/events/category/spreacha

Draíocht theatre’s annual week long international arts festival for children is guaranteed to spark their imaginations! It’s aimed at children under twelve and 4,000 children and their families attend the festival every year.

other events eco-explorers camps www.ecounesco.ie

ECO-Explorers is an environmental summer camp, held in Dublin city.

fingal eco week www.fingalcoco.ie

An informative, interactive and fun week-long series of events to highlight national and local envirnomental issues.

239 PIVOT DUBLIN

A Space for Learning Unthink


Conversations

JR: That’s a really great thing that’s happening and we didn’t have access to those spaces before and while those ideas have always been there, they are now, finally when we re-build the economy. What we need to do is design an economy that does not leave that stuff out. MJG: Now, the game has to be about the small groups of entrepreneurs, creative people and there is an absolute continuum between the arts world and between technology. JR: There’s a beauty to Dublin city like there is to all cities, I love the way cities operate and that sense of conflict and creative energy and friction but it’s not an architectural gem the way other cities are. What we have are ideas and conversation, you can’t really monitise those in the same way. NW: I feel completely liberated and the people I speak to and engage with in the creative sectors feel liberated now because they were shackled for so long. The energy is incredible and it’s wonderful to be able to harness that. I’m really interested to see what PIVOT Dublin will do, you know the lead up to it and afterwards. I’m interested for young people in education to have revealed to them, great role models and mentors. RY: I’m worried about that though. If you say to yourself, we’re a society not an economy, a society supported by an economy and you’re an economy that wishes to support a society. You can’t separate these things out and have a fairy tale world. MJG: I think there’s a very important role of a city to be an incubator for ideas, many of which may turn out to be improbable or impossible and you can’t simply make that selection at the beginning. RY: You can’t say design belongs to people we call creative, multicultural or artistic, nor can we say that business or commercial belongs to the entrepreneur. We are all involved in our own way, we just need to turn the face of creativity. EM: I’m old enough to remember pre-boom days and that was an astonishing period of not particularly generous financial assistance but a time of incredible passion and incredible controversy which fired up the young to do all kinds of things, like the demolition of Wood Quay, the demolition of ESB buildings… RY: Isn’t this generation more conservative to yours? RY

You can’t say design belongs to people we call creative, multicultural or artistic, nor can we say that business or commercial belongs to the entrepreneur. EM: Hugely! What your talking about is a revival not just ideas but of passion. RY: What I would like people to do if they were in a design capitol is say how could this be better? I don’t want to impose this idea on anyone but I’m going to start this conversation and I’m going to care about it. JR: I think one thing about design and to go back to the educational angle is that... I use to run archaeology workshops in schools and was asked to deliver conference papers and write about them and always thought that the most important thing you have to do is understand people’s relationship’s with each other through objects and solving problems in the past. Every single thing we write about design and everything we produce about design has to be understood. The user is not other designers, architects, creatives. The audience has to be people who are interested.

EM

What you’re talking about is a revival not just ideas but of passion.

240 PIVOT DUBLIN


They Are Us Maser and Damien Dempsey, photo by Aidan Kelly

Dublin photo series photo by Aidan Kelly

241 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 241


Designers Response to questions 26, 27, 28, 29

242 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Designers

PIVOT Dublin

dublin: an abundance of local talent 26.

Provide profiles of any local designers who have made a significant impact on the city or on the design industry in general.

Dublin is very much a city of characters and there are numerous distinctive individuals who have made huge contributions to our rich, varied and colourful design history. Dublin is now characterised by its many young dynamic designers, who continue to create and innovate, to push the boundaries of our future and to turn design inside out. Richard Castle and James Gandon shaped the exceptional Georgian urban landscape of Dublin, while James Hoban designed the White House for the newly independent United States. Victorian Gothic style was brought to Dublin’s National Museum and Library through the partnership of architects Deane and Woodward. And the traditional warm, redbrick character of Dublin’s homes was defined by the work of the Dublin Artisan Dwellings Company and Dublin Corporation architect George Herbert Simms. Irish inventors and innovators have abounded. Francis Rynd invented the injection needle; John Philip Holland the modern submarine; and Louis Brennan created early monorail and helicopter designs. Nobel Prize-winning Ernest Walton imagined the sub-atomic realm and was the first to split the atom. And, in a masterly redesign of fiction, James Joyce reimagined the novel, changing our understanding the modern city in general and Dublin in particular.

243 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 243


PIVOT Dublin

Designers

Our contemporary designers are building on this heritage. The following is a selection of some of the key names in Irish design. Most have been educated in, or worked in, Dublin and many continue to be associated with and influence design in the city. This is just a sample, there are hundreds of other talented designers past and present whose names appear elsewhere in this document and who are widely known for their achievements in the many different areas of design in Dublin. product and industrial design dean caffrey A Dubliner, now working as one of Audi’s top designers and based in Germany. Two years ago Dean unveiled his design for the Audi Q5 at the Beijing Motor Show.

róisín de buitléar An artist and educator who has been working in the medium of glass as a primary material since 1983. A graduate of and former lecturer at NCAD, her work is internationally renowned. She has taught and exhibited her work extensively in the UK, Japan, Canada, USA and France.

design partners (founded 1985) A local firm of over 30 designers, brand analysts and engineers, working together to create unique, functional and beautiful products. Design Partners work with international companies such as Logitech, Ultimate Ears and HP and have worked on products such as the Palm Treo 600.

anthony dunne

Kilkenny Design Workshop Archive Objects

Head of the Design Interactions Department at the Royal College of Art in London, Anthony studied Industrial Design at NCAD and the RCA before working at Sony Design in Tokyo.

muriel gahan A pioneering campaigner on behalf of the preservation and popularisation of traditional Irish crafts, she was a founder member of the Irish Arts Council. Commemorated by the Muriel Gahan Scholarship, awarded annually at the National Crafts Competition in the RDS.

244 PIVOT DUBLIN

john ffrench (1919 – 2010) A ceramicist, he was one of the pioneers of studio pottery in Ireland. He studied at the National College of Art and Design and the Istituto Statale D’Arte in Florence. Ffrench founded Arklow Studio Pottery in 1962, and later established his own ceramic studio near Kinvara in County Galway.

eileen gray (1878 – 1976) A furniture designer and architect, Eileen Gray is recognised as a leading pioneer of the modern movement. One of her most famous works is the Bibendum Chair, one of the 20th century’s most iconic furniture designs.

rudolf heltzel A goldsmith, who has played an important role in the development of design in Ireland. German-born, Rudolf came to Ireland in 1966 where he was a formative figure in Kilkenny Design Workshop, developing the metal and silverwork department.

joe hogan A basketmaker since 1978, he has become internationally recognised as one of the most celebrated basketmakers working today. He works in birch, bog myrtle and other wild found materials.

brian keaney An NCAD graduate, Brian set up Tonfisk Design in Finland in 1999 with Tony Alfström to market and produce hand-produced ceramics. He has won multiple awards in Finland.

damini kumar An inventor, Damini was responsible for the first non-drip teapot spout and voted one of Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Top 100 Women. Damini is a lecturer at NUIM specialising in design and creativity and founded the Industrial Design MA in NUIM.


PIVOT Dublin

Designers

kilkenny design workshops (1963 - 1988)

william h walsh

KDW was established as the first state-owned design consultancy and soon established a reputation as an important centre for industrial, graphic, and craft design. In the 1970’s, KDW also moved into the field of engineering design. Designers from overseas also worked at KDW and played an influential role in the further development of design consciousness in Irish industry.

The founder of, and leading force behind, the Kilkenny Design Workshops, which for 25 years from the early 1960’s to the late 1980’s revolutionised design in Ireland. In 1961, he commissioned the seminal report ‘Design in Ireland’.

sonja landweer Sonja studied at the Amsterdam School of Industrial Design before setting up a ceramic studio at the Kilkenny Design Workshops in the 1960’s. She pioneered designs for textiles, fashion accessories and jewellery-making in which, by experimenting with non-precious materials, she changed perceptions of what can be worn as personal adornment.

jane ni dhulchaointigh This NCAD graduate is an artist, inventor and the creator of a new silicone material product called Sugru which was recently selected for ‘Design of the Year 2010’ by the London Design Museum.

gearóid ó conchubhair Gearóid graduated in Industrial Design from the National College of Art and Design in 1982. He worked in a design consultancy for five years before joining the NCAD as a lecturer in the Department of Industrial Design in 1986. He also runs the TFE project in NCAD. He is currently principal investigator at the TFE Research project.

gregor timlin A Dublin born designer who studied furniture design at DIT and Products Design at the Royal College of Art, London. He is now a Senior Research Associate at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design and lectures in design fundamentals at the DIT. His key interest is in Design for Dementia sufferers.

an túr gloine (tower of glass 1903 – 1944) This was a studio established in Dublin in 1903. Harry Clarke, Michael Healy, Evie Hone and Wilhelmina Geddes were all associated in making Dublin an internationally renowned centre of stained glass design.

frederick vodrey (1845-1897) Vodrey is generally acknowledged as a leader in the 19th century resurgence of interest and pride in Irish arts and crafts. He founded Vodrey Pottery in 1872 in Dublin, and many of his pieces show clear Celtic and Gaelic design influence.

joseph walsh A self-taught furniture designer, he has an established international reputation for his studio furniture and concept works, and exhibits at many international design fairs. He has had an international solo show, ‘Realisations’, at the American Irish Historical Society on Fifth Avenue in New York.

ian walton and eoin mcnally Designers of the glo Pillow! This alternative to the traditional alarm clock is a pillow which wakes the sleeper up with a gentle increase in light from within. Time Magazine recognised the glo Pillow as one of its Best Inventions of 2007, and the Royal Society of Art awarded the glo Pillow the Ideal Standards Designers Prize for the Design Directions competition 2006.

graphics, illustration & advertising steve averill A Dublin-based graphic artist and musician; Steve Averill is responsible for the band U2’s identity and has designed all of U2’s album sleeves from their very first record in 1980.

Play for Africa

brian cronin

Football can do a lot for Africa.

A Dublin born illustrator who studied graphic design at the National College of Art and Design, he is acknowledged as one of the world’s finest illustrators, and the style of his work is much imitated.

A football match can reconcile ethnic groups, save young people from drug use and bring joy to suffering communities. Play and sport are an exceptional instrument through which younger generations may meet, socialize and evolve.

www.amref.org

design factory (founded 1983) A graphic design company whose studio work has been published in international publications such as Graphis, Around Europe Logos, and Worldwide Identity.

designworks (founded 1983) This multiple-award winning Irish graphic design company works in all spheres of the graphic design industry in Dublin.

kilkenny design consultancy (founded 1989) Kilkenny Design Consultancy is a design team which was founded on the graphic, product, environmental design and modelmaking capabilities established during an original existence as the national design service for Ireland. Their work includes Dublin’s street furniture and the seating at Heuston and Connolly train stations.

peter maybury Graduate of Dún Laoghaire College of Art and Design, Peter is an artist, freelance graphic designer, curator and musician. His creative practice centres around the arts and culturally-related projects, including the Venice Architectural Biennale in 2008 and again in 2010.

mcconnell’s advertising agency (founded 1916) Multi-award winning McConnells, founded by Charlie McConnell in 1916, was for many years Ireland’s largest indigenous advertising agency.

245 PIVOT DUBLIN

A

Play for Africa poster Conor Clarke, Design Factory


PIVOT Dublin

Designers

colm o’lochlainn (1892 – 1972)

david smith

paul costelloe

A printer, typographer, Gaelic scholar and collector of Irish ballads, he was Professor of Irish Language and Literature in University College Dublin for ten years. He designed the well-known Celtic style typeface, Colmcille.

A graduate of Dún Laoghaire IADT, and principal designer with Atelier, he has won awards from Type Directors Club New York, Association Typographique Internationale (ATypI) and the International Society of Typographic Designers. He’s a member of the prestigious professional design organization Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI).

Dublin born Paul Costelloe is one of the most established names in British and Irish fashion. The head of a successful label for over 25 years, he designs clothes, jewellery and home goods.

john o’regan Prolific and influential editor, designer and publisher of Gandon Editions, the leading producer and distributor of books on Irish design, art and architecture. To date, Gandon has produced more than 350 titles.

red dog (founded 1993) This graphic design company, established by Mary Doherty and Irene Gough, has won many national and international awards. Their client list includes many of the country’s foremost businesses.

richard seabrooke

the stone twins (founded 1999) This creative agency was founded by twins Declan and Garech Stone, graduates of the NCAD, who are based in Holland. They are Head of ‘Man and Communication’ at Eindhoven Academy. They coauthored the critically successful book ‘Logo RIP – A Commemoration of Dead Logotypes’.

fashion

The creative director of design agency Dynamo Design and founder of Candy, an online showcase for Ireland’s creative work. Richard is also one of the directors of OFFSET, an unconventional three-day design conference.

una burke

signa design consultants

sybil connolly (1921 – 1998)

Founded by Louis LeBroquy, Pat and Michael Scott, with the aim of creating a national design identity. They were highly influential in Irish graphic and packaging design.

E1027 Eileen Gray

246 PIVOT DUBLIN

Una is the winner of the Future Maker Student Award in 2009. Her incredible leather creations caught the eye of Lady Gaga, who bought eight pieces to wear on her recent world tour.

An influential and pioneering Irish fashion designer, who designed for the Rockefellers and Jackie Kennedy as well as for luxury goods companies such as Tiffany & Co.

irene gilbert (1910 – 1985) A former actress turned costume and fashion designer; she was famed for her hand woven fabrics. Along with Neillí Mulcahy, she was one of Ireland’s leading fashion designers during the 1950’s and 1960’s, and a founder member of the Irish Haute Couture Group in 1962.

louise kennedy An internationally famous fashion designer, Louise is synonymous with modern sophistication and elegant design. Her flagship London store is located next to Chanel, Armani and Gucci.

lainey keogh Renowned for her knitwear designs, in 1989, she won the Prix de Coeur in Monte Carlo from Christian Lacroix. She has designed for Jimmy Choo, Christian Dior and Christian Louboutin.

orla kiely An Irish fashion and bag designer, she is internationally renowned for her graphic prints and funky patterns. Orla has created designs for Citroën Cars, Apple, Harrods and Marks & Spencer, and she lectures at the Royal College of Art in London.


PIVOT Dublin

Designers

daryl kerrigan (‘daryl k’) Daryl studied fashion at the National College of Art and Design and has made a name in New York for designing clothing for musicians, performers and artists. In 1996 she received a Perry Ellis Award, for emerging talent.

john rocha An award winning Hong Kong-born fashion designer who is based in Ireland and best known for his distinctive style which experiments with fabric and technique. His portfolio includes interiors, architecture, crystal and jewellery. Rocha was made a CBE in 2002 for his contributions to fashion design in the UK.

eileen shields A Dublin footwear designer who is based in New York and has collaborated with international fashion designers such as Donna Karan and Anne Klein. Her creations had starring roles in the big-name movie ‘Sex & The City’!

pauric sweeney Accessories designer to the jet set fashionistas, Pauric’s functional and sleek handbag designs are sought after by the world’s most fashion-conscious consumers.

philip treacy This NCAD graduate is a world-renowned Irish milliner or hat-maker. Known for his surreal, flamboyant and quirky designs, he has designed for Alexander McQueen, Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan.

animation, software & gaming richard baneham Born in Dublin, this animator is best known for his work on the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ series and ‘Avatar’. Richard has won an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Visual Effects on ‘Avatar’.

brown bag films (founded 1994) This multi-award winning and twice-Oscar nominated animation studio is based in Dublin city centre. Brown Bag works with the world’s biggest entertainment brands such as Nickelodeon, Disney and the BBC.

boulder media (founded 2000) Boulder Media is one of Ireland’s largest animation studios, and provides animation services for a principally US client list including Disney, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon and was nominated for an Emmy.

cartoon saloon (founded 1999) Successes of this animation studio include the popular cartoon series ‘Skunk Fu!’ and the Oscar-nominated ‘The Secret of Kells’.

247 PIVOT DUBLIN

Waterford Crystal Vase John Rocha

paul donnellon

johnny kelly

An Emmy-nominated Dublin born animator and founder of VooDooDog (2003). Celebrated for his work on ‘The Life and Death of Peter Sellars’, ‘Grindhouse’ and ‘The A-Team’.

An animator, he trained at the Dublin Institute of Technology, and is a winner of numerous awards including a Shark Award for Best New Director in 2007 and a Jerwood Moving Image Award in 2008.

tim fernée

seamus malone

A Dublin based animator with Moving Still Animation. He directed ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ which won him a BAFTA in 2002 for Best Children’s Animation.

An Emmy-award winning Animation Director with Aardman. Seamus has worked on much-loved films, shorts and TV shows such as Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’, ‘Chicken Run’, ‘Wallace and Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death’, ‘Shaun the Sheep’ and ‘Creature Comforts’.

frontend (founded 1998) This user interface and design consultancy works with websites, software applications, mobile applications and digital devices. Clients include the BBC, Microsoft and Vodafone.

havok (founded 1999) Interactive software and services company founded by Dylan Collins and Hugh Reynolds. A physics engine they developed has been used by many of the biggest game releases of the last ten years including ‘Halo 3’, ‘Half Life 2’ and ‘Fallout 3’. They have also worked on special effects for films such as ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Troy’.

ruairi robinson Born in Dublin, this film director and writer is renowned for his animated films. His short sciencefiction film, ‘Fifty Percent Grey’, was nominated for an Academy Award in 2001 with Zanita Films.

jason ryan This Ballyfermot College graduate was supervising Animator with DreamWorks Animation on ‘Chicken Little’, ‘Monsters vs Aliens’ and ‘Shrek Forever After’. He previously worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

jam media (founded 2002)

sullivan bluth (1985 - 1995)

JAM Media Animation Studio produces broadcast quality content and animation for television, web and mobile. Their animated series, ‘Roy’ received two 2011 BAFTA British Academy Children’s Awards nominations.

A pivotal feature animation studios that at one point employed over 300 people and covered all aspects of the animation process. Bluth helped to set up an animation course at the nearby Ballyfermot Senior College and was a major influence in the development of the Irish animation industry.

kavaleer (founded 1998) Kavaleer’s cartoon ‘Garth and Bev’ is seen on TV all over the globe and its clients include Disney and Sesame studio. Kavaleer has won four Digital Media Awards and has been twice nominated for an Irish Film and Television Award, and a British Animation Award.


PIVOT Dublin

Designers

film – direction, set and costume design joan bergin A costume designer who has won three Emmys and two IFTAs for her work on the television series ‘The Tudors’ and has worked on films such as ‘The Prestige’, ‘In the Name of the Father’ and ‘My Left Foot’.

consolata boyle A costume designer who studied at University College Dublin, she has won numerous awards including an Emmy, a number of IFTAs, and has been nominated for an Oscar.

tom conroy

architecture bucholz mcevoy (founded 1996) A multi-award winning and influential architectural practice, founded by Karen McEvoy and Merritt Bucholz. It has been nominated on four occasions for The Mies van der Rohe Award European Union Prize for contemporary architecture, and represented Ireland at the eighth Venice Architecture Biennale.

de blacam meagher (founded 1976)

michael creagh

tom depaor

neil jordan An award winning Irish filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist, Neil won a Best Screenplay Oscar for ‘The Crying Game’ in 1992.

josie mcavin (1920 – 2005) A film set director who won an Oscar in 1986 for her work on ‘Out of Africa’. This talented Dubliner later won an Emmy for the 1994 mini-series ‘Scarlett’, the sequel to the classic movie ‘Gone With the Wind’.

eimer ni mhaoldomhnaigh A costume designer, Eimer has been nominated for numerous awards including Emmys, IFTAs and Satellite Awards. She has worked on ‘Becoming Jane’, ‘Breakfast on Pluto’, ‘In America’ and, most recently, ‘Brideshead Revisited’.

dermot power A concept designer from Dublin who began his career as a comic book artist, Dermot has worked on such films as ‘Star Wars – Attack of the Clones’, ‘Batman Begins’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ series.

david shaw-smith Dubliner and filmmaker, his landmark documentary series ‘Hands’ and acclaimed book ‘Traditional Crafts of Ireland’ have created an unmatched record of Irish craft.

jim sheridan Jim Sheridan is an award winning Dublin-born film director and screenwriter with an impressive six Oscar nominations for films such as ‘My Left Foot’ and ‘In the Name of the Father’ to his name!

248 PIVOT DUBLIN

A motion graphics designer who has worked with the band U2 on their tours ‘ZOO TV’ and ‘Zooropa’, he also designed the ‘Zooropa’ album cover.

A production designer whose awards on TV and film include an Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction on ‘The Tudors’. He was also nominated for the 2009 Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards.

A former advertising agency art director, Michael wrote, directed, filmed and funded a short film, ‘The Crush’, which has been nominated for an Oscar at the 2011 Academy Awards.

Mosaic Columns Busáras Photo by Dariusz R Cyparski

brian williams

An award winning international firm known for its use of natural materials. ‘Architects Today’ magazine refers to this practice as “the godfathers of contemporary Irish architecture.”

Based in Dublin, de Paor is a multi-award winning UCD graduate. He won the Young Architect of the Year award in the UK, and his work has been included three times in Ireland’s pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

andrew devane (1917 – 2000) An Irish architect known for a number of spectacular houses around Dublin as well as his work on colleges, medical buildings and churches. Founder of influential Irish practice RKD.

arthur gibney (1932- 2006) This former president of the RIAI and president of the Royal Hibernian Academy was an award winning and renowned architect, painter, sculptor, historian and academic.

grafton architects (founded 1977) Founded by Shelly McNamara and Yvonne Farrell, the practice won the first World Building of the Year Award at the inaugural World Architecture Festival Awards in Milan in 2008.

group 91 The Temple Bar regeneration and Framework plan [1991-1998] was created by Group 91, a consortium of young UCD graduates including the practices: Shay Cleary Architects, Grafton Architects, Paul Keogh Architects, McCullough Mulvin Architects, McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects, O’Donnell and Tuomey Architects, Shane O’Toole Architects and Derek Tynan Architects. They employed the principles of European architectural precedents to provide public space and urban continuity in the historic district and have been highly influential in the architectural culture of Dublin.

heneghan peng (founded 1999) Founded in Dublin by Róisín Heneghan and Shi Fu Peng, this practice has had significant success in competitions, winning the architectural competition for the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2003, and Central Park Bridges at the 2012 London Olympic Park.


PIVOT Dublin

Designers

barbara o’neill (1930 – 2011)

scott tallon walker (founded 1975)

jim fitzpatrick

An Irish landscape architect, Barbara left behind a rich legacy of work in both Ireland and Canada. She studied architecture at University College Dublin and her work includes the Cascades Fountain in Iveagh Gardens.

Associated with three of Ireland’s most influential architects of the 20th century, Michael Scott, Robin Walker and Ronald Tallon, this is one of the largest modernist architectural practices in Ireland. A multiaward winning practice, founder Michael Scott was also awarded the RIBA Gold medal in 1975. Projects include Busáras, The Abbey Theatre and The Aviva Stadium.

A celebrated and internationally known Irish artist and illustrator, he’s best known for his ornate and intensely decorative Celtic artwork. He designed the iconic 1968 Ché Guevara poster and the album covers for Thin Lizzy.

murray o’laoire architects (1979-2010) This large and award winning architectural and urban design practice designed the Irish Pavilion for Expo 2000 at Hanover, the pioneering “Green Building” in Dublin’s Temple Bar, and was awarded the RIAI Gold Medal in 1991.

mccullough mulvin (founded 1986) Local architecture and urban design practice founded by Niall McCullough and Valerie Mulvin, whose work has been focused on cultural and civic buildings. Their seminal books on architectural and urban design in Dublin are considered highly important and influential publications.

raymond mcgrath (1903-1977) As Principal Architect at the OPW from 1948-1968, he created a recognizable “look” to Ireland’s state buildings and embassies. His work included the restoration of Dublin Castle and designing the RHA.

niall mclaughlin This multi-award winning architect was named Young British Architect of the Year in 1998. A founder of Niall McLaughlin Architects, he was made an honorary fellow of the RIAI in 2001.

sam stephenson (1933 – 2006) A major architectural figure, Stephenson’s most famous buildings are all located in Dublin and include: the Dublin Civic Offices on Wood Quay, the Central Bank on Dame Street and the ESB HQ on Fitzwilliam St.

artists robert ballagh This Dublin-born artist, painter and designer has designed sets for Riverdance, over 70 Irish postage stamps and the last series of Irish banknotes to be produced before the introduction of the Euro.

harry clarke (1889 – 1931) An Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. His work in glass is distinguished by its finesse of drawing, which was unusual in the medium.

o’donnell and tuomey (founded 1988) Award winning Architectural Practice founded in 1988 by Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey. Part of Group 91, in 2010 the pair were elected Honorary Members of the American Institute of Architects for their contribution to international architecture. The practice has designed a considerable number of notable buildings, including the Ranelagh Multidenominational School, a RIAI Gold Medal winner in 2006.

peter rice (1935 – 1992) This innovative engineer was the second engineer to be awarded the RIBA Gold Medal. He was responsible for the structural design of the roof of the Sydney Opera House, the Pompidou Centre, the Louvre Pyramid and Stansted Airport.

kevin roche A Pritzker Prize winner in 1982, and winner of the AIA gold medal in 1993, Kevin Roche was educated at UCD, Dublin. Based in America, he has designed buildings such as the Gateways Arch in St. Louis, the Oakland Museum in California and the Ford Foundation Headquarters in New York.

House, Dublin 8 De Paor Architects, Photo by Dennis Gilbert

249 PIVOT DUBLIN

evie hone (1894-1955) An Irish cubist painter and stained glass artist, Dublin-born Evie Hone was influential in the modern movement in Ireland.

oisin kelly (1915 – 1981) A prominent sculptor born in Dublin, he is best known for the Children of Lir sculpture in Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance and the statue of James Larkin on O’Connell Street. He was artist in residence at Kilkenny Design Workshops, working with craftspeople and designers on a range of important projects.

patrick scott An influential Irish artist, he qualified initially as an architect and worked with the eminent architect Michael Scott. He worked notably on the development of Busáras, where he designed the building’s distinctive tile mosaics. He was also responsible for designing the livery of Irish Rail’s trains


Designers

PIVOT Dublin

design professionals in dublin 27.

Provide the number of design professionals working in the city, broken down into the different number of design disciplines:

design statistics The creative industries are “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property”1. By this definition, Dublin - a city of approximately 1,000,000 citizens - has a significant number of people working in the creative industries. Dublin has some 77,000 people employed in design-related industries (based on 2006 figures, which are the most recent available). That is 59% of the national total, illustrating that Dublin acts as Ireland’s creative core. Dublin’s employment in the creative industries in 2006 was over 12% of total employment. The Gross Value Added of the creative industries in the Dublin area is estimated at €3.25 billion.

Industry Greater Dublin Area National Total GDA as a % of National Advertising 3,736 5,173 72% Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy 10,718 21,106 51% Manufacture of textiles 1,355 3,921 35% Manufacture of clothes; dressing and dyeing of fur 1,237 2,854 43% Tanning and dressing of leather; manufacture of luggage, handbags 88 328 27% Motion picture and video activities 1,462 2,202 66% Other entertainment activities 3,168 6,156 51% Other recreational activities 2,597 5,257 49% Publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media 10,366 16,661 62% News agency activities 262 392 67% Computer and related activities 23,562 36,656 64% Radio and television activities 3,580 5,070 71% Miscellaneous business nec 14,895 25,050 59% Total Creative Industries 77,026 130,826 59% Total All Industries 800,240 1,930,042 Creative EMP as % of All Industries 10% 7% From Defining and Valuing Dublin’s Creative Industries 2010 2

1

The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (1998) Based on Census POWCAR dataset, Census 2006, www.cso.ie

2

250 PIVOT DUBLIN


Designers

PIVOT Dublin

growth in design jobs 28.

Provide net number of jobs created within the design industries every year, for the last five years for which data is available.

Ireland had seen exceptional growth in employment up until the global economic downturn, which began in 2008. This employment growth was particularly evident in the creative industries. In 2006 Dublin accounted for 59% of all those employed in the creative industries. Nationally, industries such as architecture and engineering grew by as much as 65%, and advertising by as much as 26% with overall growth in the creative industries at 27.4%. However, the economy has undergone considerable change since these figures were compiled. Creative industries have been hit hard by the economic downturn. The hardest-hit design profession has been architecture, with estimates suggesting that around 40% of architects lost their jobs between January 2008 and March 2009. It can be assumed that many creative industries will have experienced reductions in employee numbers since 2008. The reducing employment opportunities in the creative industry sector have created an upsurge in informal design activity. Designers are now creating products in a number of highly inventive and cost-effective ways. They are finding new routes to supplement changed incomes by developing new skill sets in areas such as web and graphic design, interior design and green technology.

With the promotion of design and innovation recognised as a means of recovery through national economic and recovery plans, the creative industries are expected to grow in the next number of years. The green shoots of revitalisation are already evident with the ERSI (Economic and Social Research Institute Dublin, Ireland) announcement of skill shortages in the ICT and gaming sectors, which should result in further positive job growth in the forthcoming years.

Matthew Thompson Photo commissioned by Business to Arts

251 PIVOT DUBLIN


Designers

PIVOT Dublin

Profession 2000 2004 % Change Advertising 2,241 2,831 26.33% Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy 10,668 17,344 62.58% Arts/antiques trade 39,366 55,162 40.13% Designer fashion 10,815 5,819 -46.20% Reproduction of recorded media 5,815 5,103 -12.24% Miscellaneous business activities 8,731 13,098 50.02% Motion pictures and video activities 2,245 4,102 82.72% Music and the visual and performing arts 3,042 6,367 109.3% Publishing 4,183 4,539 8.51% Software consultancy and supply 11,007 14,727 33.8% Radio and TV C C News agency activities C C Total 98,606 125,649 27.4 From Creative knowledge workers in the Dublin region 2009 1

Matthew Thompson Photo commissioned by Business to Arts

icograda world design survey These statistics illustrate some of the limitations that exist with regard to data on design professionals working in Dublin. However, Dublin’s participation in Icograda’s World Design Survey project, which began in 2010, will improve knowledge in this area. Data gathered will be compared internationally to develop common indicators with other cities, which will enable a comprehensive

1

252 PIVOT DUBLIN

Based on Census 2006, www.cso.ie

understanding of the design status of each region. Continuous communication with Icograda can greatly aid Dublin in developing a better understanding of the status of design in the city.


Designers

PIVOT Dublin

general job growth in dublin 29.

Provide net number of total jobs created in the city’s economy (including design jobs) every year, for the last five years for which data is available.

General job growth in Ireland was steadily increasing year-on-year until 2007/08. However, due to global economic destabilisation, growth has since declined. The number employed in Ireland is now back at 2004 levels. The overall employment projections for the immediate future are based on the ESRI’s (Economic and Social Research Institute Dublin, Ireland) latest forecasts for recovery, whereby employment in 2015 is projected to be some 80,000 below the national peak level figures reached in 2008. However, given an estimated loss of 330,000 in employment between the 2008 peak and 2010, the projection implies that the economic recovery, which is expected to begin towards the end of 2011, will generate 250,000 additional jobs between now and 2015.

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 % Change Ireland 1,852,200 1,944,600 2,034,900 2,113,900 2,112,800 1,938,500 1,859,500 0.39% Dublin 550,000 576,500 596,100 616,000 616,900 561,700 535,600 -2.62% CSO figures 1

1

253 PIVOT DUBLIN

www.cso.ie


Conversations

NW: Language is so important but I was so frustrated in a workshop we did the other day because there was an architect talking to another architect about how he went into the school to talk to the kids, ‘can you believe it they didn’t know what a void was?’ I was like guys, get over yourself. They were saying a void is a window, so just call it a window! MJG: Can we go back to the question of eccentricity. A beautiful example of this is, there is a professor called Dennis Weaire, Professor of Physics in Trinity who is quite eccentric. It turns out he just discovered this fundamental structure of bubbles, as he’s a physicist who researches phones and bubbles and it’s called the Weaire–Phelan Structure now and that was used in the Beijing swimming stadium, the Beijing water-cube and the whole stadium was based on his model, it’s also being used on many of anthony Gormley’s structures who use this amazing Weaire-Phelan Structure and my point is that’s the kind of person that Dublin can nurture and provides a really interesting platform for that. EM: Yes, but we’ve got to be careful as the world is full of people like that... RY: It’s not rare to have genius physicists but one shouldn’t neglect that Dublin can be a playground for a certain kind of person who doesn’t fit into a box. NW: It’s actually really interesting that we’re having a conversation in a conversation pit designed by Sam Stephenson. I mean while he was in his twenties also and he was obviously influenced as we look at this building, by the international style of modernism. While other buildings that were happening at the time were nothing like this, can you imagine anyone in the late 1960’s/1970’s coming in and actually experiencing this? It wasn’t like the stock buildings of the time. RY: That returns us to the point that Dublin supports powerful imaginative, young individuals. NW: The thing is the courage of young people in Dublin at the moment is amazing. RY: I was interested for some time, since 2007, to combine the hip-hop experiments of Ballymun and Finglas (hip-hop would be the common art form for young men there) and Sean-nós singing of Donegal. So this became an experiment called Hip-nós where traditional singing is mixed with hip-hop and it actually does work artistically. I met somebody from Cape Town who was a very big theatre producer and I said listen I have an instinct about this and that inner creative voice hums silently and it’s something I’ve always honoured. I don’t think it’s anything to do with me,but my job is just to listen to it. I just got that idea, that instinct, particularly in south Africa where people combine the traditional and the modern within their own bodies. They’re not separate. So, we then collaborated with a group called black noise from Cape Town who came here in 2008 and we went back to visit them in 2010. So we had these remarkable things happening of say Sean-nós artists and hip-hop kids from Ballymun going out to cape flats and taking part in break-dancing competitions. I mean when we had a Sean-nós singer sing, everybody cried, all the Africans cried because they had never heard that kind of singing coming from a white person and they understood it. And there are so many creative things happening in those young people, you just have to let them go and say what are you interested in? We can be driven by the next generation. RY

I mean when we had a Sean-nós singer sing, everybody cried, all the Africans cried because they had never heard that kind of singing coming from a white person and they understood it. And there are so many creative things happening in those young people, you just have to let them go and say what are you interested in? We can be driven by the next generation. MJG: That’s why I think seed projects are so important. When you actually provide an environment where you can get very small amounts of funding and really funding is not what it’s all about, I mean it’s obviously important but it’s really about time. Funding, mentorship time for experimental projects, high risk projects. We need to cultivate an environment where people can take creative risks, where they can take cultural risks and where there is an understanding that not every project is going to succeed. I think that in Dublin, there is a critical seed incubational environment that it is. NW: In the science gallery don’t you promote that in what you do over time? MJG: Well the science gallery is itself something of an experiment. So the science gallery is about opening that up and forging new connections between researchers and the city, between town and gown, between science and the arts, between all of these different areas of ideas.

254 PIVOT DUBLIN


Niall Maxwell Garden Bloom

Strand abgc architecture and design

255 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 255


Public Investment Response to question 30

256 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Public investment

design initiatives: who pays? 30.

Provide the portion of the budget that is spent on design initiatives at the municipal, regional and national level (expressed as a percentage of total expenditure) for the last five years for which data is available.

At a national level, spending on design initiatives comes in a diverse range of funding streams. This makes financial estimates difficult to quantify as they overlap across many fields of development. A summarised sample of the range of national programmes for design is set out as follows: Design in national development and regeneration projects: Design quality and sustainability are embedded in government funded capital projects. Primary and second level education: Design is part of the national primary and secondary curricula art programmes. These are funded by the Department of Education & Skills. Schools programmes are also run by agencies such as the Arts Council, the Crafts Council of Ireland and the Irish Architecture Foundation. Third and postgraduate level: At these levels, design educational programmes and research projects have an array of government funding. The Arts Council provides funding for research and career development for architects. Funding for career development for architects and designers is provided by Fás, the national training agency. The Office of Public Works also manages a graduate training programme for architects’ career development. The publicly funded Irish Architecture Foundation has a remit to promote public awareness of architecture, including the Open House programmes in Dublin and Galway. Funding and support for craft designers takes place through the Craft Council of Ireland. Funding, promotion and support for design businesses exporting their services is provided through Enterprise Ireland. Design guidance in national planning and development programmes and development control is managed by the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government; including, for example, developing evidencebased policies such as the 2009 Urban Design Manual. This Department is also responsible for maintaining the Government Policy on Architecture, which sets out actions for developing design quality in the built environment and through which research and public engagement projects in architecture are also funded.

Architectural research in a number of strategic areas is funded by both the Department of Environment and the Office of Public Works. The national cultural institutions have an array of design initiatives, which are publicly funded as part of their cultural programmes.

At a local level design initiatives are funded through the following ways: Raising design awareness: This is carried out through local authority Arts Offices, public library services and architects’ departments. Design offices within local authorities: These include architecture, engineering and landscape architecture design sections which develop projects in-house or project manage design projects through consultants. Design and innovation studios have also been set up within authorities in Dublin. Design in the planning process: Local authorities are responsible for approving new developments of buildings and infrastructure through the planning system, and design is a key area of assessment. Council planning departments also prepare development plans guiding future developments in their jurisdiction and urban design is an important element of this process. Innovation Dublin: In this major festival, profiled earlier in this document, design is embedded as a key element of innovation.

Again, figures on expenditure for all of these are difficult to quantify due to the degree of overlap between programmes. In terms of spending on design services as an element of capital expenditure, it is estimated at approximately 10%; and based on this, approximate figures for expenditure for Dublin’s local authorities are detailed below:

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Capital Expenditure (€) 1,917,659,895 2,059,958,507 977,745,831 778,928,485 888,075,120 Design (%) 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% Design Expenditure (€)M 191,765,989 205,995,850 97,774,583 77,892,848 188,807,512

257 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 257


Conversations

JR: and it has opened up the city, it has opened up Trinity hugely (and literally!) What’s great is that on one side if the campus you have one of the newest thing, the science gallery and then on the other side you have The Book of Kells and you have the manuscripts and the long room in the library which is so beautiful. MJG: We also have a new very interesting project coming up now. A three year project exploring experimental collaborations between science, the arts and design. The theme for the first year is the future of water and what’s interesting, when we were coming up with the theme we though people could come up with design for the developing world, design for new devices for water filtration or transporting water in Sub-Saharan Africa but suddenly it all seems much closer to home. Since we have launched the project, Dublin has experienced a crisis in water provision. So, part of this project is a course, so students now are coming up with projects and most of them are about rainwater collection in Dublin. Suddenly the distance between us and the developing world has collapsed! You know, you’re project in Cape town (to RY) has had us thinking about maybe we can get people from Sub-Saharan Africa to teach us about water and water management and that could be quite interesting, but that’s just one project we’re doing at the moment. EM: One of the things that concerns what we’ve been talking about in the last few minutes is the extent to which Dublin is not the only introspective. There are links all over, links from your big gym/swimming arena with the city, your water project, with America and other European cities, with Cape Town, with Irish music and hip-hop and that’s what makes Dublin exciting. The fact that all of these are possible and when I say none of them are all together remarkable, I mean your Cape Town project, I didn’t know about it, until now. In other words it was one of a number of similar entries. So what in a way. I mean it’s ordinary. It’s ordinary that Dubliners are getting on with their lives and having these marvellous experiences and contacts. Dublin is cosmopolitan. MJG: I find it very different from European cities, which have wonderful cultural infrastructure but where there is less of a sense of possibility of something bubbling up. I think here there is. RY: It’s what people don’t know. There are certain things in our heads that filter out but if design is to work we have to remove those filters and make it part of a natural Irish approach, it really has to get out there. MJG: I think you’ve got to take some of these experiments and figure out for example, how do you feed them back into the mainstream education system? That’s a really difficult challenge.

Science Gallery

MJG

I think you’ve got to take some of these experiments and figure out for example, how do you feed them back into the mainstream education system? That’s a really difficult challenge.

258 PIVOT DUBLIN


Brand design language development concept for Logitech Cathal Loughnane and Peter Sheehan at Design Partners

Dublin photo series photo by Gregory Dunn

259 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 259


Neighbourhoods/Areas Response to questions 31, 32

260 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Neighbourhoods/Areas

PIVOT Dublin

design at the pivotal point 31. Describe any areas in the city that could be perceived as a showcase for design. Include photographs and/or video to support your description where available.

From Temple Bar, famed as a cultural quarter on the tourist trail; to Trinity College, an oasis of learning and peace in the heart of the city; and from the elegant, timeless beauty of Georgian Dublin to the new community of Adamstown, Dublin has many areas which show design can be beautiful, functional, people-centred – and different. temple bar dublin’s cultural quarter Turn the clock back twenty years… and Temple Bar is a faded, near-forgotten block behind the Liffey quays. The state owned bus company begins to buy up properties with a plan to build a new bus terminus. As an interim measure, these buildings are let out at low rents. This attracts artists, workshops, galleries, music studios. This creates a vibrant new scene, which people love and, in the recession-hit 1980’s, are inspired and energised by… This story can go either of two ways. But fortunately for the cultural life of Dublin, the bus depot got shelved and the Temple Bar urban renewal project began under the direction of a state agency Temple Bar Properties (TBP), with a common vision articulated by diverse groups of local, cultural and business organisations, artists, architects and conservationists, who collectively recognised the possibilities for the area. Dublin won the designation for European City of Culture in 1991, and with Temple Bar as its flagship project, the city had momentum again. A competition to design a new framework plan was won by Group 91 Architects, a collective of eight young Irish practices: Shay Cleary Architects, Grafton Architects, Paul Keogh Architects, McCullough Mulvin Architects, McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects, O’Donnell and Tuomey Architects, Shane O’Toole, Michael Kelly amd Derek Tynan Architects. This framework plan shaped the changes imposed to the fractured physical environment of the city. Central to it was recognition of the need to preserve as well as transform.

New, inventive and contemporary structures were proposed to repair the the historic streetscape. Award winning public spaces such as Temple Bar Square and Meetinghouse Square emerged, integrated with the tight urban grain. Alongside the culture and arts-hungry locals, hundreds of thousands of tourists and visitors pass through Temple Bar each year. Not bad for an area that was nearly a bus station…

Open air cinema in Meeting House Square Temple Bar

261 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 261


Neighbourhoods/Areas

trinity college dublin the trinity test bed Dubliners describe the campus as an oasis in the centre of the city. The College, when founded in 1592, was built outside the city wall. It is now in the heart of the city, located on College Green, opposite the former Irish Houses of Parliament. The College occupies 19 hectares, an incredible statistic for a university campus in the city centre, with many of its buildings located around large quadrangles (squares) and two playing fields at College Park. Trinity retains a strong collegiate and “campus” atmosphere despite its location in the centre of a capital city, and is one of the most significant tourist attractions in Dublin.

Long Room Hub McCullough Mulvin Architects

262 PIVOT DUBLIN

Trinity College Dublin photo by Fáilte Ireland

PIVOT Dublin

However, Trinity is not a fossil or museum. It has encountered layers of change throughout history and constantly continues to adapt, grow, move, expand and change. It is astounding to think of the range of cultural experience whereby one can be immersed in the cutting edge technology of the Science Gallery and then cross the campus and 1,200 years of history to visit the world renowned Book of Kells. Over its 500 years of existence the campus has been a test bed for architecture and design. Trinity’s campus contains countless buildings of architectural merit by the leading architects of their time: the Long Room Library from the 18th century; the Campanile from the 19th century; the Berkeley Library from the 20th century; and the Science Gallery from the 21st century. Trinity embraces modernity. It converses with the city. From the Douglas Hyde contemporary art gallery, to the operation of a cutting edge Innovation Centre, to the interactive presence of industrial laboratories and campus companies. And it is this ongoing sense of renewal that is the hallmark of Trinity - old and new buildings live harmoniously side by side in this historic setting. Trinity does not stand still, a living monument to its own past. It continuously evolves and moves forward.


Neighbourhoods/Areas

PIVOT Dublin

Merrion Square Photo by Sean Murray

georgian quarter connecting north and south In Dublin there is a hugely popular tourist poster called ‘Doors of Dublin’. its simple design is merely rows of photographs of Georgian doors. The fact that this picture of 36 brightly coloured doorways is so beguiling, so full of charm and character, says everything about the finesse and classical beauty of Dublin’s Georgian architecture – and about the response it creates in us. Dublin’s Georgian core resides to the north and the south of the River Liffey basin. This basin is enclosed to the south by an outcrop of substantial mountains, and opens to a magnificent expanse of sea to the east. The lands to the north of the city were hard won, planned by eminent architects of the time and developed in a piecemeal fashion as deals were successfully closed. The townhouses and the planned formal squares and thoroughfares, which form an impressive cliff-like streetscape, are generally considered to be of greater architectural importance and design intent than those of the south, which were subsequently developed by the speculating absentee Landlord, Lord Fitzwilliam. Dublin’s topography was a particular influence to the design of the city in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a predisposal for orientation with aspects overlooking the sea or towards a river feature; an aspect to the mountains;

263 PIVOT DUBLIN

or to shared amenities borrowed from neighbouring estates. The architecture of Georgian Dublin is a combination of a number of characteristics and forces: large numbers of private residential buildings; a number of grand houses; distinctive public buildings; a series of speculative terrace developments of high architectural quality; and significantly strategic planning decisions made by the Wide Street Commissioners. While speculative in nature and built to respond to the expansion of the city (Georgian Dublin’s population increased three fold over this period) it also has an impressive uniformity of intent. This is because the house facade (including the spacing and shape of the windows) was designed in accordance with classical rules of proportion. The houses were not individually set apart by architectural variations but by facade treatments and exterior detailing, which provided individuality to each house. The strong guilds of Irish wrought-iron and cast-iron craftsmen created left an indelible mark on Georgian architecture in Dublin, with their railings, gates, window guards, metal arches, and lamp posts. The vibrant colours used on the doors (as ‘Doors of Dublin’ so playfully demonstrates) also played a role in counteracting the strict architectural rules of the style. “The Georgian door is a well recognised symbol of ‘Welcome’ in Dublin.” (Dublin Tourism).


Neighbourhoods/Areas

adamstown our new town Adamstown is Ireland’s first fully planned new town in 30 years. The plan has a complex range of strategies, proposed by local authority South Dublin County Council and lead master planners O’Mahony Pike Architects, to ensure a social, cultural and economically sustainable community and environment. From the outset the project sought to anticipate and provide for the needs of future residents. As part of the planning permission it was incumbent on the developers of the town to complete infrastructure and community facilities on a phased basis, to avoid the social problems that can blight large-scale suburban developments, before proceeding with later phases of housing. Whilst Adamstown will now be developed over a longer period than was originally anticipated, the approach taken has ensured that those already living there have access to Adamstown’s rail station, a 12 minute journey from Dublin’s central Heuston Station and Ireland’s first privately funded train station. Bus services, together with the provision of new road links, new schools, new childcare and play facilities, shopping and sporting facilities, are all designed to be within walking distance of the neighbourhoods.

Adamstown O’Mahony Pike Architects

264 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

Urban design in Adamstown utilises the urban block structure – a move away from the car-orientated suburban developments of the mid-20th century. Block design within Adamstown encourages permeability and all streets have been designed with limited setbacks to produce a greater sense of place. The implementation of a personalised smarter travel planning pilot project, development of green routes to surrounding areas of West Dublin, and the promotion of walking and cycling all point to Adamstown’s aim of becoming a green and sustainable community and environment. Adamstown Community Partnership was formed to respond to community development issues and to represent stakeholders across a range of sectors. The main aim of the partnership is to promote a sense of identity and belonging within Adamstown. It is intended to provide support to the growth of a balanced, equitable and inclusive community. Adamstown is a showcase and demonstration area for the integrated urban design of public spaces, architecture, travel planning, and community development for new developments in the future. Adamstown was developed from the outset to be a vibrant and mixed community. It was developed with a heart. See also Q.32 Urban Regeneration describing O’Connell Street, Docklands and Ballymun as other showcase areas.


Neighbourhoods/Areas

PIVOT Dublin

transforming neighbourhoods 32.

Describe key urban regeneration or reconditioning projects in the context of the neighbourhoods or areas they have transformed.

Urban regeneration has played a major role in the economic, social and physical transformation of Dublin over the past two decades. Old neighbourhoods are being reinvigorated, fractured communities are being healed, and exciting new neighbourhoods created. The intense level of urban regeneration since the mid-1980’s has seen the city expand north, south, east and west. The city core now extends along the Liffey from the Heuston Gateway to the west and the Docklands Point Depot to the east. The first ten years of this period of regeneration produced integrated plans for the first phase of Docklands and Temple Bar. These plans evolved from the traditional emphasis on physical development to a more holistic approach, and incorporated an economic, social and cultural dimension, allied with a more sophisticated, urban design focus. The late 1990’s saw the initiation of the Ballymun Regeneration Masterplan - then the largest regeneration project in Europe - and the introduction of Integrated Area Plans (IAPs) for neighbourhoods across Dublin – Blanchardstown, Swords, Tallaght and Sandyford to name a few. The understanding gained from these projects informed the more recent layer of urban design frameworks and master plans for places such as the Markets Area, Fatima/Herberton, Heuston, Grangegorman, Tallaght, Digital Hub and for the area covered by Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

265 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Neighbourhoods/Areas

Well-organised, well planned and well-functioning neighbourhoods are the lifeblood of a city’s future. So, using the considerable experience and expertise the city has developed in this field, we aim to continue to renew and rejuvenate our neighbourhoods. o’connell street ‘a place that represents the nation’ O’Connell Street is a hive of people, activity and movement. It is the city’s pivot space. Visitors take their bearings from the street, as it is from here that people radiate to other parts of the city. Created by the Wide Street Commissioners in the 18th century, it forms part of a cross city thoroughfare that connects to Westmoreland Street, College Green and Dame Street, terminating at City Hall and Dublin Castle. The street became a commercial success on the opening of O’Connell Bridge (formerly Carlisle) over the River Liffey in 1793. O’Connell Street has been centre-stage in Irish history, and the backdrop to many national turning points, including the 1916 Easter Rising, and the Irish Civil War of 1922. Whilst this gave the street a pivotal historical place, it also caused the destruction which necessitated rebuilding large parts of the street. Signature stone-faced neoclassical buildings such as Clerys department store (for generations of Dubliners, Clerys’ clock was the traditional city centre meeting point!) are complemented by the more subtle grain of elegant bank and retail premises. However, the late 20th century was not kind to O’Connell Street. The social and economic decline of its adjacent surroundings, and its position as a central traffic artery for the city, contributed to a loss of confidence and identity. The ‘Celtic Tiger’ economic revival appeared to be leaving the street to wither under cheap plastic shop fronts, multitudes of fast-food restaurants and incoherent street clutter. By the mid-1990’s it was clear that brave and ambitious measures were necessary to restore O’Connell Street to, in the words of John Stafford, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, ‘a place that represents the nation’.

The response was a regeneration project by Dublin City Council in collaboration with Mitchell + Associates Landscape Architects, to re-establish a coherent gathering space for the city, centred on a new priority for people; with generous footpaths, public lighting, installation of specialist street furniture and new trees, signalling the transformation. A multidisciplinary approach to the public realm was adopted throughout, with landscape architects, urban designers, architects, transport and service engineers working together to ensure a seamless holistic design. Continuity of experience was one of the overriding considerations, with the underground works programme coordinated to minimise future disruption of the paved granite surfaces. The centrepiece of the design is a dramatic formal outdoor ‘room’ around the historic General Post Office (GPO) with its Ionic portico providing a stage to a distinctive celebration space of national significance. This space has been designed for the dual modes of city movements and civic events, allowing the life of the city to flow unhindered. And finally, to fill the gap left by Nelson’s Column, blown up in 1966, the 120-metre high stainless steel Spire designed by Ian Ritchie Architects provides an awe-inspiring vertical flourish and a new meeting place. The O’Connell Street regeneration enhances the urban experience for all, and in doing so has re-established the areas as a destination in our city, re-animating and re-populating the surrounding network of streets and neighbourhoods.

“ If one were to travel inwards from the outer limits of the city and experience the layers of the city built up over time, on reaching O’Connell Street one would have to declare. ‘This is it! This is the centre.” O’Connell Street Integrated Area Plan, 1998.

266 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Neighbourhoods/Areas

O’Connell Street Regeneration Dublin City Council and Mitchell + Associates Landscape Architects

O’Connell Street Regeneration Dublin City Council and Mitchell + Associates Landscape Architects

267 PIVOT DUBLIN


Neighbourhoods/Areas

PIVOT Dublin

Hannover Quay O’Mahony Pike Architects, photo by Gerry O’Leary

dublin docklands living by the water Over the past two decades, the redevelopment of the Dublin Docklands has radically altered the physical fabric and social structure of the eastern segment of Dublin city, both north and south of the river. Docklands, once a lost area of disused urban space, is now a key part of the city’s mental map. The Docklands regeneration has been steered by successive Master Plans from 1997 up to present day. A recognition and understanding of the contextual urban design elements of the Docklands; from its orthogonal layout, the existing historic character areas, to its defining water bodies, have all provided a dynamic framework upon which to design for this city community. The Docklands location at the widest point of the River Liffey and its larger urban block structure combined to create the potential for a completely new identity for the area. Designed around ordered urban blocks and marker buildings, from the outset the Docklands sought to carve out new spaces for people in the city.

268 PIVOT DUBLIN

The Docklands has been shaped by a range of design competitions from landmark buildings to urban parks and public squares. The recent competition for “The Parlour” civic space in 2009, where the objective was to design a new civic event space for Dublin, continues this practice. The winning entry by Lid Architecture, which uses shipping containers as basic building blocks, configured in creative ways, resonates powerfully with the robust nature of the Docklands. Some examples of Dublin Docklands transformation include: Development of the Irish Financial Services Centre (IFSC). This attracted over €3.35 billion of public and private investment and aided in the creation of 25,000 new jobs. Large scale mixed-use development. This includes 11,000 new homes, 2,200 (20%) of which are social and affordable housing. Construction of the prestigious Convention Centre Dublin, designed by Kevin Roche. Creation of the iconic Alto Vetro residential block by Shay Cleary Architects.


Neighbourhoods/Areas

PIVOT Dublin

Development of the distinctive Martha Schwartz-designed Grand Canal Square which links the Daniel Libeskind-inspired theatre, the elegant glass building by DMOD Architects and a landmark hotel designed by Manuel Aires Mateus Architects at Grand Canal Dock. Landmark bridges, including the Samuel Beckett Bridge by Santiago Calatrava and the Sean O’Casey Bridge designed by Brian O Halloran. A new relationship with the river has been forged through the Liffey Campshires project.

In tandem with the obvious and evident physical changes, there is a less visible, but equally important transformation taking place – the social and community regeneration of the Docklands. Pursuing an ambitious set of activities in the educational, housing and community development spheres is part of the Docklands aim to ensure equal opportunity and participation across all communities, new and old alike. A key transformer in the area has been the change in the course of educational attainment. From an area once considered to be an educational blackspot, Dublin Docklands has moved, within a decade, to an area where the overwhelming trend for young Docklanders is to value education and stay in school. The result of all this regeneration, investment and activity? A change in the very social fibre, the heart, of the Docklands area.

Docklands Fun Run Dublin Docklands Development Authority

Grand Canal Dock photo by Ros Kavanagh

269 PIVOT DUBLIN


Neighbourhoods/Areas

ballymun our ‘new - new town’ Remaking, redesigning, redefining and reshaping Ballymun has been underway since the late 1990’s. Ballymun ‘new town’ was a large scale social housing project constructed in the 1960’s on a green field site, on the north fringe of Dublin City, close to Dublin Airport. Built in response to a housing crisis in central Dublin, nearly 3,000 flats were laid out in a collection of system-built tower and spine blocks in addition to over 2,000 houses. Viewed at the time as a symbol of progress, over the following decades the area had degenerated to become synonymous with social alienation. In the nineties, in response to pressure from the local community, a decision was taken to embark on radical social, physical, cultural and economic change. Ballymun Regeneration Ltd. (BRL) was established in 1997 to prepare and implement a regeneration ‘Master plan’ for the 17,000 residents of Ballymun. The challenge was to heal the social and urban environment and to create homes, parks and neighbourhoods for people, with their needs as the starting point. Communication between all stakeholders was a cornerstone of the participatory approach adopted by BRL from the outset, accordingly they identified that the design of their corporate identity, marketing and promotional needed to reflect this approach. At the core of the Master Plan developed by McCormac Jamieson Prichard Architects in association with O’Mahoney Pike Architects and BRL’s in-house team, was the creation of a defined urban structure based around living streets and legible districts. The new balance

PIVOT Dublin

allowed for higher densities and a sense of vibrancy, while adopting a lower rise form. The plan was to mark a radical departure from the exposed and underutilised open spaces of the original estate where unsafe public spaces had been created by the segregation of pedestrians and vehicles. In terms of tangible transformation, the move from the flats with problematic shared spaces to individual ‘own door’ dwellings signalled a new beginning for many residents. The diversity of architectural expression in the housing types and public buildings marks the break with the past, and has been fuelled by ideas and designs generated through design competitions. Cultural and environmental issues have been central to Ballymun’s regeneration. Ballymun has been reconnected by an ambitious public art programme, Breaking Ground. This initiative has produced some of the finest public art commissions delivered in Ireland in recent years, such as Axis arts centre. This was the first new building to be built in the masterplan and has given Ballymun both a new heart and a valuable destination for the city. The GAP (Global Action Plan) and Rediscover Ballymun have found innovative ways of bringing the sustainable agenda alive. The DIT Ballymun Music Programme – started ten years ago – has grown to involve 700 children from seven primary and secondary schools in the area each year. A new facility for this programme, St. Joseph’s Music Room, was opened by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 2009. Ballymun’s impressive progress to date includes: The construction of just under 3,000 new public, private, voluntary and co-operative housing units in the area, and the relocation of 1,500 families from the old ‘flats’ into new purpose-built housing. This also entailed the large-scale temporary housing of tenants during the ongoing construction process. The introduction of social regeneration schemes and programmes to combat the previous lack of social cohesion and promote a sense of community ownership. As well as those mentioned above, further examples include Active Living in Ballymun for Older Adults, Afterschool projects, School Retention Initiative, BRL Play Development Programme, Civic Participation Programme, BRL Sports Development Programme and Arts and Community Resource Centres. The development of a new main street to form the commercial and civic core; and a new business park to foster employment. The provision for integration of an underground stop on the planned Metro North. The delivery of amenities including: reworked park areas, local neighbourhood centres, a major City Council office facility, health service facilities, a public leisure centre, student accommodation, a new hotel and renewed shopping areas.

The Ballymun Regeneration project is due for completion in 2014. Ballymun Regeneration Coultry Kids

270 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Neighbourhoods/Areas

Ballymun by night Photo by Eamonn Elliott

271 PIVOT DUBLIN

Hotel Ballymun Photo by Eamonn Elliott


Dialogue

15

14

01

02

03

05 04

06

10 09 12 07

08

11

272 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dialogue

ue

19

18 17

16

20 21

22

25 23

24 13

Dialogue is a film project initiated by PIVOT Dublin but sustained by the members of Dublin’s vast creative community, each of whom is filmed in their studio or workspace. The film begins with a question about design, posed by PIVOT Dublin. The first respondent then posed a question for the next respondent to reply to, and so on. Contributors did not know the identity of the person who selected them, but they did choose whom they, in turn, put a question to. The key messages of ‘Place’, ‘Well Being’ and ‘Systems’ were communicated to all in advance.

273 PIVOT DUBLIN

Participants were asked to communicate the question visually where possible, whether by writing it down, typing it, animating or drawing it. This process and its outcomes facilitated a dialogue which defines, discovers, develops and delivers. The film is presented as a linear edit and as a series of short clips. It captures the diversity and energy of the design and creative community in Dublin, and is a fascinating snapshot of contemporary design practice. And it’s on the attached USB key, so please join the PIVOT Dublin dialogue…

PIVOT DUBLIN 273


Dialogue

dialogue

PIVOT Dublin asks Sean & Yvette

If Dublin was a blank canvas what would you draw on it?

Sean & Yvette, Photographers Sean: Probably draw the sun Yvette: Well, we were, well, yeah, from what I see when the sun comes out in Dublin it’s so vibrant, and the difference in the city, and people… Sean: People really make an effort to enjoy it. Yvette: People stand up straight and they walk down…you know there’s so much, at the moment there’s an effort being made for outdoor cinema, outdoor theatre, just festivals. Sean: So many great things going on. In Dartmouth Square there’s outdoor stuff, and in the night times and… Yvette: Just it’s always weather dependent, and if we could have more sun, or a little more consistency, you could plan better. And also Sandymount could become like Malibu or something like that, and also for us, we could shoot outside a lot more, which would be great. Sean: An awful lot more. Sean & Yvette ask Jonathan Legge

What could London learn from Dublin?

Jonathan Legge In the context of design, the London design community could learn to step out of itself a bit more. There’s a really strong design set up in London. Over the last ten years it has almost reached a peak. There is a massive creative industry in London but it has got so big now, or I feel that, furniture designers hang out with furniture designers, architects hang out with architects, graphic designers hang out with graphic designers, so there’s no interdisciplinary overlaps, it’s kind of ghettoised, the thinking Yeah, Dublin’s scale is its strength, and it’s small, everybody knows each other and it’s a bad thing but it’s also a really good thing, because it feels more human and more sociable and people engage each other a lot more. And that really helps, I think, when people engage and ask questions and listen. Designers can learn a lot from stepping outside their own fields and talking to different experts. I think design is at its best when it’s not about becoming an expert in anything but just understanding the wider context and helping put creative strategies alongside other strategies and feed back into the world and can help make it a bit better. It shouldn’t be just about one idea and pushing it forward. So London could learn a bit from Dublin about looking further afield than your own little profession. Jonathan Legge asks Rich Gilligan

How can you encourage people to feel and not just see design and the architecture of the city and to fully engage with their surroundings and start to understand through all their senses the spaces they live, work and pass through everyday?

Rich Gilligan, Photographer Well, I suppose, in terms of getting across a feeling of a place I always feel the only way you can really engage with a city is just through exploring it, so probably just by travelling by foot around the city. It’s a tricky one. The thing I love about Dublin that I think should be explored more in design in Dublin is just the uniqueness of certain areas and the fact that we do still have characters here that don’t seem to exist in other places. So trying to get across a feeling to someone of what Dublin is in a single image is probably nearly impossible. But then, to me you could get across what Dublin is all about from just the smell of the hops from Guinness, when you get off the train and Heuston and you walk out into the city, then you are on the Liffey and you just get a smell of the hops and it’s like “Oh yeah, Dublin”. And that could happen to you blindfolded, there’s nothing visual about that at all.


Rich Gilligan Goths

Detail PIVOT Dublin cover concept

275 PIVOT DUBLIN


Architecture Response to questions 33, 34

276 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Architecture

PIVOT Dublin

dublin: a city of living history 33.

Provide a summary of architectural interest points. Include photos and/or video to support your description where available.

A fascinating and energetic capital; a treasure trove of Georgian architecture; a literary jewel; a dynamic and active focus for innovation and change… Dublin is all of these and more. One of Europe’s most interesting and creative cities, Ireland’s capital has its own unique characteristics and culture. Never more apparent than in our civic and domestic architecture. Founded initially by Norse Vikings in the 9th century as a trading post in the Viking sea world, it became the capital of Ireland under the Normans and later the English Government, emerging as the capital of an independent country after 1922. It contains medieval ecclesiastical landmarks such as St Patrick’s and Christchurch Cathedrals but is especially noted for the scale and character of its Georgian architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries; hectares of well-proportioned brick terrace housing were arranged in a rational plan of hundreds of streets and squares punctuated by commanding stone public buildings both north and south of the river Liffey. This architectural legacy - though much affected by re-development in the latter part of the 20th century - remains in daily use as living spaces and offices for the functioning city and forms the context of its daily life. With an unusually large central historic district, Dublin offers many interesting questions on planning and development policy within European urban cores; not least in the absorption of a large amount of new development within a short time over the last decade.

277 PIVOT DUBLIN


Architecture

PIVOT Dublin

The tension between historic fabric and modern uses provides architects with exciting opportunities of intervention, such as extensions and rehabilitations. Dublin remains closely identified with literary innovation. In the late 19th and early 20th century, writers such as James Joyce, Seán O’Casey and Samuel Beckett used the form of the city in their work. In fact, the detailed relationship between literature and urban form is unrivalled in Dublin; in particular the exploration of poverty, language, and the nature of the everyday. On a social and cultural level, Dublin offers unusual parallel experiences. It is still recognisable at once as the city that Jonathan Swift wrote about in the early 18th century and that Joyce described in Ulysses. It is still the place of close intimate personal relationships, garrulous existence and acute biting observation through the medium of the English language, where civil life exists on the street and in pubs. It has also become in a short period of time an integrated multi-ethnic society of unusual success in a European context. It is a city where the young predominate. This youthful vibrancy allied with new multi-ethnic mix and the gritty character of the inner city (with its beautiful-ugly collection of Georgian, Victorian and modern buildings – pubs, shops, apartments) gives it an internationally recognisable vitality of character where entertainment can be turned on its head, where fun can always be found. The young character of the city has other economic and cultural spin-offs: Dublin is a strong internet and digital media centre of innovation, and the new buildings designed for these industries create an interesting synergy with the historical landmarks.

278 PIVOT DUBLIN


Architecture

Commissioners of Irish Light Headquarters Scott Tallon Architects

279 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

Georgian door detail Merrion Square, photo by Graham Hickey, Dublin Civic Trust

Department of Finance Grafton Architects


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

stone age and medieval dublin The 5,000 year old structures surviving from this time are sacred tumuli embedded in the landscape as elaborate solar calendars to calibrate the seasons. The arrival of the Normans formalised the Viking settlement at the Black Pool “Dubh Linn� into a fledgling city. Two iconic stone cathedrals were built adjoining each other at the crossing of the river. This was the beginning of strategic bridge building in the city. Dublin began to grow, protected inside a ring of castles, from this unusual infancy.

Malahide Castle

280 PIVOT DUBLIN

Christchurch Cathedral Photo by DCC


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

The Curvilinear Range of Glasshouses National Botanic Gardens, architect Richard Turner

Newbridge House architects George Semple and James Gibbs

17th to 19th centuries The optimism and rationality of the Enlightenment are at the heart of the orderly grid of streets and parks created in Dublin’s Georgian city. Tall, handsome and elegant, the brick houses in their bright, commanding terraces enjoy shared gardens and views to the mountains at the open ends of their streets. Grand cut-stone buildings in the Classical language catalysed by Palladio, were created to accommodate the Parliament, the University, the City Corporation and (in beautiful riverside settings) the Courts and Customs. Dublin at this time was the fifth largest city in Europe. This style of civic architecture continued into the 19th century even after the devaluation of the city through the Act of Union.

281 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

Busáras architect Michael Scott

1900 to 1990 The Free State Government faced the challenge of forging a new nation and addressing the calamitous condition of what had now become a slum-filled, overcrowded capital. New building programmes for hospitals, schools, power-stations and social housing allowed and encouraged architects to look to Modernist achievements and the built-language of progressive policy. The surge towards industrialisation in the 1960’s reinforced and strengthened this outward-looking search for built change.

Liberty Hall architects Desmond Rea O’Kelly and Brian Hogan, Playhouse project during Dublin Theatre Festival

282 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

Central Bank architect Stephenson Gibney & Partners, photo by Kieran Harnett

283 PIVOT DUBLIN

Old Airport Building Photo by Philip Kennedy


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

UCD Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases McCullough Mulvin Architects

1991 to present A commitment to European integration, an open low-tax economy and a young educated workforce combined to unleash unsurpassed economic growth and urban expansion. The continuous rise in property values released equity and tax revenue sufficient to drive a vast building programme, both public and private, which attracted designers from all over the world. Dublin diversified, reinvigorated and regenerated its centre, and grew new urban neighbourhoods. The ambition and vitality of the best architecture was achieved through a growing sophistication in building skills and aspirations of commissioning clients. During this period, major architects working abroad returned to Dublin with interesting new ideas.

Terminal 2 Dublin Airport Pascall & Watson Architects

284 PIVOT DUBLIN


Architecture

Department of Finance Grafton Architects

285 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

Ballyroan Pastoral and Community Centre Box Architecture


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

dublin houses Domestic architecture is an intrinsic part of our built heritage, as it forms the backdrop to our everyday lives. Very few residential buildings survive in Ireland from before 1700, it was from this period of political and economic stability that houses in towns and cities began to be built in large numbers, and predominantly in masonry, which ensured they lasted longer than older, timber-framed houses. Housing design in Dublin today is about creating a sense of place and home, about forging neighbourhoods and communities. This process involves creating homes and areas that promote social inclusion, encourage place-making and capture daylight. Some of the different architectural styles represented include: Dutch Billy Houses Georgian Townhouse Regency House Victorian House Edwardian House Dublin Corporation House Inter-War House Modern Movement House

Georgian Door photo by DCC

Artist’s Studio Lawrence and Long Architects

286 PIVOT DUBLIN


Architecture

PIVOT Dublin

New Order Housing A2 Architects

No.1 Nun’s Lane office and house, Donal Hickey Architects

287 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

York Street, Seรกn Harrington Architects, photo by Philp Lauterbach

288 PIVOT DUBLIN

Jigsaw McCullough Mulvin Architects, photo by Christian Richters


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

House on Lower Grangegorman ODOS Architects

289 PIVOT DUBLIN

Plastic House Architecture Republic


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

building for the future 34. Provide a summary of planned new builds of interest to the design community. Confirmed projects only. user-centred design the children’s hospital of ireland Responding to children’s needs was the main goal for the Architectural team Murray O’Laoire Architects/O’Connell Mahon + NBBJ Architects Associates, who developed a unique layered approach based on the input from children, their families and staff from the children’s hospitals. This included a national public consultation process with children of all age groups and their families in which they outlined their requirements and gave their insight into the proposed design. The design proposals are based on twin objectives: to create an internal environment that will enhance the care, treatment and experience of children and families, in addition to supporting staff at the hospital; and to

generate a memorable and appropriate overall building design that integrates with the surrounding medical campus and immediate neighbourhood, while also serving as a new way finder on the city skyline. The new 445 bed facility, incorporating state-of-the-art technical systems, and a cutting edge approach to sustainability will offer a world-class healthcare, research and education on a brand new health campus in the heart of Dublin (this campus will also include the new Mater Adult Hospital and future Maternity Hospital). The Children’s Hospital of Ireland will be open in 2015, positioning Ireland at the forefront of user focused hospital services for children.

Children’s Hospital O’Connell Mahon & NBBJ Architects Associates

“ The extensive consultation has led to an innovative design incorporating exciting internal public spaces, extensive external roof level play areas and therapy terraces and a curved ward block affording spectacular views over the city.” Clare White, Architect, O’Connell Mahon

290 PIVOT DUBLIN


Architecture

PIVOT Dublin

Bord Gáis Network Service Centre Denis Byrne Architects

bord gáis networks service centre Taking its inspiration from industrial architecture, this inventive project, designed by Denis Byrne Architects, proposes an alternative, user-centred office typology. The building provides a home base for the diversity of activities both within the building and for its mobile staff checking in and out. The interconnection of internal space and gardens, meeting and social spaces facilitates interactions between the disciplines and the departments. In terms of energy use and environmental control, the building is equally responsive to its users’ needs, employing a system based on the principles of thermal mass, natural and displacement ventilation and water-borne radiant cooling and heating. The building is currently on site and will be completed by September 2011.

Bord Gáis Network Service Centre Denis Byrne Architects

291 PIVOT DUBLIN


Architecture

opening-up possibilities an urban quarter with an open future Grangegorman Master Plan, by Moore Ruble Yudell (under the direction of Irish born architect James Mary O’Connor) and Dublin based DMOD Architects, is one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken in Dublin. It involves the opening-up of 30 hectares of primarily greenfield institutional land in the middle of the city to create a vibrant new city quarter. This new district is a national government and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) initiative. This complex, multi-phased development will be home to: An urban campus for 22,000 students of the relocated Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Ireland’s largest 3rd level establishment. A major new national health care facility. A new arts, cultural, recreational and public spaces to serve the community and the city. A primary school, public library and children’s play spaces. Other complementary mixed-use development.

Grangegorman Master Plan Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners and DMOD

292 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

The new area will also contain high quality physical linkages to surrounding areas and the city centre. The aim is for Grangegorman to become carbon neutral and achieve a progressive 100% renewable energy supply. Sustainable travel modes will predominate; walking, cycling and public transport. The Grangegorman project has received a series of major awards, including the “Chicago Athenaeum 2010” American Architecture Award; the 2009 Urban Design Award of the American Institute of Architects California Council and an award at the World Architecture Festival Awards 2009.


Architecture

on the water Dún Laoghaire Harbour Masterplan provides for an enhanced recreational harbour for Dublin as a major marine, leisure and tourism destination. The project, which involves a consortium of design specialists led by Metropolitan Workshop, facilitates the expansion of public access, and encourages the integration of the town and the waterfront. The Masterplan also envisages the establishment of Dún Laoghaire Harbour as a recreational and leisure destination for cruise ships. Public and stakeholder engagement for the project so far has used consultation methods such as workshops, brain storming sessions, “blue sky” meetings with stakeholder and user groups, in addition to web questionnaire, and face-to-face surveying of the ideas of those out for a stroll on the popula Dún Laoghaire Pier, which attracts over 1 million walkers a year.

PIVOT Dublin

Dún Laoghaire Harbour

reinterpreting our past Seapoint Martello Tower is a National Monument that was constructed between 1804 and 1805. The tower is currently being repaired and revamped by Dún LaoghaireRathdown County Council Architects’ Department and Paul Arnold Architects to house a Martello Tower Exhibition. The landmark tower is being carefully restored and refurbished internally with contemporary insertions. Up-lighting of the vaulted ceiling and down-lighting of exhibition walls will complete the interior works. The elegant 1940’s modernist style concrete bathing shelter to the north of the structure is to be extensively repaired with lighting proposed from the top of the canopy to illuminate the tower from that side. A fully functioning replica cannon is planned at roof level. Works are underway and completion is expected in April 2011.

“ The works at the tower are informed by and reflect on the historical maritime and military significance of the Martello Tower typology and the Seapoint Tower’s latter day significance as a popular cultural and recreational landmark.” Paul Arnold Architects

293 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

Liffey Valley Park photo by the Parks Department South Dublin County Council

moving city the green way – an tslí ghlas Industry, academic institutions and local authorities have joined forces to develop Ireland’s first Green Economic corridor. The Green Way, An tSlí Ghlas in Irish, is Dublin’s big move to become a destination for green business and clean technology worldwide. This progressive project brings together a collaboration of leading actors, businesses and universities, facilitated by a strong existing and future infrastructure (Dublin Airport, Metro North and Transatlantic Fibre Link) and responsive planning policies. Key projects range from a green energy research and development campus, to business start-ups and educational and enterprise centres.

a 20 kilometres ecological corridor along the liffey The Liffey Valley Park will be the biggest linear park in Dublin and Ireland. It is the first overall ecological and leisure strategy for Dublin’s river Liffey. The park will create an ecological corridor stretching twenty kilometres along the river, linking Dublin city centre to Celbridge in County Kildare. The process involves connecting a series of existing fragmented parks and areas of natural conservation through the implementation of fourteen flagship projects. This strategy stitches together these green spaces into a people and landscape corridor. This fascinating project, a collaboration between the four local authorities and the Office of Public Works, will also result in the creation of considerable opportunities for recreation, tourism and economic development along the Liffey Valley.

“ We are ambitious – we need innovation in every walk of life, not just in the laboratory or the factory. Not just research-driven innovation, but innovation in business models, management structures and processes, design and marketing.” Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Describing An tSlí Ghlas

294 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

conservation dublin rediscovering a guardian of the liffey The Isolde Tower was one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries during the regeneration of Temple Bar in 1993. The Tower and the river Liffey are intrinsically linked through Dublin’s tumultuous past. The Tower was used as a lookout post on the banks of the river, and coupled with the city walls formed part of the defence that protected medieval Dublin from sea attacks in the 13th century. This conservation project by Paul Arnold Architects has revealed and carefully restored the tower, and created a space for the public viewing. The approach combines traditional restoration methods with contemporary materials and detailing which complement the Tower’s remains. A second phase, which will further increase public interaction with Isolde Tower by further enhancing and extending the viewing area, is scheduled to begin in 2011.

transforming a walled garden The new exemplar Medico-Legal Centre (City Mortuary and Offices for the State Pathologist) is set within a renovated and reinvigorated 18th century demesne in suburban Dublin. The former demesne of Lord Charlemont is already home to the neo-classical Casino in Marino and Victorian Gothic school, and this carefully integrated new pavilion by McCullough Mulvin Architects occupies a series of walled gardens which carefully enclose its most private functions. The internal layout is arranged around different courtyards, for a simple and calm organisation of the different rooms: medical boxes, laboratories, record holdings and offices. A landscaped roof has been designed as a garden, completing the integration of the new building into the landscape. The project will be completed at the end of 2011.

Casino in Marino

“ It is a place of stillness and sadness, where the building – walls, roof and ground plane – marks, with small depressions in the ground, a calm sinking back into earth for those who have died tragically, while framing a closure for those left behind.” McCullough Mulvin Architects

295 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Architecture

georgian dublin’s future dublin’s dna revealed Georgian Dublin is a core element of the city’s heritage. Dublin’s description as a Georgian city is derived from its terraces of brick buildings that are predominantly of low density and height. Nurturing, repairing and restiching this most delicate and unique urban fabrique is an ongoing task. The creation of a National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) dynamic database for individual buildings of architectural significance is considered the first and most important step in providing access to coherent data compiled on the city’s Georgian fabric. The assessment of the data on a on-going basis will establish an ethical framework for the future analysis, management and conservation of the city’s resources, allowing for the management and conservation of the: Principal set pieces of urban design Historical infrastructure Planned landscapes Archaeological layering Topographical and natural features

sensitive extension strategies The Goethe Institute’s (German Cultural Institute) extension, by Dublin based Henchion + Reuter Architects, is a prototype project to aid in the renovation, enlivening and reintroduction of people to Georgian squares. This project will be sensitively integrated into the protected area of Merrion Square - the largest Georgian square in Dublin. The extension is a contemporary re-interpretation of the mews house typology, extending and supporting the protected structure around the garden. It will significantly increase the size of the building, and offer new teaching facilities and an auditorium. With a material distinction between a solid, mineral base and an emergent crystalline form and a copper mesh facade, this new build will bring a new and changing texture to Merrion Square’s mews lane.

Henriettia Street Photo by Dominic Price

296 PIVOT DUBLIN

Goethe Institute Extension Henchion+Reuter Architects

Pembroke Street Photo by Dublin Civic Trust


Architecture

PIVOT Dublin

Dominick Street Photo by Maurice Craig

regenerating the north georgian core Dominick Street is one of three key strategic social housing regeneration projects currently being undertaken in the central areas of Dublin. It is an important part of a programme to regenerate the city’s north Georgian core. This is an area of high architectural heritage value because of its wonderful 18th century architecture, but it’s also an area which has suffered neglect. Laid out in the 1700’s, Dominick Street helped establish the northern suburbs of the city as the centre of 18th century fashionable society. Following the removal of the Irish Government from Dublin in 1800, the street, along with the surrounding areas, fell into decline and had become slums by the 20th century. Large stretches of the street were demolished in the 1960’s to make way for social housing blocks which removed the street ‘wall’, destroying the Georgian configuration of the street. These housing blocks are now being demolished and the new scheme will repair the urban space of one of the north cities finest Georgian Streets.

297 PIVOT DUBLIN

The module of the new blocks is based on the plot size of the original houses, reinstating the historic grain of the area. A new brick street wall provides a civic face to the street while providing enclosure for shared garden spaces behind, which will be built over a podium of shops and community uses. The design aims to reanimate and reactivate the area while rebuilding the spatial experience of the 18th century street with a contemporary reinterpretation of the original brick architecture.


Dialogue

Rich Giligan to Colm Long

How do we begin to redesign Dublin’s mindset in order to create positive actions as opposed to negative reactions?

Colm Long, CEO Facebook Ireland I think it’s a probably a multi-pronged approach. I think part of it is through inspiration. If you look at everything from architecturally through to culturally some of the inspirational things we are capable of as a country are what we really need to focus in on. I think there is a lot of positivity there and people want positivity and we need to highlight those positive things. I think through culture a lot of this is already happening. We are really trying to highlight the great things that are going on and there are some great festivals organised around that. I think in the business world this is around entrepreneurs and start-ups and great businesses that are really going to be successful and put us on a world stage. And architecturally look at what’s happened in the last two/three years to the landscape of Dublin. All these things are inspirational, and I think we need to hold on to those things and have more of them. Colm Long asks Roise Goan

To what extent does design affect culture and to what extent does culture affect design?

Roise Goan, Fringe Festival Director I think we are beginning to think about how culture is composed, and designed in and of itself as well as, I guess, the more obvious idea of what culture looks like and how it’s represented or how it’s marketed or mediatised. I think that more and more as we look towards the kind of smart economy idea of Irish culture and looking at Irish culture as something that can be interpreted as a business or something where we’re trying to sell culture as a business idea, design becomes more and more important. We have I suppose over the past fifteen years developed a completely new infrastructural understanding of the city and I think that that infrastructure has yet to achieve its cultural potential. So whether you look on a very simple level about how you represent graphically and on the page and on the screen what our culture is, right down to the fabric of that culture and what makes it up, like, what is Irish culture? Is it as much ceol agus craic in the pub as it is an exhibition has had a four year lead in process at IMMA, an opera that’s developed over a period of ten years, or indeed a novel that’s maybe developed over fifteen years, right down to the more kind of street life of Dublin, those questions become more important. Roise Goan asks Unthink

Can you imagine & propose an alternative use for the Anglo Irish Bank Building on the quays?

Unthink, Graphic Designers Noelle: I think initially looking at the shape of the building reminded me of the different levels of diving boards I think, and that’s why, and because it was beside the River Liffey, I instantly thought you could jump off it, or whatever. Colin: There is quite a large expanse though between the building itself and the river, so a slide might be a better option. That would cover the road part. Noelle: So yeah a big massive splash world. Colin: Yeah yeah. There’s a kind of a central atrium in it which appears to be open so that would give you an opportunity possibly to come down through without having to disturb the structure too much so I guess if you came out at the second or third floor you’d probably have enough trajectory to kind of enter the river. You’d only be able to do it at high tide though. Otherwise it would be kind of dodgy. Noelle: Yeah you’d have to get rid of the trolleys though… Colin: Dredge it a little Noelle: …and the rats

298 PIVOT DUBLIN


Studio AAD The Corn Exchange Everyday poster

Unthink Dublin photo series

The Corn Exchange in partnership with the Dublin 299 PIVOT DUBLIN Theatre Festival present:

PIVOT DUBLIN 299


Interior Design Response to questions 35, 36

300 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Interior design

PIVOT Dublin

creating a city of a thousand welcomes 35.

Describe how Interior Design has been effectively used in the Hospitality sector (e.g. retail, restaurant and hotel design) or elsewhere to elevate perceived cultural standards in the city.

36.

Describe how this has contributed to the design merits of your city.

Tourists in Dublin regularly remark on its uniquely convivial spirit and the ease with which the locals enjoy encountering and engaging with visitors. Our city is a very sociable and animated canvas, there is a genuine sense that anything can happen – and indeed often does, as social spaces are the cradles of many new movements and ideas. True to our heritage of conviviality, of finding comfort in conversation, the imagined design approach is not one of slick, soulless lines but of more intimate spaces where people can meet and converse. The regeneration of Dublin’s interior rooms is marked by a spirited approach to design with the older fabric often being retained and juxtaposed with the contemporary vision. This layered cultural landscape will continue to be shaped by the ever-imaginative design practices active in the city.

301 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 301


PIVOT Dublin

Interior design

the dublin pub Possibly the most important interior design in Dublin! As we described in Question 8, the pub has a special place in the social life of Dublin. Dublin pubs are places to meet and to communicate. They are extensions of public space – third spaces – and indeed are recognised for the role they have played in Dublin’s cultural life. The most iconic interiors of today’s Dublin pubs date from the late 19th century, when many were ornately refurbished as the popular “gin palaces” of their time. These interiors are treasured and carefully maintained for the value they have for the people and city, with many being protected in planning policy. They highlight an aspect of Dublin’s design merits which is often difficult to describe but is of immense value – the design of places as experiences.

Matthew Thompson Photo commissioned by Business to Arts

Matthew Thompson Photo commissioned by Monocle

302 PIVOT DUBLIN


Interior design

PIVOT Dublin

the morrison hotel This hotel created a benchmark for hotel design in Ireland. It was designed in 1999 by Dublin based Douglas Wallace Architects and fashion dynamo John Rocha who added his signature ‘east meets west’ style to the hotel. This contemporary styled boutique hotel incorporates the 18th century façade of a Georgian townhouse alongside a thoroughly modern south-facing elevation onto the River Liffey. The Morrison’s minimalist palette, with materials selected for their beauty and simplicity, has aged gracefully. Cream limestone, dark timber floors, and dark leather sofas are complimented by selected hand crafted pieces. The light interior of the hotel is filled with original art by Clea Van der Grijn, with the double height Halo restaurant incorporating stunning sculptures by artist Patrick O’Reilly.

the clarence hotel The band U2 owns this famous hotel on the Liffey’s Wellington quay in Temple Bar. Originally built in 1852, band members the Edge and Bono refurbished the hotel in 1992, successfully retaining the sophisticated Arts and Crafts interior of the 1930’s whilst creating a contemporary boutique hotel. The interior is designed with a subtle palette of fine natural materials: Portland stone, American white oak, Italian limestone, leather and velvet. The Octagon Bar, featuring an octagon-shaped dome is a favourite meeting place for Dubliners, while the elegant Tea Room restaurant, with its soaring coved ceiling and double height south-facing windows, allows the diner to watch the hustle and bustle of Temple Bar outside. The Clarence Hotel Garden Terrace

Morrison Hotel Halo

303 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Interior design

the dylan hotel A favourite haunt of Dublin’s fashionistas, the Dylan Hotel is located in the wealthy inner suburbs of Dublin 4. The Dylan opened in 2006, in a late-Victorian building which started life as a residence for nurses at the Royal City of Dublin Hospital. The striking façade of red brick yellow terracotta is a pattern distinctive of the work of Albert Edward Murray, who designed the original structure in 1900. While the location may be leafy and quiet, the interiors are anything but! From the dramatic entranceway, where contemporary Murano glass chandeliers and fibre-optic lighting fixtures share the space with a gleaming pewter bar counter, the bywords are ‘fun and funky’. The warm autumn colour palette is infused with ornate details such as crushed velvet wallpaper, elaborate gilt mirrors, vintage silver and crystal, and Belleek pottery, all topped off with striking black and white photographs.

the morgan hotel

The Dylan Hotel

Morgan Hotel Circular Boutique

304 PIVOT DUBLIN

The feeling of simple and uncluttered elegance in the Morgan Hotel on Fleet Street in Temple Bar is enhanced by the commissioned artwork by Robert Shaw that adorns its walls. When Paul Fitzpatrick bought the hotel over ten years ago, he decided that there was also going to be an element of fun throughout the hotel, which is now clearly seen in the chandelier on the ground in the lobby, the oversized mirrors and the funky ‘Mona Lisa’ lift. However, it is really the concept of the rooftop caravan which epitomises this design aesthetic. The ‘airstream’ caravan was shipped from the United States and craned in onto the penthouse level. Completely refurbished and upholstered in embossed leather, it has certainly proved quite a unique concept in boutique style. It’s also home to one of Dublin’s hippest cocktail venues, the Morgan Bar.


Interior design

PIVOT Dublin

the h café/bar Harry Crosbie’s new bar, designed by Nikki O’Donnell Architects, located on the corner of Grand Canal Square is the latest addition to the social life of Dublin. It is a modern take on the traditional Irish Long Bar, with an eight metre long bar counter, adorned by two torchieres, originally from Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel. The design concept was to create an urban wine bar, a busy place that one crowded into, and grabbed a small corner or stretch of counter, enough to sip wine and eat tapas. No frills. The interior is robust and tactile. Polished concrete floors and an exposed concrete ceiling offset against rich aged oak panels from Dublin Castle recycled as doors. Wine and food are stocked four metres high along the walls, with a rolling ladder for access. Window boxes open onto canopied external seating areas, encouraging an indoor/outdoor connection to the square and Grand Canal Basin. The bar counter is extended through a window outdoors to a glass counter suspended on an old crane hook and illuminated by gas lamps. The atmosphere manages to be both intimate and lively, which has made the this popular with locals and celebrities as well as those performing in the Grand Canal Theatre.

Cafe H Nikki O’Donnell Architects

the market bar South City Market (George’s Street Arcade, as it is more commonly known locally), has traded continuously since 1876 - although interrupted briefly when it was rebuilt by local craftsmen following its devastation by fire in 1892. This Victorian market’s fortunes have oscillated up and down, and it has been a barometer to the changing economic circumstances of the city down through the years. The Market Bar is located in an old sausage factory, and retains the character of the original structure. The subtle interior design responds intuitively to the sprawling red brick Gothic architecture that is one Dublin’s most loved buildings. It is entered through a discreet, vaulted courtyard off Fade Street. The interior takes advantage of the high airy factory hall, with high exposed red brick walls, and original 19th century rooflighting. Ever-popular, its buzzy atmosphere and warm, earthy feel is enhanced by the generous benches and sofas and large refectory tables.

Cafe H Nikki O’Donnell Architects

305 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Interior design

fallon & byrne – exchequer street Although relatively new on the scene, Fallon & Byrne, which cleverly combines the new vogue for high quality market food, dining and wine, has quickly become a foodie institution. It is housed in a beautifully restored warehouse building, previously used as a telecom exchange. The welcoming ground floor food hall is aligned with Exchequer Street’s vibrant atmosphere, with high industrial style bay windows openings flooding the space with light. In contrast, the Cellar Bar downstairs still maintains the Irish ‘dark pub’ aesthetic whilst allowing for a vibrant social gathering space. Upstairs is a light-filled brasserie style restaurant. The interior design of the building allows the high ceilings and wonderful old cast iron pillars of the original industrial architecture to have their say. The old parquet floor is perfect for this shabby chic look with minimal insertions such as the staircase with its heavy oak treads and light vertical balustrade. At Fallon & Byrne, there is a lively atmosphere and hum in every corner!

the cake café This little gem is tucked away up a quiet laneway off Camden Street. The low-energy designed Cake Cafe, by Solearth Ecological Architecture who are located upstairs, is a new take on a Dublin institution, afternoon tea. A bamboo-edged courtyard, individually designed bicycle stands and an interior and exterior filled with an assortment of colourful linens is the order of the day. Tea and cakes are all served on mismatched china. The design succeeds in being at once informal and authentic, and yet happening. Best accessed through the handmade paper shop, Daintree, it is the ideal spot to put the pace of city life aside for an afternoon, whether alone or in company.

the lighthouse cinema

The Lighthouse Cinema Derek Tynan Architects

The Lighthouse Cinema Derek Tynan Architects

306 PIVOT DUBLIN

This cinema is pure theatre. Very contemporary, it appeals to all the senses. Crisp and colourful, the choice of materials is tactile. The cinema, by Derek Tynan Architects, in which spaces are expressed as volumes to walk around and under, with a wonderful play between light, colour and height. It did away with the traditional Irish cinema sweets’ counter, opting instead for a great café and wine bar, with futuristic lighting and red cuboid furniture. Lots of lovely sitting-steps and big colourful cushions give a real chill out space atmosphere. All this, and you get to watch a movie as well.


Interior design

PIVOT Dublin

Wood Quay Venue Sam Stephenson/Scott Tallon Walker/McCullough Mulvin Architects

wood quay venue Wood Quay Venue is a new subterranean conference space, built below the offices of Dublin City Council. The space is intended to be a ‘thinking space’ for Dublin’s communities – a place where all can come to debate or participate in plans which affect the direction of the city. Designed by McCullough Mulvin Architects, the space is arranged around the archaeological remains of the city’s medieval walls, which form a backdrop to speakers, and are a tangible and highly visible reminder of the city’s thousand year history. A fluid timber interior cladding swirls around this, cleverly resolving the ‘found space’ of the irregularly laid out basement beneath the offices. The space can be sub-divided to form a range of smaller meeting areas. It is an example of interior design used to further a civic agenda of democracy and innovation and calmly resolves a meeting of history and a highly technological present. The space also features an interactive exhibition, ‘My City’, about new developments in Dublin and is a useful one-stop shop to find out about the city’s past and proposals for its future as well as current issues. Wood Quay Venue has proven extremely popular for all involved in the city’s development and indeed was the venue for the first large scale meeting at which it was decided to prepare this bid!

Wood Quay Venue Sam Stephenson/Scott Tallon Walker/McCullough Mulvin Architects

307 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dialogue

Unthink ask Mark Little

As a consumer rather than a practitioner of Design can you remember when you first became aware of design in any of its forms?

Mark Little, Current Affairs Analyst The moment you become aware of design, I think, is the moment that it either fails, because it’s apparent to you, or the moment that you see it in the context of its surroundings, so you can put it together with everything else that’s around it. So for me, it’s like makeup. You look at design, you notice, then it has failed. It’s either too explicit or it’s too overt. When I walk through Dublin Docklands and I see around me design that doesn’t work, I see what should have been the new Anglo Irish Bank building, which is a skeleton, it’s horrible, and it says something about the story behind it, and then I look at the bridge, the beautiful bridge that sits there connecting both sides of the River Liffey, and I don’t recognise it, I don’t notice it every day, except when I sit there, and I take a step back and I look at it in the context of its surroundings and then you see its implicit, subconscious, beauty and brilliance. Mark Little asks Frank Long

Why do some of the most creative Irish people choose to live in exile from Ireland?

Frank Long, User Experience Designer Well, do they? I guess there is lots of reasons why we choose to live elsewhere. Ireland is a small place, so you want to get out there and experience more of the world. I’m thinking of people like Beckett or Joyce. Well the questions is contentious, because to say that you live in exile from Ireland sounds like a forced exile. A lot of people choose to live abroad for inspirational reasons, and also it’s in a state of flux. I think we’re a much more international community now so people choose to live abroad for periods of time, can be as short as a month, can be a couple of years, and moving back and forth. So we have the flexibility now to be in several different locations. The network is important. I think there are some obstacles to creating that network because in Ireland we don’t have a very strong design voice. I think, if you look at, let’s say, our neighbours across the pond, we’ve got the British Design Council, a very strong organisational element. They create a central structure that design is really built around. We don’t really have a similar structure in Ireland. We have several volunteer bodies that do great work, but it is more dispersed. Frank Long asks Conor & David

308 PIVOT DUBLIN

Ireland has a reputation for punching above it’s weight in many creative fields - literature, music, performing arts etc. - but this is not the case with design. Why is this and what can we do about it?


The Stone Twins Logo RIP

309 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 309


Urban Design Response to questions 37, 38

310 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Urban Design

making lives better 37.

Describe how Urban Design has been effectively used to create public areas that characterise the city and improve the quality of life of the city’s inhabitants.

In Dublin, we understand that public space is about people. From playgrounds to canals and public squares to benches, we value and prioritise public space for people. We have worked in a wide variety of scales, and through big and small interventions throughout Dublin: crafting new urban meeting spaces; animating our Royal and Grand Canals; rediscovering our river valley walks along the Liffey, Tolka and Dodder: and revealing the much-loved spaces of our parks and demesnes. City-scale urban design has helped to define what really matters to Dubliners; spaces that bridge the city’s streets and outdoor living, supporting strong vibrant neighbourhoods and an appreciation of nature.

IFSC Photo by Fennell Photography


Urban Design

PIVOT Dublin

bridging the city

James Joyce Bridge, Architect Santiago Calatrava

Samuel Beckett Bridge, Architect Santiago Calatrava

312 PIVOT DUBLIN

The River Liffey forms the central spine of Dublin city and is both the dividing and unifying element in our urban landscape. The Liffey flows through the city centre like blood through our own veins. It offers one of Dublin’s most fluid open spaces where, from a series of striking vantage points, the story of the city is revealed. The Liffey is the strategic meeting space linking Heuston Gateway in the west of the city to the Docklands in the east and taking in the city markers of: the Four Courts, O’Connell Street, Liberty Hall, The Custom House, and The Point Village (to name a few) along the way. Dublin’s radial route network meets at the Liffey, as it pulls from all strands of the city fabric. Dublin has understood that its big design move is to unlock the potential of the Liffey as the city connector space. In the last decade the city has focused on the design of crossover urban projects to emphasis the Liffey as our destination point. A major recent infrastructure project was the construction of the 4.5km long Dublin Port Tunnel, which allowed the diversion of heavy vehicle traffic away from the Liffey quays. This, combined with a ban on 5-axle trucks in the city centre, was a vital step in the revival of civic life along the river. The commitment of the city to this design agenda was translated into a conscious populating of the quays with landmark buildings, iconic bridges and spaces for people. This can clearly be seen in the introduction of four impressive new river-crossings: James Joyce, Millennium, Sean O’Casey and Samuel Beckett Bridges; and the conservation of the Ha’penny and Sean Eustace bridges, two of the city’s most cherished bridges. The Sean O’Casey pedestrian bridge, designed by Dublin based Brian O’Halloran and Associates, now links communities in minutes. The rejuvenated Campshires, a granite paved promenade along the Liffey, has become home for events such as the Dublin Docklands Maritime Festival. Mounted on the quay walls, the south facing Liffey boardwalk by McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects has brought the river even closer. We don’t know if it is the longest bench in the world, but it is certainly creates a wonderful hum of Dublin chatter on any sunny day in the capital.


PIVOT Dublin

Urban Design

open up and out During the recent economic boom Dublin underwent a transformation that it had not experienced since the 18th century. Just as the broad, elegant streets and squares of Georgian Dublin are the legacy of a golden age, Dublin postboom has a whole new set of showpiece public thoroughfares. These destination streets have helped the people of Dublin fall in love with their city all over again.

16 Capel Street O’Briain Beary Architects, photo by Paul Tierney

capel street Capel Street is the perfect place for an urban stroll. A place where people can linger, chat, and stumble upon the unexpected. This Street is a heightened mini-version of Dublin; far from perfect, yet perfectly imperfect. Yet, it somehow instinctively feels like a good street and is worth spending time exploring. Capel Street has undergone its own transformation in recent times, including a public realm project where the widening of new granite pavements has redressed the balance between people and cars. A scheme of tax incentives called Living Over The Shop (LOTS), was introduced to encourage property owners to convert the under-utilised and often derelict upper storeys of buildings on the street to new homes. The street has benefitted from a growth in the residential community, validating the approach that physical urban design interventions must go hand in

313 PIVOT DUBLIN

Capel Street Photo by Paul Tierney

hand with encouraging appropriate uses and activities if they are to effect change. Great streets go places and have distinguishing features that create long-term affection and attraction. Capel Street is one such street. It is also home to one of Dublin’s lasting vistas. The vista sweeps downhill, across the River Liffey, up Parliament Street and terminates at the outstanding and imposing example of the Georgian architecture, City Hall. Capel Street is fluid. It attracts, it stimulates, it rarely bores.


PIVOT Dublin

Urban Design

Matthew Thompson Photo commissioned by Monocle

The Italian Quarter Photo by DCC

the italian quarter Bloom Street – the “Italian Quarter” to most Dubliners – injects density, use, culture and grain into the public realm. Bloom Street mixes design with Italian culture, while linking some of Dublin’s most populated quarters. The street is now a busy route from Temple Bar via the Millennium Bridge to the retail quarter of Henry Street. Best of all it is an example of partnership: between landowner, council and business community. The new street has a significant artwork, ‘The Last Supper’ by Johnny Byrne, which has figures modelled by Dublin people encountered on the city’s streets. Bloom Street is just one of multiple projects along the River Liffey, all conceived around a necessary cultural and spatial intervention. And Bloom Street works. Fancy a good cup of coffee or a delicious meal? The problem will be which great place to choose…

314 PIVOT DUBLIN

cow’s lane Cow’s Lane, also known as Dublin’s “designer’s mart”, opened in mid-2000. A broad sloping street, it gives onto a lovely church frontage in the cultural quarter area of Temple Bar. Design shops and cafés introduce new uses to the street and create life at the ground floor, while the upper floors are home to countless city dwellers. The Lane has a great balance between residential and shopping activity. Every Saturday, the Designer’s market takes place in Cow’s Lane, bringing a vibrant and fun atmosphere. As one Dubliner said: “I really love the Designer’s Mart. Here you will not only find extraordinarily crafted clothes, accessories and jewellery, but you’ll also interact with the designers themselves. You can discover the whole story about a piece from the artist who made it and in turn become connected to it in a way you will never be to even your favourite high street gear.”


Urban Design

PIVOT Dublin

Designers Mart Cow’s Lane photo by Temple Bar Cultural Trust

tallaght zip The Tallaght Zip, designed by Séan Harrington Architects, is a new dedicated pedestrian and cycle space, linking three attractors in Tallaght, South County Dublin: the Village, the Institute of Technology and the Luas light rail stop, allowing a clear, easy and safe connection for the user. A green wall, with dense beech hedging, ivy and wisteria, creates a unifying element along the route. The Zip is a wonderful, sheltered, south-facing promenade, designed to face the sun. It has views to the Dublin Mountains and is positioned as far away from the busy traffic as possible. A sense of rhythm defines the experience, with the two public squares redesigned along the route feeding into a wider district regeneration. The Tallaght Zip and Squares were awarded “Best Public Space” at the Irish Architecture Awards 2009.

315 PIVOT DUBLIN

Tallaght Zip Seán Harrington Architects


Urban Design

PIVOT Dublin

community first

Donore Avenue Youth and Community Centre Henchion + Reuter Architects, photo by Paul Tierney

Fingal County Hall Bucholz McEvoy Architects

Quietly and steadily amidst the roar of the Celtic Tiger’s diggers and cranes, a wave of community and sports centres were developed across Dublin – a conscious strategy to locate a necklace of recreation and leisure centres around the city. This programme represents the largest continuous conversation amongst Dublin’s communities about how the city can provide spaces for their daily lives. The rollout of the centres is a physical output to a comprehensive public consultation process that began with identifying the needs and desires of the local communities. The active engagement and involvement of all end-user groups throughout the design process for the surrounding urban realm and the buildings themselves was based on the overarching theme of ‘making people’s lives better’. Over fifty brand new community facilities have been designed or commissioned by the four local authorities in Dublin within the past ten years. Situated in the communities where they are needed most, these spaces have been like urban acupuncture needles bringing health and vitality to the city. They play a pivotal role as dynamic gathering points in the city domain, where overlapping activities and Dublin’s new social diversity can get together. The list of communities where this has been done is long, including major projects in Finglas, Rathmines and Poppintree Sports Centre. Many, including Ballyroan (designed by Box Architecture), Donore Avenue (Henchion+Reuter Architects) and Brookfield (Hasset Ducatez Architects), have won prestigious architectural awards. On a bottom-up principle, the centres embody a speciality or skill of the local community, from music in Ballyfermot to drama in East Wall. These centres may yet be one the most enduring city legacies, which is sure to benefit generations of Dubliners.

“ We wanted a civic building in the middle of the town. By extending the public realm into the building, by making the building both open and literally transparent, you can bring a whole other relationship between the local authority and the public it serves.” David O’Connor, Fingal County Manager, describing the design brief given to architects Bucholtz Mc Evoy Architects for the Fingal County Hall.

316 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Urban Design

Ballyfermot Leisure Centre McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects, photo by Richard Hatch

Baldoyle Library FKL Architects

a sense of the civic A programme of community-directed design has also been demonstrated in the way civic offices for local government have been developed, where the focus has been on sustainable practices and social oriented design. A key aspiration has been that they should reflect their symbolic place in the community, and be inviting, open and transparent.

317 PIVOT DUBLIN

open a new chapter… Education is recognised as a right - for the individual, education and learning is a road to personal development and a richer life. The city local authorities understand that a public library service is an important focal point at the heart of the local community. Fingal County Council embarked on an ambitious programme ten years ago to transform the user experience of their libraries and, by extension, provide an educational outreach across all walks and sectors of the community. Beginning with Blanchardstown Library in 2001, this Fingal County Council Architects-designed space is the largest public library in Ireland. It is located next to a busy shopping centre, so the design intent was to make a civic statement in the midst of a very commercial area. From this starting point, Fingal has overseen a continuous rollout of libraries across the county. Many of these buildings (including; Blanchardstown, Baldoyle, Garristown and Rush libraries) have won design awards.


Urban Design

PIVOT Dublin

small space – big city impact

The Sitric Compost Community Garden Picnic poster

The Sitric Compost Community Garden Picnic

318 PIVOT DUBLIN

Gardening is an activity that attracts people from all walks of life. Young and old use gardens for play, learning, meeting, and socialising… and some even for gardening! Community Gardens are important amenities for learning about food and nutrition, and the benefits of biodiversity, as well as providing healthy local grown and in season produce, and have the potential to change a community beyond the confines of any one plot. They are a site for empowering local residents to be active in their community, and to become active in forging a better community. One of the pioneering Community Gardens in Dublin is the Sitric Compost Community Garden in Stoneybatter, which started as a tiny garden occupying two small triangles of land at the end of a terrace of houses. Initially an experimental composting centre since its creation in 2005, it has become a wonderful success story and vibrant focus of community activities. Biannual street parties (originally held to provide composting education and encourage neighbours to meet) and our ambitious aims have been integral to the garden’s success. As many of the houses in Stoneybatter either have no private green space or contain concrete yards, the advent of this garden is clearly a response to this need. This garden has since evolved into is a space where people from the area meet on the first Sunday of each month to garden together, share food and drinks and help themselves to the diverse variety of food that has been grown. In 2008, Sitric Compost Community Garden won ‘Best Example of Waste Management’ for the Dublin Central Area from Dublin City Council. The Garden now acts as a catalyst for a wide range of community driven projects facilitating sustainable urban restoration, including the LIFELINE project, a highly ambitious proposal promoting the development of a comprehensive network of green infrastructure in Dublin North Central Area. This LIFELINE project has emerged out of many successful years cultivating the community in the Sitric area of Stoneybatter. Through the success of Sitric and other community gardens around the city, community gardening policies are now contained within County Development Plans. Dublin’s local authorities have worked in collaboration with the Dublin Community Forum to provide land, and advice on the creation of community gardens throughout the city.


Urban Design

Sean O’Casey Community Centre O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects, photo by Michael Moran

319 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Urban Design

PIVOT Dublin

our material heritage 38.

Describe how local materials or techniques have been used in the urban environment to promote sustainable design and build the city’s personality.

Every city has particular colours, textures and forms which play a defining role in its personality and character. Stone, brick and copper are synonymous with Dublin and designers continue to make conscious choices to use this natural palette of materials in Dublin’s environment. This consistency of use has over time has resulted in a wealth of knowledge and appreciation of the materials and sustainable techniques that mark and help to define our city. Dublin’s designers have a sensitivity to materials which roots contemporary architecture in place. This has become more of an issue in the city’s sustainability, as using locally sourced materials – which is how the city’s original builders worked through necessity – is important in reducing embodied energy in construction.

Dublin City Hall architect Thomas Cooley, Conservation Paul Arnold with Dublin City Council City Architects

320 PIVOT DUBLIN


Urban Design

PIVOT Dublin

Ussher Library in Trinity College Dublin McCullough Mulvin Architects

dublin: a unique heritage set in stone The first stone structures in Ireland were built around 3200 BC in Newgrange, County Meath. Older than the pyramids in Egypt, the megalithic passage tomb at Newgrange is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Other Irish stone specialities are the Ogham script, an early form of writing on stone, Round Towers and great scriptural High Crosses, which were built from prehistory to 900 AD. Granite is the classic civic carpet of the city. It has been historically available from Dalkey in south Dublin and the nearby Wicklow Mountains and was commonly used to pave Dublin’s 18th century streets and to build the major infrastructural achievements of the city’s 19th century piers. The tradition of using granite continues to the present day and it is the dominant surface material in the regenerated O’Connell Street and in many of the new squares and streetscape improvements such as Grand Canal Square, Meeting House Square, Smithfield, Mayor Square and Capel Street. Granite is of course highly durable being a dense metamorphic stone and impermeable to water - given such qualities, it continues to be used as a material in the elevations of prominent public buildings such as the Trinity Long Hub (McCullough Mulvin) and the Ussher Library (McCullough Mulvin/KMD Archictecture). The contemporary use of granite in this way

321 PIVOT DUBLIN

reinforces the established character and personality of the city – even when raining; it has a special quality unique to Dublin. Although less prominent, there are a variety of other stones also used in the city. Many public buildings were constructed in local limestone in combination with brick, or with imported Portland stone. Contemporary examples include: the Department of Finance on Merrion Row by Grafton Architects, and the National Gallery extension by Benson + Forsyth LLP Architects. Limestone cobbles were a traditional street surface that still survives in historic parts of the city such as Ship Street and the Front Square in Trinity College.


Urban Design

dublin: a city of brick If granite is the civic carpet of the city, then brick is its enclosing wall! In Dublin, bricks were used in buildings from the mid-16th century onwards, and soon became the most common domestic building material in the city from the Georgian and Victorian periods through to the 21st century. The use of bricks through history and in different architectural styles gives Dublin a richly-coloured patina and texture. Some of the earliest brick buildings in Dublin existed in Trinity College in the late 16th century, and brick was used increasingly in the construction of homes throughout the city during the 17th century. Its use was considerably enhanced in the early 18th century by the work of Edward Lovett Pearce, who was Surveyor General and Ireland’s most influential architect of the era. During this period, brick was the dominant material in the development of major streets and squares such as Gardiner Street, Fitzwilliam Square and Mountjoy Square (the Fitzwilliams’ themselves had their own brickfields at Merrion Strand!). In the mid-19th century the arrival of machinemade brick allowed for more intricate decorative work which suited the Victorian taste for colour and pattern. Different areas of Dublin even had their own bricks, such as the Yellow ‘Dolphins Barn’ Brick common in Dublin 8.

Red Stables architect George Ashlin and renovation by Dublin City Council City Architects, photo by Susan Roundtree

322 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

The character of the city’s historic buildings owes much to the quality of their brickwork, as well as the jointing and pointing techniques. The Iveagh Trust, established by the Guinness brewing family in the 1890’s, was responsible for building a large number of distinctive red-brick houses, blocks of flats, and communal educational and social facilities in inner city Dublin, which have helped to give this area its character and provided some of the first social housing in the city. The conservation of this stock of Georgian and Victorian buildings is important. The repair of historic brick is a specialist area and is supported by conservation grants from Dublin City Council to the tune of €5.4 million over the last five years, in addition to grants from central funds and the Irish Georgian Society. These monies allow owners to instigate works, revitalise craft skills and use best practice in workmanship for the repair of historic elements and the use of specific building techniques unique to Dublin, such as unique brick pointing, ‘wigging’ and ‘bastard tuck’ jointing. By preserving both the physical stock and specialist skills, it forms a secure basis for future design and construction in brick.


PIVOT Dublin

Urban Design

House 1 + House 2 TAKA Architects, photo by Alice Clancy

Contemporary brick architecture in Dublin is exciting, marrying both old and new brick patterns with cutting edge architecture and continuing the city’s 400-year old brick tradition. It takes advantage of the richness of texture and colour of the material to continue to push the boundaries of design, creating new and interesting architecture from this most traditional of materials, thereby directly linking contemporary Dublin to its historic and illustrious past.

Boyd Cody Architects Alma Road

323 PIVOT DUBLIN


Urban Design

Timberyard O’Donnell Tuomey Architects, photo by Alice Clancy

Domville Woods DTA Architects, photo by Ros Kavanagh

324 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Urban Design

3 Mews Houses De Blacam & Meagher Architects

copper roofscapes If you look at Dublin from a high vantage point, you will see its roofscape is formed by the traditional slated pitched roofs of the Georgian and Victorian city. Parapets, chimneys and dormers, church towers and steeples and wonderful cupolas are all interspersed with a striking collection of copper roofs and domes. Copper is one material that has been used continuously as a highlight on Dublin’s roofs from the 18th century. The natural green patina of weathered copper is a wonderful foil for Dublin’s historic architecture of stone and of brick. It can be found in such diverse buildings as Mary Immaculate Refuge of Sinners Catholic Church in Rathmines, Busáras and the Clarence Hotel. Today copper and other metals are reinterpreted in much contemporary architecture. This consciousness of place and material, a characteristic of Dublin’s architects, has proven crucial in marrying our inherited legacy with the making of the contemporary city.

Clontarf Pumphouse De Paor architects

325 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dialogue

Conor & David, Graphic Designers David: Yeah I don’t know if I’d agree with that. It’s kind of an assertion more than a question I’d say, but I think maybe a diplomatic way to answer is that Ireland has a very short design history compared to the other arts that have been described there. Conor: Or at least, design being recognised as design. David: Yeah, as a standalone profession, and graphic design specifically only really arrived in Ireland as an accepted profession in the forties and fifties, around mid-century. Conor: Even then, though, it was quite intrinsically linked with advertising, as opposed to a very distinct discipline in itself. Conor: I think because design is such a young industry, as it is perceived in Ireland anyway, the commissioners of design in Ireland traditionally anyway, designers I think have always felt that there is a wall between themselves and the commissioners of the design that they produce and I think it’s not always the case that that wall exists and I think there is this immediate attempt to break down a wall that may or may not exist between the client and the designer. David: Yeah, I suppose sometimes people can just, as Conor was saying, spend a lot of time talking about the benefits of design to people who are already commissioning it, and they obviously already place some value on design and they’re the people that we should be getting down to business and doing good work for, and if people aren’t interested in commissioning design, it’s maybe not the role of the designer to convince them that they should. Is that a fair appraisal? Conor: A more concise version of what I was trying to say. David: Sorry. Conor & David ask Bren B

What has happened in Dublin since you started your career that would help you if you were to begin again tomorrow?

Bren B, Illustrator I started as an illustrator about 10 years ago. I joined an organisation called Illustrators Ireland because as a working professional illustrator you’re very much working on your own the whole time and it was great to reach out and connect with other people who were in a similar boat. But what I found was even when you were joining that little community it was a little community on an island and you weren’t connected with an of the other communities whether you were a designer, photographer, animator and I think the greatest change has been the number of events that have happened in the last 10 years like SWEETTALK, OFFSHOOT and OFFSET that have brought all these different disciplines together. So it’s a much richer environment and people can inspire each other and better work happens because of it, so I guess the greatest difference has been that greater sense of community and the bringing together of different design disciplines. Bren B asks Lisa Godson

Does design really need government support or understanding in order to thrive?

Dr Lisa Godson, Design Historian Well I think in terms of government support and understanding, Ireland probably comes pretty low down compared to other countries but that has meant that the material environment often in Ireland is quite unique and quite quirky, so you’ve got say local county council managers making decisions or not making design decisions and just hanging on to stuff for years and years like the ‘Accident Black Spot’ signs for example - they are a real quirk of the Irish environment and you have that kind of messiness and lack of design which actually gives a bit of character and texture to the environment. An official design policy can actually make - I mean do you want to live in Switzerland? Do you want to live somewhere that’s really really designed? Or you know, somewhere that has a bit more texture and so on. I do think that design, because in the broadest sense it impacts on everyday life for everyone, should be taken more seriously by government, but at the same time I think it’s more a case that government needs design rather than design needs government. Dr Lisa Godson asks Alan Mee

326 PIVOT DUBLIN

What are the textures of Dublin?


Connor and David Lightwall

327 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 327


Sustainable Design Response to question 39

328 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


PIVOT Dublin

Sustainable design

designing a better future for all 39.

Describe any responsible or sustainable design initiatives in the public and private sectors.

Dublin’s focus is to establish an international reputation as one of the most sustainable, dynamic and resourceful city regions in Europe. Through the shared vision of the city community, Dublin is becoming a diverse, smart, green, innovation-based economy. We aspire to be an inclusive city of connected neighbourhoods, enhanced by a living green space network that is full of life and activity. Dublin’s vision for itself is to be a capital city that provides choices for a better future. dublin’s sustainability plan Dublin’s sustainability strategy is a multi-dimensional plan that integrates strategic documents, planning, corporate and economic plans; and initiatives from local to regional level. The drivers for increased sustainability include strategic policies, the general public and businesses. International policies such as the EU 2020 strategy and national policies such as ‘Towards a Smart Economy’ have worked together to advance this sustainability agenda. Actions such as Dublin’s signing of the EU Covenant of Mayors and the implementation of a Sustainable Energy Action Plan, signal the city’s commitment. Adopting sustainability as an embedded core theme of the new Dublin City Development Plan 2011 - 2017 formalised the approach that many of Dublin’s homes, businesses and authorities had already been following. The City Plan feeds into the Corporate Plan 2010 – 2014 for the city. This Corporate Plan includes many sustainability-related targets, including the publication of the Sustainability Report 2010, plus additional reports for 2011 and 2012. It is the intention to further align Dublin’s strategies, plans and processes with core sustainability principles as set out in this report. The report focuses on impacts over which local authorities have direct influence; and which

329 PIVOT DUBLIN

illustrate the economic benefits of Dublin’s sustainability approach; and sets out Dublin’s principles. Sustainability Report 2010 contains seven focus areas: energy, water, waste, biodiversity, transport, society and procurement. The 2011 report will address external impacts around the city in public buildings and communities, while the 2012 report will look at the regional approach to sustainability addressing projects such as An tSli Ghlas / The Green Way (see Question 34). The Sustainability Report uses a flagship model whereby a specific location is chosen each year to demonstrate actions under all of the focus areas. This model directs investment to exploit the synergies between actions. The flagship approach raises awareness so that successfully piloted actions can be replicated throughout the city on a wider scale. Kilbarrack Fire Station has been chosen as the flagship location for 2010. Through a programme of investments in projects within each of the city’s seven focus areas, Kilbarrack Fire Station will become an example of how an integrated approach creates greater efficiencies.

PIVOT DUBLIN 329


PIVOT Dublin

Sustainable design

carbon neutral fire station With their communal nature, the shared responsibility of the job and the constant presence of people due to shift work, fire stations are just like homes. This insight inspired Neil’s desire to create a better living environment, which in turn would lead to a more connected life. Significantly, he made the link between innovative ideas and the potential reach of active public services. Starting with a series of small changes such as recycling batteries, tackling waste and growing their own food, the Kilbarrack Fire Station, went on to develop the ambitious and inclusive Green Plan. This Plan defines and monitors 16 actions aimed to reduce carbon emission, energy consumption, water use and waste; and to enhance biodiversity, transport, society and procurement in a sustainable way. The results are being monitored every year. Cost savings from the actions are then ring-fenced for new technologies for the fire station and outreach programmes across the community. Just some of their achievements to date are: 40% of all station waste is recycled. 100% of the glass, paper, plastic, tin and organic waste are recycled or composted. Electricity consumption have been reduced by 80%. Neil has written a comprehensive report on ‘30% Blend Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil’ for Dublin Fire Brigades Fleet of frontline emergency vehicles. Previously the U Value reading for the whole Fire Station was higher than 10. Now, it is below .09. This is a KwHr energy saving of over 70% and a reduction in over 170 litres of oil burned to produce heat and energy.

Neil McCabe Kilbarrack Fire Brigade

A green agenda has been incorporated into the tender process for Emergency and Ambulance equipment. The Fire Brigade is now involved in educational workshops in the schools of the district, teaching fire safety as well as biodiversity and sustainable development.

Water consumption has been reduced by 1,500,000 litres per annum, reducing costs by 90%.

Four wasteland areas have been converted to biodiversity gardens protecting insect habitats and eco systems. This includes: two beehives; an allotment which provides food; and Dublin Fire Brigade’s First Commemorative Garden for Deceased Members. This garden was built by retired and active fire crew in their own time, using funds saved thanks to the Green Plan. This lovely place for reflection for families and friends is the first deceased members’ garden in the fire service’s 150-year history. Neil is now preparing Green Plans for all the Fire Stations nationally, for the local communities of Donaghmede and Kilbarrack, and is in active engagement across the City Councils.

80% of the hot water is produced by the thermodynamic panels.

“ My goal has always been to create the world’s first carbon neutral fire station… replace the must do approach with actions.” Neill McCabe

330 PIVOT DUBLIN


Sustainable design

PIVOT Dublin

Father Collins Park Abelleyro + Romero Architects & MCO Projects, photo by Anthony Woods

how green is my city? father collins park Dublin’s newest park, is a 21 hectare (52 acre) contemporary park at the centre of a newly developing urban quarter called Dublin’s North Fringe. The park takes a lead in Dublin for demonstrating the integration of sustainable technologies into the design of public spaces, designed to serve diverse ages and interests and to link with green spaces and pedestrian networks in the area. It includes: Five wind turbines generating energy to power the park; Three constructed wetlands which filter and cleanse the water; and Cycle lanes to connect it with the surrounding communities, thus encouraging sustainable transport.

Father Collins Park won two awards in 2010: the “Sustainability Award” at the Irish Concrete Society Awards and the “Best Public Space” at the Irish Architecture Awards. Father Collins Park signage Detail

331 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Sustainable design

rogerstown inner estuary Rogerstown Inner Estuary is a environmentally sensitive area in north county Dublin where thousands of birds overwinter every year. Extending and expanding the view of biodiversity project – the Fingal County Council project combines farming, recreation and education, enabled through the local community. To date: 40,000 trees have been planted by local schoolchildren, families and businesses; 200 new allotments have been added to the park; Abandoned grasslands along the estuary are being grazed again with native Kerry cattle; Former arable lands have been sown with a bird feed mix; and Two public looped walks give open access to the estuary.

In late 2008 Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council (DLR) embarked on an ambitious five-year project - its first ‘Open Spaces Strategy’. This is a systematic audit and assessment of the quantity, quality and accessibility of a large sample of its parks and open spaces. The project is now at final draft report stage. The outcomes reveal that DLR is well endowed with open space; that over 80% of households are within an eight minute walk of a park and almost 100% are within six minutes of a local amenity open space. Improvements in quality are required across a range of open space types, which will require a focused, programmed approach to landscape design, community participation, promotion of use, cultural programming and further studies. The Strategy includes a thirteen point Action Plan designed to guide this approach. green ifsc The proposed development of the Green Irish Financial Services Centre will coordinate, facilitate and accelerate a move towards creating a world class centre for green finance and enterprise. It will draw on the professional and cultural capital of the city to bring together carbon related business and carbon conscious lifestyles and has the support of the public, private and academic sectors of the city.

design for life

Matthew Thompson Photo commissioned by Monocle

332 PIVOT DUBLIN

a promenade and cycle way along the bay Dublin bay is for everyone and forms one of the most attractive coastal amenities available to any capital city. Want to enjoy the views from the top of Howth Head? Go kite surfing on Bull Island? Jog along Sandymount Strand? Stroll Dún Laoghaire pier? Take a dip at Seapoint or strip off and jump in at the Forty Foot? Or climb up, up, and up again to Bray Head? In whatever size dose you want, you can enjoy outdoor life along Dublin’s beautiful coast. The Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) promenade and cycleway responds to a real need to provide greater access to the bay, both for the people of Dublin and for visitors to the City. At 22 kilometres long, the S2S is one continuous seafront route which encourages us all to take advantage of this superb natural amenity in a way that respects its unique environment.


Sustainable design

PIVOT Dublin

The design of the S2SProject seeks to: Balance the protection of designated environmental areas with enhanced user accessibility. Grasp the opportunity to demonstrate and display information on the environment and ecology of Dublin Bay to Dubliners. Allow controlled access for individuals and groups in order to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of the environment and heritage that is Dublin Bay. Enable a range of educational opportunities for young and older children around the number of natural and cultural resources. Promote the route as a commuter and recreational facility, by holding organised events such as fun runs or triathlons in order to involve citizens of the city in active living and healthier lifestyles.

In the long term, protection of the environment of Dublin Bay depends on the appreciation, by the residents of Dublin City and by visitors to the City, of the importance and sensitivity of the Bay. When completed, the S2S will become one of the longest such coastal promenades in Europe. An estimated 100,000 people use the route weekly.

come to our green house and learn Locate a ‘Greenhouse’ on a busy street in the centre of Dublin and watch it grow! The Greenhouse is a public building that hosts Ireland’s main sustainable organisations, including ECO-UNESCO, Cultivate and other members of the Irish Environmental Network. Activities, events and programmes orchestrated in The Greenhouse enable the public to learn about a variety of sustainable choices through education, technology and through the open door policy. The building contains a mellow atmosphere that attracts and engages all ages. eco - unesco ECO-UNESCO is Ireland’s Environmental Education and Youth Organisation, affiliated to UNESCO, which targets personal development through practical environmental projects. ECO-UNESCO: Celebrates the great outdoors, through active learning: ECO-Explorers Camps an ECO-Weekend programmes. Supports innovative programmes that reflect new Dublin – for example a Multicultural Garden designed by children reflecting diverse ethnic groups, bringing together symbols of their own cultures alongside indigenous Irish plants. Believes that environmental education can be successfully used as an anti-racism tool, and as part of drugs misuse prevention programmes. Recognises and rewards the green achievements of young people each year at Ireland’s biggest celebration of young people taking ECO-Action, the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards.

cultivate Cultivate focuses on renewable energy, rethinking urban design and planning, community capital, green building, organic gardening, permaculture and much, much more. It: Provides sustainable education programmes; public talks, conferences and workshops; education material such as a library and toolkits; and an eco-friendly online shop. Supports community focused projects with a greener edge - community resilience programmes responding to current challenges. Spearheads a timely initiative the Green Works Programme, offering free environmental and green business courses to jobseekers. This is about up skilling, encouraging entrepreneurship and supporting the Green Economy.

Those who establish a green business, can count on Enterprise Ireland for active support. Its programme Green Tech provides information and funding; and assists businesses in the development of sustainable strategies or products. And for those who work in the city and can’t get fresh fruit and vegetables conveniently, Cultivate has a free pickup point service!

333 PIVOT DUBLIN

Bear Bicycles


Sustainable design

PIVOT Dublin

design for better choice in everyday life ireland – the first to say no… A beautifully simple idea – and a world-first for Ireland! Ireland designed and implemented the first ever effective plastic bag reduction programme. Introduced in 2002, the levy of 15 cent per disposable plastic bag (in 2007 this was raised to 22c) aimed to reduce consumption and litter by influencing consumer behaviour. The results were amazing: It was estimated that some 1.2 billion plastic shopping bags were provided free of charge to shoppers annually. Within weeks, there was a staggering 94% drop in plastic bag use! Within a year, nearly everyone bought reusable bags. Using and discarding plastic bags became socially unacceptable.

Monitored every year, any increase in consumption of plastic bags produces an increase in the price of the levy. Money from the plastic bag levy goes to an environmental fund used to support waste management, litter and other initiatives.

Workshop Cultivate photo by Goska Smierzchalska

cool earth Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s Environment, Culture & Community Department’s Annual Cool Earth Exhibition is a free two-day environmental exhibition that illustrates simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Cool Earth showcases innovative and sustainable solutions in a relaxed and accessible way to the public, during the Festival of World Cultures. At Cool Earth, the public can listen to live musicians while enjoying some tasty treats from the Amnesty International Fair Trade Café; shop for ecogoods; research green living options; listen to talks from guest speakers; or just relax and refresh while comedians from the MOMO Theatre Company entertain people while getting them thinking about their carbon footprint. Children can have fun making their very own pots, planting seeds, making butter or playing an eco board game.

reduce, re-use, recycle – redesign, research and educate Dublin’s actions for waste prevention and management embrace an inclusive policy and innovative initiatives. waste in the city The Waste Plan for the Dublin Region has been developed jointly by Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Dun-Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council. This plan involves: Prevention and minimisation of waste at source, before it ever starts. Reusing materials and goods, with the Freetrade Ireland initiative. Recycling, with the Rediscovery Centre. Energy Recovery, with the Waste to Energy Project. Minimisation of waste disposal.

334 PIVOT DUBLIN


Sustainable design

PIVOT Dublin

the rediscovery centre Leading the change from waste to potential resources through re-use, redesign, research and education, the Rediscovery Centre is a new generation of recycling centre. This innovative initiative links waste prevention, education facilities and programmes with a state of the art recycling centre designed by Seán Harrington Architects. It is located within the regeneration district of Ballymun. The Rediscovery Centre provides an integrated solution that includes all elements of the waste management hierarchy. Five programmes currently available in the Rediscovery centre are: Rediscover Fashion Furniture Recycling Project Community Repaint Community Compost Rediscover Business

waste to energy project The Dublin Waste to Energy project is a Public Private Partnership between Dublin City Council (acting on behalf of the four Dublin Local Authorities) and Dublin Waste to Energy Ltd to provide a thermal treatment plant to treat approximately 25% of waste that cannot be reused or recycled. The plant will generate energy from up to 600,000 tonnes of waste per year that would otherwise go to landfill and will generate enough electricity for up to 50,000 homes annually as well as district heating for up to a further 60,000 homes. The plant has been designed to provide highly efficient incineration and can be classified as ‘recovery’ in line with the new criteria outlined in the revised 1975 EU Waste Framework Directive. It is part of the Dublin Regional Waste Management Plan, which offers the best environmental solution to reduce waste, maximise recycling, minimise landfill and generate energy from residual waste. re-dressing the balance Fashion choices once meant just colour, style or fit. For Re-Dress, it means so much more! Re-Dress is the one stop shop for the promotion of sustainable fashion in Dublin and Ireland. Set up in 2008 by Kellie Dalton, Kate Nolan and Rosie O’Reilly, its aim is to highlight the detrimental humanitarian, environmental and economic effect the clothing industry is having on the world today. Re-Dress is working to make a real difference by promoting positive action. What differentiates Re-Dress is that it is an incredible resource of information on the garment industry, from new design, technology and aesthetics to sustainable fashion clothing, environmental and social issues. Re-Dress provides the designers and the public with the tools to make better and more sustainable fashion decisions. Its calendar includes public workshops, seminars and collaborative events, like the Sunday Crafternoon Tea, and a range of courses in education and design skills. Re-Dress wants us to change more than our clothes…

335 PIVOT DUBLIN

Re-dress installation photo by Des Moriarty


Dialogue

Alan Mee, Architect What a fantastic question! A really great question because coincidentally some of my time I’m a researcher and recently I’ve been writing about specificity, in other words, what are things you can find that are specific to a place that wouldn’t be anywhere else and in a homogenising world, where everything begins to look like everywhere else, the textures as well as the specific things about a place become more valuable and important for me. So, textures of Dublin...There’s the obvious material, physical ones that you can run your hands along the side of a wall, of calp, that grey limestone that goes black in the rain or stones we would know of typical Dublin. Then there are the Dublin bricks or rendered plaster. Our footpaths are a particular Wicklow granite that is becoming harder and harder to get and to match but I suppose I think of texture as being almost anything that gives us particularity and specificity and anything that makes us different. For me, texture is listening to accents on the street or smelling something particular or particular views you’d have as well as the bricks and materials it’s made of. But in a lot of Dublin streets you are walking between the dream of what it might have been at one point and what was put there incongruously ten years ago and it’s quite different and the textures particularly the materials and the palate and the colour and form are often very jarring and unexpected for us and Dublin. Alan Mee asks Scott Burnett

What examples of Design best sum up Dublin for you?

Scott Burnett, Graphic Designer There are some pieces of graphic design probably - when I moved here there was a lot of amazing flyer’s happening, the likes of Pony and the Strictly Handbag flyers that Detail did. Pony’s flyers for Ham were I think really representative of an imagination of that was rife in Dublin and has since those flyer’s, you know flyer culture isn’t as strong anymore so that’s maybe ten years old. Some parts of Trinity College, again the newer parts of Trinity, the Samuel Beckett Theatre - places like that feel quite specifically Dublin - rather than than, you know, I think the Georgian stuff feels kind of, could feel like somewhere else but it is those little pockets of modernism feel quite particularly Dublin I think. Scott Burnett asks Diarmaid Ferriter

What would it take to make Irish society more of a meritocracy?

Diarmaid Ferriter, Author, Historian, Lecturer I spent years looking at the evolution of Irish society and politics and it becomes very clear from an early stage in the 20th century that governments do not trust Irish people to run their own affairs and the main way you can make Ireland more or a meritocratic society is to allow people to govern themselves and that is allowing Irish people to have autonomy at local level. We are the most centralised system of administration in Central Europe. This is partly because of our experience with war, of civil war, the idea that we need strong, authoritarian, civilised government because we cannot be trusted to run our own affairs which mean we don’t have any local government to run this country. Local government as it exists is the Cinderella of Irish Democracy and if you were to bring that level of meritocracy to Ireland you really need to restore decision making power to communities on the ground. You cannot have a meaningful process and meaningful control until we have an effective system of local government and local controls and that needs not just money but it needs a genuine commitment to a return of democracy to local communities. Diarmaid Ferriter asks O’Donnell Tuomey

336 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin in the 18th century was referred to by a contemporary of Jonathan Swift’s as “this gorgeous mask of Ireland’s distress”. Is that still the case with Dublin today?


Skate Studio AAD

Depth of Field

337 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 337


Industrial Design Response to question 40

338 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Industrial design

PIVOT Dublin

where design meets life 40.

Provide examples of the city’s achievements in industrial design.

Irish minds are inventive and open; we start by turning things inside out, getting a better view from another angle. So it’s no surprise then that Dublin designers are innovating in key hi-tech areas and usercentred design. We just can’t help ourselves…

Berkeley Library Trinity College Dublin, photo by DCC

339 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 339


PIVOT Dublin

Industrial design

compelling design through end user insight

design partners

25 years ago Design Partners were two designers with a powerful idea: imagination, collaboration and intuitive design can transform any product experience and brand. Today, their award winning team of over thirty designers, engineers and brand analysts work to create products which exceed user expectation. It is no secret that technology moves in cycles, the trick is knowing when to evolve. Design Partners have consistently understood and instinctively responded to the cycles. Design Partners aim is to build a toolkit of experiences: from product strategy and consumer evaluation; to digital media, design engineering and hands-on prototyping. As a backbone to this philosophy, they have evolved their in-house practices using the most sophisticated systems and technology available. Product Experience: the biggest selling smartphone in the united states Logitech MX Air Mouse designed by Design Partners

PDA design for Hewlett Packard designed by Cathal Loughnane at Design Partners

Palm Treo 600 was very instrumental in defining Smartphone technology. Based on an initially broad approach to concepts, Design Partners worked side by side with the Palm and Handspring team to establish key characteristics that Palm Treo 600 and the immediate next generation of Smart phone would embody. Design Partners features are still used in the latest versions of BlackBerry today.

surfing the set

When Google created Google TV (that paradigm shifting, game changing new technology designed to make your home television an interactive, immersive experience) they knew that they had to create a system that was both functional and delightful if it was to become a part of people’s everyday lives. Put simply, it had to connect with people. Design Partners challenge was how to translate the digital into the physical. In short; how to make the technology intuitive.

redefining a classic Screwpull approached Design Partners with a design challenge: to “Redefine our existing classic corkscrew for today’s growing number of wine drinkers”. Design Partners strategy was to first perfect the mechanism, then to combine all of the elements into an iconic form. Activ-ball was an instant success and was awarded the prestigious iF design prize in the year of its launch.

340 PIVOT DUBLIN


RSC Banners Classic Nuremburg 2011.pdf

1

21/01/2011

18:05

PIVOT Dublin

Industrial design

what’s the story, rory?

rory’s story cubes

9 cubes 54 images 10 million combinations Unlimited stories

Rory’s Story Cubes, based in Belfast and developed by Rory O’Connor and Anita Murphy (both of whom are graduates of design-related courses in Dublin and co-founders of The Creativity Hub Ltd.) are a remarkably simple and effective means for inspiring creative thinking and problem solving in all of us. Simply toss the dice, examine each of the nine face-up images and let them guide your imagination through a story that begins with “Once upon a time…”. The visual and kinesthetic nature of the multiple award winning Rory’s Story Cubes, along with the simplicity of design and gameplay make it accessible to engage with for all ages and abilities. The cubes are also completely visual and work in any language. The nine dice, each with an image on six sides, hold a total of 54 images. This means that with every roll, there are over 10 million combinations to inspire the story. Whether in a classroom or business, the process of creating and telling a story can provide untold understanding of our language, of the world we live in and of ourselves. The secret is not to think too deeply. Simply ‘gulp’ in the images and start. The story will reveal itself through the cubes and in so doing, will unleash creativity, freedom of expression and frequently, an insight to how to solve a seemingly intractable personal or business problem. The ‘cubes’ tap into how the brain works – we naturally think in images, and logically try to piece together stories. Oh yes, and children love them… Rory’s Story Cubes was listed second in the Huffington Post’s ‘30 most underrated innovations of 2010’ – ahead of the Apple iPad and the Chevrolet Volt electric car.

Rory’s Story Cubes Classic

Rory’s Story Cubes Actions

Rory’s Story Cubes App

“ Brilliant! I found that it helps the children to develop their verbal storytelling and also to improve creativity.” C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Siobhán, 27, Primary School Teacher, Dublin

341 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Industrial design

play, create, mend and design

sugru

Young Irish designer Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh has invented what many believe to be the most useful household item since Sellotape or Blu-Tack. It’s called Sugru (which means ‘play’ in Irish) and is a new type of silicone, a malleable material that has the benefit of being easy to use, adaptable, but also very durable. Take it from the pack and it is like modelling clay. The difference however is that it is designed to stick to as many other materials as possible; from aluminium to ceramics or plastics. Once its cured (which happens within 24 hours) Sugru acts like other silicones; it is water and heat resistant, durable outdoor, and easy to clean. Sugru has an endless amount of applications; from repairing eyeglasses to providing a stabiliser for hard drives, from providing a means to create customised cufflinks, to attaching a Sat Nav to the dash board in a car – Sugru can do it all. Sugru Fun bike bars

Sugru: Gives power to the people to design and adapt their everyday products. Prolongs the life of your household items, which reduces our ecological impact.

Sugru Saw grip

“ Ní Dhulchaointigh believes the sugru’s success lies in its users ingenuity and DIY mentality. “People are incredibly good at improving the design of the things they use every day, once they know it’s possible. We see new and clever solutions from our users every day - why should people wait around for designers and manufacturers to improve things when they can make improvements directly?” Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh

342 PIVOT DUBLIN


PIVOT Dublin

Industrial design

bringing ideas to life

mcor technologies Imagine a world where you can design your own furniture, bring your invention from a sketch to physical reality or even produce an exact model of yourself… and it’s all done quickly and cheaply. Irish family business Mcor Technologies is making this a reality with its 3D printing technology. In order to transform an idea of a product into the physical reality, an important part of the process is the prototype. However, this is an expensive process when most of the 3D printing technologies on the market are being used. Only large businesses can afford to invest and even many universities can’t afford to run this equipment for their students. Aside from the complex and costly machinery needed to translate a design from computer graphics to a physical object, the constant supply of plastic material required and the laser cutting technology adds to this expense. Mcor Technologies has found a way by using A4 paper, to give smaller businesses, and even individuals, an access to this design technology. In 2005, the two MacCormack brothers came up with their unique solution – the Mcor Matrix. It is the only 3D printer in the world that can use A4 paper in order to make 3D objects. The Mcor Matrix can use new or recycled paper and its operating costs are 50 to 60 times less than with existing rapid prototyping machines. The cost of the build material is around €0.01 per cubic centimeter and the finished product is has a consistency similar to that of carved wood.

3D object created with 3D printing Mcor Technologies

3D object created with 3D printing Mcor Technologies

“ We didn’t just want it to be affordable, we wanted it to be eco-friendly. By using a water based adhesive and A4 paper, the Matrix can build up solid 3D models one layer of paper at a time for a fraction of the cost of other technologies, making the technology truly accessible and as easy as printing on paper!” order to build up a solid 3D model, each layer of paper must be glued together and we formulated a water-based adhesive to act as the adhesive.” Deirdre MacCormack, co-founder of Mcor Technologies 343 PIVOT DUBLIN


Industrial design

PIVOT Dublin

transforming the way surgery is performed around the world

centre for innovation in surgical technology (cist)

Equatilt Chair Task Furniture in Education Project

This centre is an initiative of the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) and CIST is uniquely positioned to bring together a team of highly skilled individuals who support the innovation, testing, licensing and marketing of new surgical devices and technology. One of the key functions of RCSI-CIST is to facilitate and promote interaction between surgeons, trainers and engineers. They seek to establish a common language between the groups and create opportunities for engineers and surgeons to interact because it is through this interaction that surgical problems and training needs can be seen first-hand by engineers. Surgeons also influence this process by assessing ideas and testing products as well as putting forward their own suggestions to improve surgical techniques. One such product is the Irish-developed simulators for training surgeons in minimally invasive surgical techniques and procedures. This product ProMIS, developed by Haptica, is recognised for increasing surgical proficiency utilising virtual and physical reality technology. ProMIS has received three prestigious awards for innovation and over the past two and a half years, it has been adopted by the leading Medical Schools, with over 100 simulators in place in over 50 centres worldwide. The centre is an environment that nurtures, protects and develops new ideas into commercial products that transform the way surgery is performed around the world.

designing for the next generation

task furniture in education & perch

Perch Chair Task Furniture in Education Project

344 PIVOT DUBLIN

Task Furniture in Education concerns the seating, desks and related items used by pupils in schools. European studies have found that 60% of school pupils experience back problems by the age of 16. The use of computers at home and in schools has changed the way that children and young adults learn, work and play. This Irish project emerges from ongoing and previous research undertaken in the Industrial Design Department at the National College of Art and Design Dublin, through its graduate school GradCAM, Trinity College Dublin and its international collaborators in the area of school furniture design and analysis. TFE commenced in January 2011 as a four-year project. EU Commission funding to the value of €1.33 million will be matched by contributions from the partners, which includes Enterprise Ireland. The project will be coordinated and led by researchers in NCAD in collaboration with academic and industry partners in Ireland, Germany, Portugal and the USA. Task Furniture in Education (TFE) is an EU Commission - Marie Curie FP7 (IAPP) IndustryAcademia Partnerships and Pathways funded programme. A second initiative is Perch, which was established by Simon Dennehy, a recent NCAD graduate. This is a project to design new, disruptive technologies and products for healthcare, education, and well-being. Perch are industrial designers, striving to become a global leader in the design of ergonomic task furniture. With extensive knowledge of the physiological requirements for task work, they continually challenge themselves to design the best solutions for the active human body.


Industrial design

PIVOT Dublin

The effects of incorrect task furniture have very serious long term health repercussions. Schools around the world are equipped with furniture that forces students to sit still, in discomfort, every day. To combat this, Perch has designed an innovative school furniture solution which promotes upright and more dynamic working postures. This patented furniture reduces slouching, neck strain and discomfort, while encouraging healthier posture, better core muscle development and improved learning capacity. Perch has a proven record of innovating for primary schools and are developing more products for secondary and third level, as well as task furniture for adults.

a design for life

sam russell – redesign of life jackets Every year, several thousand Ugandans lose their lives while they are out fishing or ferrying on Lake Victoria. In response, Irish industrial designer, NCAD graduate and educator Sam Russell designed affordable life jackets, based on buoyant elements from fishing nets. The project’s objective was to develop a locally produced and affordable life jacket that could make for safer working conditions and a more stable existence for the fishermen. The long-term objective is to strengthen Ugandan industry through local production.

Fishing floats Sam Russell

re-designed life jacket Sam Russell, as part of Design without Borders, found a very well suited collaboration partner in the Ugandan NGO, the National Lake Rescue Institute (NLRI). It is a volunteer organisation that combines the teaching of water safety and environmental issues along Lake Victoria and Lake Albert. They had developed a life jacket in the past, but with limited application. design solution The outcome of the project - the Megafloat2 - is a cheaper more effective lifejacket that is proving to be much more successful than its predecessor. The design of a new buoyancy and fishing float has reduced the environmental impact of NLRI and the fishing communities, whilst also increasing local acceptance and understanding of water-safety devices. The institutional sustainability of the National Lake Rescue Institute and capacity for the Megafloat2 project to go to scale have also benefited through design of a new production and distribution system. The results of the project demonstrate how a user-centred, participatory design process can positively affect the outcome of development aid projects by generating innovative sustainable solutions that are optimised for their environment of use.

MegaFloat 2 Life Jacket Sam Russell

345 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dialogue

O’Donnell Tuomey, Architects Sheila: I’d say to those of us who have lived here for the last 20 more years the city seems greatly changed and not for the better and the mask of distress, I’d certainly be distressed by a lot of the changes. On the other hand, oddly, people that come form outside still see probably what Swift saw and sort of the earlier layers of the city which I think do survive really, so I think when you are in a place you tend to see the changes more so than the background. And actually I think it is quite a robust city and it still has many strengths. John: Well Dublin might once have been a gorgeous city, it doesn’t feel so lovely today. It feels like it’s rampant and out of control. And the things that have been put a stop to out of the collapse of the Tiger it’s better that they are stopped, it’s better that the expansion of the city and the lack of planning and the lack of planning of it’s expansion is stopped. Am.. I wish we had one strong fine gorgeous thing to point to that would make it seem it had been worthwhile. The only thing I can think of is it is much more beautiful to walk around St. Stephen’s Green now and one fine piece of pavement that is properly made. Otherwise I don’t know if it’s too much money, everything feels too cheap, the money was spending money, it doesn’t go deep. It doesn’t feel permanent. John: The best thing I could say about Dublin in the time we’ve been living here is that people have come back to live in the city. That’s positive, I just wish it had been companied by a building period that provided adequate accommodation for those people who have chosen to come back and live in the city… That’s negative. O’Donnell Tuomey ask David Joyce

What examples of Design best sum up Dublin for you?

David Joyce, Graphic Designer It’s a really interesting question, I think in relation to the language we use as a studio I think we attempt to try and clarify and simplify as much as we possibly can. You know we would be advocates of plain English. We would try our level best to make the information we are trying to communicate as accessible to people as possible. The channel for that communication are primarily information and potentially ideas, less so products. So it’s really important for us that we communicate as simply and straight forward as we possibly can and we endeavour to do that in every single project. So we try to distil the bare bones of it and really get to the point, and that goes across the advertising and design work we do In relation to the non-verbal part of the question and whether a non-verbal approach or an image taking approach can take over from words. That’s a really interesting idea. It’s unusual to get a brief like that - whether that’s how things move in the future remains to be seen but at the moment certainly its very much words and pictures. David Joyce asks Colm Mac Athlaoich

What is the future for Monster Truck and what affect is that going to have on artists and illustrators in the future?

Colm Mac Athlaoich, Artist The future for Monster Truck, I think will always be bright as long as we keep doing what we are doing and as long as people are still making work at a level where it can be facilitated and supported. That is what Monster Truck has always been able to do. It has been a platform for a wide range of talents, abilities and practices. Specifically with illustrators and designers, it would be wise to still pursue promoting their work, I think we all value design and particularly illustration, in certain cases as being as good or not better than some celebrated fine art that is out there at the moment. The only thing that is dividing it is the language or the context that it is being discussed or shown in. The future for illustrators? Well hopefully, an exhibition space would be a nice place to keep the practice of illustration alive, since it is suffering hugely in these tough economic times. What is important is keeping not only the designers and illustrators working, but to keep the enthusiasm and at least allow for practising creative people to have a place to show as well, so I think the gallery will always look after that. David Joyce asks Colm Mac Athlaoich

346 PIVOT DUBLIN

What role does colour play in your work?


David Joyce Ronnie Drew Crane

347 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 347


Communication Design Response to question 41

348 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Communication Design

PIVOT Dublin

sharing our story 41.

Describe how visual communication has been used by the city to promote itself locally, regionally and internationally. Include any major environmental or way finding projects. Provide examples if available.

Dublin’s visual communication is like the city itself – sharp, provoking and engaging, and rooted in its cultural strengths and characteristics.

They Are Us Maser and Damien Dempsey, photo by Aidan Kelly

349 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 349


PIVOT Dublin

Communication Design

u2 and amp visual U2 are the global signature sound of Dublin and Ireland. With more than 250 million record sales, the band’s success has been nothing short of a phenomenon. However, U2 are not just known for their music – visually they are known to continuously push the boundaries of invention, scale and possibility on their tours, and in merchandise, music videos and promotion. Dublin has featured prominently in many of these videos, album covers and promotional material over the past 35 years.

U2 Vertigo Tour poster Amp Visual

350 PIVOT DUBLIN

U2 Slane DVD Cover Amp Visual

Dublin visual communication firm Amp Visual has been involved from the very start with U2 – from their first single to the latest 360° Tour merchandise and promotion. Steve Averill of Amp Visual, a punk rock musician himself, suggested six potential names from which the band chose “U2” for its ambiguity and open-ended interpretations, and because it was the name that they disliked the least! Amp Visual has created an array of visuals for the band over the years including everything from the obvious (albums and dvd packagings) to the design of onstage graphics, backstage signage, tour passes, indoor and outdoor advertising as well as for tour and album press advertising campaigns for worldwide usage. By utilising Dublin as a backdrop and point of departure for many of its U2 creations, Amp Visual have played an important role in promoting the city on the world’s largest stages.

U2 No Line on the Horizon advert Amp Visual

U2 360 Equality T-shirt Amp Visual


PIVOT Dublin

Communication Design

embrace the familiar Dublin Bus is available to, accessible by, and affordable for, every Dublin resident and commuter. The bus company carries over two million passengers weekly. Dublin Buses are an iconic and intrinsic part of the capital city’s infrastructure and the fabric of city and county communities. However, a brand as familiar as Dublin Bus, despite its ubiquity, can often become dated and invisible. The challenge is always to rejuvenate familiar but forgotten brands, but to do so in a way that is true to their values and provides direction for all future communications. In 2006, Image Now were tasked with a review of the Dublin Bus identity.

This involved: Overhauling the Dublin Bus identity to reflect the organisation’s governing values of Community, Connection and Progress. Retaining the value in the existing Dublin Bus name and iconography. Utilising the guiding principles of clarity, simplicity, visibility and continuity informed every aspect of the Dublin Bus identity development. Redefining the logo so as to create a crisper, more easily identifiable mark. The symbol of Dublin Castle, rendered in the form of the Dublin Bus initials, was retained but visually reworked to make it contemporary and iconic. Selecting the colours of yellow and black (regarded worldwide as the most legible and visually discernible colour combination), fulfilled the company’s obligation to make passenger and route information clear and informative. It is also very visible and distinctive in a city environment when used on the bus fleet and street furniture. Removing any surplus information and visual clutter to enhance clarity and simplicity of route maps and way finding.

Nitelink maps, Image Now

This new identity did what all good city visual communication does - it leveraged the best of the past and rejuvenated the image of Dublin Bus for passengers and employees alike.

Dublin Bus signage, Image Now

351 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin Bus maps, Image Now


PIVOT Dublin

Communication Design

dublin made easy Dublin is one of the world’s first cities to provide a way finding and pointing technology-enabled smartphone application (app). The dynamic Dublin destination guide app is one of the flagship features of Dublin Tourism’s digital strategy, which promotes Dublin to consumers worldwide, and aim to deliver an additional one million visitors to Dublin by 2015. This ‘Visit Dublin iphone App’ enables visitors to explore, discover, experience and enjoy Dublin from the comfort of their home, or in the bustle of Grafton Street! The highly-visual wayfinding Visit Dublin App, designed by Irish firm GeoGuides Limited, uses technology which allows people to use directional search to move around Dublin and discover their interests. Simply by pointing their Smartphone (iPhone/Android) visitors will find rich information about the places all around their specific location. This powerful pointing technology performs directionally filtered searches so that people get the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Other features include: Augmented reality feature, which allows users to view overlaid images and opening times. Audio descriptions, explanations and history for over 1,400 points of interests around the city. Special offers in retail, restaurants and tours. Simply show the voucher on your phone and receive the offer! A ‘Point to Call’ function to phone a restaurant, or tour and make your booking direct. ‘What’s That? / What’s Nearby?’ If you’re not sure what that building is in front of you, simply point at the real-world point of interest and retrieve information about it!

Visit Dublin App GeoGuides Limited

“ Dublin Tourism’s ground-breaking Visit Dublin app delivers Dublin in the palm of your hand and will become the default way of visiting Dublin and inevitably be replicated by other leading tourist destinations around the world.” Dublin Tourism’s chief executive, Frank Magee

352 PIVOT DUBLIN


Communication Design

PIVOT Dublin

welcome to dublin, come on in… Ireland’s inward investment promotion agency, IDA Ireland (Industrial Development Agency) is responsible for the attraction and development of foreign investment in Dublin and Ireland. Since its foundation in 1959, it has played a huge role in promoting Ireland abroad, and paved the way for transmitting a unified message about Ireland. At the heart of the “Ireland Inc.” brand is the thought of ‘Vibrant Ambition’, which is a way of being and an approach to life which loves innovation, energy and achievement. The IDA produce highly visual booklets, website and annual reports as aids for IDA Ireland staff in Ireland and overseas to promote Ireland as the location of choice for Global Services. The IDA website idaireland.com has a major role in attracting foreign investment to our country. It is a potential international investor’s first port of call, so it had to be designed to appeal to a large international industry base. Some of the key features include: Development of highly intuitive site architecture to facilitate easy navigation throughout. Inclusion of case studies, search filters and contact details across all potential investible industry sectors. Production of innovative video player “IDA TV” which allows users to browse high quality testimonials from Dublin-based multi-national companies such as Facebook and Microsoft.

This website has proven to be a key visual communication tool for IDA marketing to promote and sell “Dublin Inc.” as a viable and attractive destination for business to set up base. A recent advertising campaign was run in the USA, Europe and India. An animated advertisement ran on CNBC and Bloomberg TV globally. This campaign been further developed in a series of print adverts which have appeared in top tier business publications such as New York Times, Business Week, The Economist and Fortune.

IDA, 53°N 08°W Brochures Creative Inc

353 PIVOT DUBLIN

IDA Green Energy Adverts McConnells Advertising


Communication Design

PIVOT Dublin

‘love yourself today dublin’

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They Are Us Maser and Damien Dempsey, photo by Aidan Kelly

They Are Us Maser and Damien Dempsey, photo by Aidan Kelly

354 PIVOT DUBLIN

‘They Are Us’ is a visual tribute to Dublin, a tribute to the city: northside and southside, the visible and the secret, the good and the bad. ‘They Are Us’ was initially conceived by Maser, and grew out of a previous art project, ‘Maser Loves You’, which involved a series of positive messages being placed around the city. Maser is primarily known as a graffiti artist, and this project sees him present his take on Dublin sign-writing styles. His work is directly inspired by a passion for his hometown: ‘Dublin is a central theme in my work. I spent some time travelling and painting when I was younger. The more I travelled, the more I realised how great this city is. I loved it more from being away.’ A large number of graffiti artist works’ focus on negative elements of society, whereas Maser never saw the point of this. He wrote hopeful messages around the city with words like ‘Urban Achievers’ instead of ‘Underachievers’. This theme of hope led to a connection with Dublin musician Damien Dempsey. Maser’s positive message had resonance with Damien Dempsey who regularly sings about the power of hope and positivity. It inspired a collaboration, where Maser selected sites, and Damien supplied the words! Maser chose sign-writing (as a style) because he wanted it to appeal to as many people as possible, not just graffiti writers. He started researching Dublin sign writing from the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s as an artform in itself: the typefaces used, the leading and layouts. The project covers a variety of sites across the capital city, exhibitions and one-off works, with all proceeds raised by the sale of artwork from this project going to the Simon Community homeless charity. This form of informal visual communication has proven to be a enormous success and has captured the imagination of young and old throughout the city.


PIVOT Dublin

Communication Design

cultural type Ireland is a country with a rich history of text design that stems from the 4th century, starting with Ogham (pronounced ‘O-ham’), the first known written language of Ireland. The name Ogham is derived from Oghma, the Celtic God of elocution or fine speech. The Ogham alphabet consists of 20 - and later 25 letters - in groups of lines from one to five, set across a vertical stem line with each group representing a different letter. This language was usually carved or written in ancient linear script on stone, wood or material. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, some 150 Irish, Gaelic or Celtic typefaces have been designed, with the most famous of these being the ‘Columcille’, designed by Colm Ó Lochlainn and Karl Uhlemann in the 1930’s. MA student Thomas Foley started to analyse the subject of the ‘Irish Type’ and its association with Irish national identity. The combination of the subjects’ complex historical context, the unusual position of the Irish Type as a ‘National Type’ and the subsequent questions raised by its existence left Thomas with a desire to articulate his own typographic response to the subject. The result of this process is Nib, or the ‘Irish Type’, a family of text faces available in both serif and sans, in two cuts, book and medium. Currently in development are a bold weight and Italic cuts. Nib has won an open: output award for type design – and has been exhibited at London Design Week as part of the Up All Night 2009 exhibition.

Nib Original display cut

“ Nib is a typeface that has developed in response to a typographic tradition closely linked to the place and culture from which I come.” Thomas Foley

355 PIVOT DUBLIN


Dialogue

Justin Knecht, Design Lecturer Since the design work that I’m doing isn’t necessarily around graphic design the colour I see in my work is more around the colour that is brought to it by other people. Certainly Crayola would be considered a colour company but since it was mainly about creative play it was about what the people who were using our products were bringing to the table, you know they were the ones that were choosing the colour, we were giving the tools and the raw materials to actually exercise their own creativity. So when we are out doing research and talking to people and observing them using services that don’t work or trying to understand their needs and those insights that we can use and bring to designers and use those designers to created better products and services. I see that again as almost creating that pallet with colours, those individual insights and those stories that they are telling us becomes the raw material that we can use to create better better design solutions and better experiences for people. Justin Knecht asks Dylan Haskins

What is your position on the role of creativity in design of public policy?

Dylan Haskins, Politician Well I think it’s the role of policy to facilitate creativity and design, it’s not that I think there is necessarily creativity and design in the policy making itself. I think Dublin is inherently a creative city - what stops it being creative is the process of Bureaucracy and a lot of that is not necessarily policy but things like if you want to start up a space you have to apply for a Fire Certificate so you have got to wait eight weeks while that sits on somebody’s desk. You could do that in two weeks, get it happening quicker - streamline all of these areas. If you want to start up a cultural venue in an old industrial unit or a retail unit you have got to apply for a change of use which could cost a lot of money and you also have to wait probably 9 months while it goes through the slow planning process. Dublin in the past 15 years has really been defined by commercial space and residential units and that’s the composure of the city, whereas what I think makes Dublin is the other element’s - the cultural elements, that’s what really breathes life into a city. So, I think we need to allow much more flexibility to allow that to evolve and develop and I think that will happen anyway. It is happening already it is just a matter of saying ‘Ok we need to facilitate this’ and that’s what policy should do, it should not subscribe, it should always facilitate.

Dylan Haskins asks Grace Dyas

How do communities transcend poor design?

Grace Dyas, Theatre Producer God it’s a huge problem. How do they? I mean it’s so hard isn’t it? I suppose to give a little bit of context, one of the big discoveries that I made when I was researching this show ‘Heroin’ that we made about the social history of heroin over the last 40 years in Dublin, I researched it for like a year and a half, and the big thing I found was that people... like that there was small incremental things to do with the actual physical design of the space that had a huge effect on people’s lives. So like for example, in the complexes I was looking at in Fatima Mansion’s, the balconies were just a little bit too high to look out over and see your kids playing downstairs so they’d look out, if you were in your kitchen like the kitchen window was a little bit too high up, so you couldn’t look out your kitchen window and down. So you would have to walk out of your flat and look over the balcony to look see what was going on. And that had a huge effect cause there was loads of places to hide in flats and loads of places to get up stuff that you weren’t meant to. You kinda think is it just ultimately that designing a living space for a community that you don’t know what kind of community that would become, is that ultimately just flawed? Grace Dyas asks Neil McCabe

356 PIVOT DUBLIN

In your experience as a fireman, do you think that we, as a society, value life enough?


Versus Exhibition Gaetan Billaut and Maser

Brookfield Youth Community Centre Hassett-Ducatez Architects

357 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 357


Testimonials Response to question 42

358 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin


Testimonials

PIVOT Dublin

testimonials 42.

Provide any testimonials from design professionals or other experts who live and work within the city (e.g. architects, designers, curators of design, professors, etc.) It is not necessary that the testimonials be in letter format or that they be formal or protracted. hans zomer

It might seem unusual for overseas aid agencies, but Dóchas – the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisations - is happy to endorse Dublin’s bid to become World Design Capital 2014. Our 44 member organisations, and their estimated 850,000 regular supporters on the island of Ireland, are practical and very lively expressions of Ireland’s deep-felt commitment to global justice, solidarity and equality. There is a long and proud tradition, which we want to update; we want to find 21st century ways of expressing Ireland’s empathy with others and our ever closer inter-linking of cultures, economies and ways of living. As aid agencies, we are proud of – and depend on – Ireland’s ability to build relationships with people across cultural divides, and to find our common humanity.

ger craddock

We are part of our nation’s, and particularly our capital Dublin’s, efforts to foster innovation and close communities of people. Our member organisations depend on good communications and on everyone’s thorough understanding of the opportunities (and challenges) of being true global citizens. And Dublin allows us to tell our stories, and reminds us of something we as aid agencies are not good at: celebrating our achievements. PIVOT Dublin, World Design Capital 2014 will be a wonderful opportunity for us to do just that. Hans Zomer Director Dóchas

The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design as part of the National Disability Authority is delighted to support the bid for Dublin to be the World Design Capital in 2014. Dublin and Ireland are well positioned to become a leading innovative hub in Universal Design Thinking. The Centre was set up in order to promote the achievement of good design which enables the use of a building, facility, product, service or ICT by any person in the most independent and natural manner possible, in the widest range of situations and without the need for adaptation, modification, assistive devices or specialised solutions to the greatest practicable extent. It covers all persons regardless of their age, their size or whether they experience any physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual ability or disability. Therefore Universal Design has the capacity to reach significantly wider markets than an approach which disregards human diversity. The Centre has worked closely with Dublin City Council on how to incorporate Universal Design Thinking as

part of its strategy in transforming Dublin into a world class user friendly and accessible city for both its inhabitants and visitors/ tourists coming to Ireland. A key project that both parties collaborate on is the “24 hour Universal Design Challenge” which the centre has led for the past two years. Over 100 designers have participated in this event in the last two years and plans for how this can form part of Dublin becoming the World Design capital in 2014 are already being discussed. Dublin’s bid envisages Universal Design as a key component of Dublin’s World Design Capital year in 2014 in which all people particularly people with disabilities, older people and people from diverse backgrounds will be part of making Dublin the most successful World Design Capital. We are delighted to support this and help make it happen.

dublin chamber of commerce

fáilte ireland

Dublin Chamber of Commerce is fully supportive of the bid to apply for Dublin city to be designated as a World Design Capital . Dublin Chamber has 1,300 member companies in Dublin, small and large, across all sectors. We are one of the oldest chambers of commerce in the world, tracing our roots back to the early 1700’s. Throughout this period, we have been committed to ensuring that the best interests of the Dublin City Region are at the forefront of our work. On behalf of business leaders, workers and all those that live in Dublin, we are pleased to wholeheartedly support this bid.

Dr Ger Craddock Chief Officer, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design – National Disability Authority

It is with very considerable interest I learned that Dublin is being considered to host the World Design Capital in 2014. Dublin has been honoured with many city designations with great success in the past and I am confident that this important and prestigious Icsid event can be hosted here with results that can satisfy all expectations. Please be assured that you and your colleagues have our full support through the Business Tourism Unit of Fáilte Ireland. Shaun Quinn

Gina Quin Chief Executive Dublin Chamber of Commerce

359 PIVOT DUBLIN

Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland - National Tourism Development Authority

PIVOT DUBLIN 359


PIVOT Dublin

Testimonials

mary v mullin

In the early 1960’s a quiet revolution took place in Ireland. The Kilkenny Design Workshops were established and for the first time a national design movement began. It was supported by the Government. The Irish who, from the 1300’s had been prevented from any visual expression of identity, had taken to story telling, song and literature to preserve their culture. Slowly they began to find the ‘lost’ dimension, the visual expression of their identity. There were great successes in the next forty years when new generations of designers and architects were educated and helped to create a forward-looking economic climate. There were, inevitably, some terrible mistakes. Now the young architects and designers of the 21st century are finding exciting new ways of using design to see both the old city of Dublin and its 20th century additions in a new light. They are questioning, seeking, learning and building on their inherited traditions. They have travelled the world and come back to view their city in a new light. They are brimming with ideas to ensure that their city retains its warmth, its charm, its accessibility and most of all its humanity while providing a sustainable, built environment, for commerce and people. They seek to correct mistakes. In straightened economic times they know

helmut langer

As an internationally working graphic designer and as Past President of ICOGRADA I have travelled in the last 25 years to many places around the world - to speak at conferences, to judge at competitions, to lecture at universities, to meet designers during board meetings, to advise design centres, to visit museums - Torino, Seoul, Helsinki, London, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Moscow, Copenhagen, Osaka, Mexico, New York, Santiago de Chile, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, Ahmadabad, Warsaw, Tokyo, Nagoya… They are all unique and have a reputation for design. But Dublin with its great culture, past and present, is one of the most extraordinary cities. Its architectural icons from its Georgian Houses to its new age buildings, its tweeds and woollen fabrics, its craft and new media design all make it a place of outstanding creativity.

padraig mcmanus

ESB, Ireland’s premier electricity utility, fully supports the Dublin bid for World Design Capital 2014 and recognises the important role that such a designation would play for the social, economic and cultural life of the city. The key components of good design are core principles of ESB’s approach to its business and we believe that there are many synergies between the PIVOT Dublin bid and our 2020 Corporate Strategy while our global industry network links us to a vast array of innovative projects that are engaging design as a tool for development. We are a lead player in the provision of creative design solutions in the area of sustainable energy, and by 2020 will be delivering one third of our electricity from renewable generation. In addition, we have set out a timeline and targets to reach a position of net carbon neutral by 2035 – one of the first utilities in Europe to do so.

360 PIVOT DUBLIN

that buildings, products and services with design at their heart will succeed. They have been volunteers abroad with the many aid agencies and they have learned what is truly relevant to the things which matter most in life. They want to share their stories of past, but most importantly their dreams of the future, with others. They wait to welcome their counterparts from all over the world to hear their stories and learn from them. Dublin is no stranger to hosting international design events: Icsid, ICOGRADA IFI and the World Crafts Council have all held memorable and convivial Congresses there. It is time that a new generation of designers returned. I can assure everyone that they will be warmly welcomed to Dublin if it hosts World Design Capital in 2014. Mary V Mullin Dubliner Vice President Icsid – 1975-76 Regional Adviser Icsid – present Secretary General ICOGRADA – 1986-1999 Chairman Sir Misha Black Awards for Distinguished Services to Design Education RCA, London – 2004-present

In Dublin, nature meets future - an excellent basis for sustainable design. Dublin, with its visionary talents across all fields of design is growing the potential to be a model for bridging cultures and connecting the world by design. Dublin is the ideal city to become the World Design Capital 2014. Prof. h.c. Helmut Langer hq sustainable conception and visual design for global communication Past President ICOGRADA – International Council of Graphic Design Associations.

Dublin as the capital city plays a fundamental role in our national society and is recognised internationally through its achievements in terms of culture, investment, literature, science and design. ESB wishes you every success in your bid and applauds your efforts on behalf of the Dublin region and ESB. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Pádraig McManus, Chief Executive ESB


PIVOT Dublin

Testimonials

michael john gorman

Where does science meet design? Science Gallery opened in Trinity College Dublin in the heart of the capital in February 2008 with the goal of being a place for creative collisions between science, art and experimental design. Since opening we have attracted over 750,000 visitors to dynamic exhibitions ranging from GREEN MACHINES, exploring green technologies and sustainable design to WHAT IF..., an exhibition developed with Tony Dunne and Fiona Raby exploring the interaction between speculative design and science. Science Gallery is delighted to be associated with Dublin’s bid to be World Design Capital in 2014. This is a bold proposal, an opportunity for Dublin to be a “ground zero” for design following the economic crisis, a place for experiment, a place where the role of designers in society can be reconfigured to address our current challenges. We are committed to participating in this process, and to holding pilot activities and exhibitions. Science Gallery recently won the first ever European Commission call for projects linking science, art and experimental design and is leading a consortium including the Royal College of Art, London, Ars Electronica FutureLab in Linz, MediaLab Prado Madrid and Le Laboratoire in Paris to explore new strategies for incubation of creative collaborations between scientists, artists and designers. The project will focus on three themes that will have major social impact: The

ian curley

Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) have followed Dublin’s bid to become World Design Capital 2014 with keen interest since the idea was first mooted in 2010. We feel that this bid has the potential to open Ireland’s design potential to the world and provide a convincing statement about Irish design capacity. Smurfit Kappa Group, with headquarters in Dublin, is a world player in paper based packaging with leading market positions in Europe and in Latin America. With sales in 2010 in excess of €6.5 billion and around 38,000 employees, the Smurfit Kappa Group is a focused player in paper based packaging. Operating in 30 countries (21 in Europe and nine in Latin America), it is the European leader in containerboard, solid board, corrugated and solid board packaging and has a key position in several other packaging and

louise allen

The Crafts Council of Ireland (CCoI) is the national design and economic development organisation for the crafts industry in Ireland. CCoI is responsible for fostering the growth and commercial strength of the crafts industry in Ireland, communicating its unique identity and stimulating quality design, innovation and competitiveness. The Crafts Council of Ireland work in partnership with a wide range of public sector bodies and creative and cultural organisations in order to create the environment to ensure the centrality of high quality design in the development of products and the future shape and design of local and international markets.

361 PIVOT DUBLIN

Future of Water, The Future of Social Interaction and Synthetic Biology and will provide an ideal testing ground for new approaches in the lead up to 2014. Dublin will also be European City of Science in 2012 and this will also be a major opportunity for reconsidering the relationship between science, technology and design. Science Gallery will use the World Design Capital opportunity to develop an events and exhibitions programme focusing on the many dimensions of the relationship between science and design, and launching a new residency programme for designers in scientific research labs. The ultimate potential of Dublin as World Design Capital in 2014 is not as a static showcase of great design, but as an open, living laboratory of design exploring the major challenges we face as a society, from energy to climate, from education to urban infrastructure. This is why I think the PIVOT Dublin Bid for Dublin matters. Michael John Gorman Founding Director Science Gallery Trinity College Dublin

paper market segments including graphic board and sack paper. SKG utilise sustainable forestry techniques and are committed to supporting action against climate change. This is reinforced by ensuring that all SKG products are manufactured from virgin fibres and/or recycled fibres. Smurfit Kappa Group is fully supportive of Dublin’s bid to become World Design Capital 2014. We feel that a successful bid would be a fantastic honour for the city in which SKG were founded. On behalf of Smurfit Kappa Group, we are delighted to wholeheartedly support the bid.

We look forward to hearing the result later this year.

Ian Curley Chief Financial Officer Smurfit Kappa Group

PIVOT Dublin’s focus on real and systemic design solutions in areas that will have a significant impact and benefit on the quality of life for citizens is timely and inspiring. The bid creates a platform for co-operation and an integrated multi-layered approach to engaging in radical design solutions. The Crafts Council of Ireland supports PIVOT Dublin’s World Design Capital bid as it gives a vital impetus to and forms part of a shared vision of connectivity that will significantly impact the future of design in Ireland. Louise Allen Education and Innovation Manager Crafts Council of Ireland

PIVOT DUBLIN 361


PIVOT Dublin

Testimonials

patrick cunningham

I am writing to convey my full support for Dublin’s bid to host World Design Capital 2014. As you know, Dublin will host the European City of Science in July 2012 and my office is responsible for planning and delivering this major international event. The World Design Capital would be a marvelously complementary event two years later with the potential for significant synergies between the two. Science and Design draw from the same well of human creativity (our tag line for 2012 is “Dublin, where Creativity and Great Science Meet”). Excellent science, whether it is an understanding of the properties of materials or the geometry of surfaces, is a prerequisite for excellence in design. Dublin seamlessly blends over one thousand years of history and heritage with all the features of a modern, cosmopolitan city. Our scientific heritage includes such distinguished scientists as Boyle, Hamilton and Walton. Our contemporary scientific capacity has been greatly enhanced by a ten-year programme of sustained investment in research and Dublin now features world-class institutions conducting cutting-edge research.

ronan murphy

PricewaterhouseCoopers is delighted to support Dublin’s bid to be designated as World Design Capital for 2014. We see many synergies between the PIVOT Dublin bid and our own business. The key components that contribute to good design – defining needs, discovering innovative solutions, developing and applying fresh ways of meeting our objectives – are core principles of our approach to our business, our clients and our people. We are based in a state of the art building in the regenerated Docklands and are very proud of the building’s vibrant design. The design is aligned with our culture which encourages change and innovation. We recognise that the principle of exchanging and developing ideas which is essential to the design process is also critical to our own business as financial advisors. Effective communication, smart networking and adding value are our strengths and these abilities have strengthened our network of connections

nathalie weadick

The Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF) is a public resource on architecture, a developmental agency for public engagement with architecture, an initiator of partnerships at local and national level, a deviser and programmer of inspirational architectural events designed to increase the publics’ engagement with architecture and the built environment. The IAF is a place where old ideas are challenged and new ones created, a place where architecture is not solely explored as an object focused art-form, but can be described in relation to experience, use, influence and process. The Irish Architecture Foundation believes in the power of architecture to transform people lives. PIVOT Dublin is aware of current and future needs related to architecture and design both nationally and internationally, and will use this knowledge and network to create a programme that is visionary, inspirational and can have impact on the future of design in Ireland and the people who use it.

362 PIVOT DUBLIN

As a result of the quality of research in Dublin institutions, Ireland is now ranked eight, third and first for the citations of its scientific publications in materials science, immunology and genetics, respectively. This was a key factor in our success in the competition to host the City of Science for 2012. So also was our ability to marshal support for the event across a broad a range of partners spanning national government, civic authorities, industry and academic institutions. At a practical level, the expertise and experience acquired in planning and running the Dublin City of Science 2012 will be available to you for 2014. I wish you every success in this endeavour and re-iterate that you will have the full support of my office in delivering this exciting event if World Design Capital 2014 comes to Dublin. Patrick Cunningham Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government

and relationships both locally and globally. Our access to a global network provides us with a rich variety of knowledge and experience, and directly links us to a vast array of knowledge and skills as part of innovative projects that are engaging design as a tool for development. Dublin is a dynamic city, open to change and ready to embrace new ideas as has been demonstrated through its development over the past decade. We have no doubt that the designation of Dublin as World Design Capital 2014 would have enormously positive impact. Rónán Murphy Senior Partner PwC

This bid is timely, the period of excess and hyper construction has gone and what remains is a different society, a creative society, with new priorities and ultimately more opportunities for the creative industries to connect with people. We see many exciting opportunities for all of us in the period ahead. This is why we are supporting the World Design Capital bid. PIVOT Dublin represents a force that can change the future The question is what legacy will it leave? The answer to this is our collective responsibility. Nathalie Weadick Director Irish Architecture Foundation


Testimonials

jim devine

I am delighted to endorse the proposal to have Dublin designated as the World Design Capital for 2014. This is such an exciting prospect and offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate Dublin’s international presence as one of the most vibrant and culturally rich cities worldwide. So much of the physical and cultural landscape has been transformed during the last decade and it is no surprise that Dublin is an attractor for so many creative professionals and for the companies in the creative industries. We would like to share this with the wider world! Nurturing creative talent is key to Dublin’s development and we are happy to play our part. Since our inception in 1997, IADT has built an enviable international reputation as a centre for design education, research and expertise. With a wide range of programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, we have grown to more than 2,200 students, reflecting the burgeoning demand and interest in fields of design that include visual communications, design for stage and screen, CGI/digital effects, interaction design and web and multimedia design. The National Film School is a key centre of excellence at IADT, covering film, animation

declan hayden

The Office for Integration, Dublin City Council in partnership with the key migrant and cultural festivals welcomes the Dublin World Capital of Design Bid. Dublin is now a multi-ethnic city, with over 20% of the city population of immigrant origin, and over 120 different nationalities living and languages spoken in the city. Dublin is also a member of the new International Intercultural Cities Network. Dublin is a city that is providing an exciting and fertile ground for the growth of cultural understanding, intercultural dialogue and design. A number of significant cultural festivals emerged in the last six years that have grown to be specific annual city events in the calendar. These festivals promote many cultures and in a number of cases showcase some of the most unique and innovative festivals for those cultures and nationalities outside their own home countries. Design will be a central theme within their celebrations for 2014. One idea these groups wish to collaborate on is the formation of twelve characters that will emerge to open the 2014 year on New Year’s Eve 2013, at twelve points across Dublin

hugh campbell

UCD School of Architecture is delighted to be associated with Dublin’s bid for World Design Capital designation. We would see this designation as an important recognition of the city’s longstanding and wide-ranging design culture. It will also provide the ideal opportunity for the city to recognize the central importance of design to every aspect of its activities and its identity. Dublin is a city in which design matters. For the School of Architecture, the city has long acted as a kind of laboratory, in which to observe the impact of design at every scale, from the masterplan to the detail and in which to experiment and propose new ideas. We actively engage with municipal authorities, agencies and other stakeholders in pursuing our design thinking. Many of our staff

363 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

and TV. Our campus incubation centre, MediaCube, hosts some twenty start-ups in the creative sector and we have further links into the Digital Hub, the Government initiative to cluster creative industries development, while at the same time achieving urban renewal in the area surrounding the historic Guinness Brewery. We collaborate closely with all higher education institutions in the Dublin region and we are founding partners of the National Digital Research Centre and of the Graduate School for Creative Arts and Media. In this way we are part of a coherent platform with a shared vision for Dublin. We are delighted to be associated with this proposal and will be more than happy to offer the facilities of the college and the wholehearted support of staff and students to assist in the programming and hosting of events throughout the year. Jim Devine President IADT: Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology

bay. These twelve characters will represent each month of the 2014 year and in turn where relevant the particular cultural festival falling in that month. For example the February character is proposed to be a horse, linking with the “Dublin Chinese New Year Festival” celebrating the Year of the Horse in 2014. Other designs proposed include the “Russian Festival” in March, “Experience Japan” in April, “Africa Day Festival” in May, “Filipino Festival” in June, “The Indian Festival of Colours” in July, the “Dublin Latin American Festival” in August, the Halloween Festival in October and the Festival of Light in December. Many smaller cultural groups will also be included. These organizations together here commit their festivals, their support and creativity to the theme of design for the future and give their support and backing to the Dublin bid to host the World Design Capital 2014. Declan Hayden Office for Integration, Community & Enterprise DCC

have been instrumental in some of the key urban interventions of recent times from Temple Bar to Ballymun regeneration. Building on this experience, we are keen for our staff and students to be involved in devising and participating in all the key events planned for 2014. ‘Design is a method of action’ said Charles Eames. The design process can unlock a city’s problems and discover its potential. As World Design Capital, Dublin can demonstrate the design makes a difference. Hugh Campbell Professor of Architecture UCD

PIVOT DUBLIN 363


PIVOT Dublin

Testimonials

declan mcgonagle

As Director of the National College of Art and Design I am very pleased to support the bid for Dublin to be designated World Design Capital for 2014. This is an important opportunity for the city, for design education, the design sector and for the interaction between design and society. The proposal has already coalesced various partners to the process in the broader culture and in the fields of art and design, and these partnerships have such potential for further development in the year and beyond into the future. As the premier provider of Art and Design education in the University Sector in Ireland, NCAD sees design and the development of design thinking in the culture, the economy and the society as critical to the future of the society in negotiating a new narrative in response to the recessionary forces now at work in this context. Innovation is key to building a new momentum for Ireland and design is one of the new ‘stories’ to be told. We can see all areas covered by NCAD such as: Visual Communication, Industrial Design, Fashion and Textiles, Ceramics, Glass and Metals and related areas in Fine Art and Education, having direct benefits from the bid process and ultimately the designation which will create enhanced opportunities, understanding and potential. The designation would be of enormous value to the sector in this

mike adamson

I am the Chief Executive of Live Nation Ireland. Live Nation is the largest live entertainment company in the world, consisting of five businesses: concert promotion and venue operations, sponsorship, ticketing solutions, e-commerce and artist management. In Dublin we own and operate Ireland’s largest live entertainment arena “The O2” and operate Dublin’s largest touring theatre “Grand Canal Theatre”. We entertain over 1.5 million customers per annum across these two venues and 140 million customers across 21, 000 events worldwide. I am totally enthralled and excited at the prospect of Dublin being the World Design Capital for 2014. Dublin has so many fine new facilities perfect for hosting such an event. Dublin is truly at a crossroads in its colourful history. Dublin rose to new heights of pluckiness in the 1990’s/2000’s. It grappled hard with the issue of expressing its character and complex history alongside modern Dublin, leaving many of its issues unresolved in design and architectural terms.

john o’connor

The Dublin Institute of Technology enthusiastically supports and has actively engaged with the Dublin city World Design Capital 2014 bid. In addition to supporting the bid, Dublin Institute of Technology are members of Icsid and have run and will continue to run events such as workshops for World Industrial Design Day, which support Icsid and their partner organisations in the International Design Alliance. DIT recognises the importance that World Design Capital designation would bring to the Dublin and its environs. We have developed strong links between our students, our educational

364 PIVOT DUBLIN

context and would also present necessary challenges to be met by upgraded, collective approaches in the field. Collaborative processes between institutions such as the Graduate School for Creative Arts and Media, National Digital Research Centre and NCAD’s new Academic Alliance with University College Dublin would also be enhanced. This would also provide an incentive to repeat the recent success the College has had in setting up the Masters Programme in Medical Devices Design and TFE (Task Furniture in Education) a new EU funded four year research programme in furniture in education, involving three partner institutions in Europe and the U.S. NCAD commits itself to inflecting its new Gallery programme towards design subjects throughout 2014 and to create, in collaboration with the central organisers in 2014, an ancillary programme of talks, lectures, workshops, symposia, inviting practitioners/ scholars to participate. NCAD is enthusiastic about this proposal and bid and I am delighted that we are associated with the process. Professor Declan McGonagle Director National College of Art and Design

Of course the recent global economic crisis has taken its toll on Dublin but at the same time given the city and its people a new purpose. I believe that history will reflect on Dublin’s next 10 years as the period that it unveiled its true self and character. Future Dublin architects and designers will be influenced by the true character of Dublin and its social needs which in some instances were glossed over during the “Celtic Tiger” years. This is why I fully support Dublin’s bid to become World Design Capital 2014. Dublin is poised ready to go forward culturally on so many levels and especially so with its architects and designers. Dublin World Design Capital 2014 would be such a great catalyst to enthuse good city design and ignite the superb skill base that resides in Dublin and the whole of Ireland, who are ready to shape Dublin’s future. Mike Adamson Chief Executive Officer Live Nation Ireland

programmes and the citizens of the city through a range of community initiatives and outreach programmes. A successful bid will reinforce the contribution we are making to the city, to those people who live, work and study in Dublin and the international community who visit it. We warmly support the PIVOT Dublin submission. John O’Connor Head of the School of Art Design and Printing Dublin Institute of Technology


Testimonials

dermod dwyer

As Ireland’s first purpose-built conference venue, The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) was developed in partnership with the Irish Government to expand and attract further major international conferences, meetings and events to Dublin. The facility has already received international acclaim from organisers and delegates alike and its iconic design by the internationally renowned architect Kevin Roche has ensured it has become one of the capital’s most important landmarks. Opened in September 2010, The CCD has already hosted over 200 events, welcomed tens of thousands of international delegates, and generated tens of millions of Euros for the local economy. Events hosted to date include: conferences, meetings, banquets and concerts, such as European Union of Geriatric Medicine Society Conference (EUGMS), XFactor Auditions, Google EMEA Sales Conference, Globe Forum 2010, Microsoft, Taste of Christmas, UK Fertilities Conference, European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation

pj rudden

RPS is delighted to support Dublin’s bid to be awarded World Design Capital in 2014. As Designers, Engineers and Planners we have worked on a large number of Ireland’s biggest infrastructural projects. For that reason, we welcome the renewed focus on Irish design that this prestigious designation would attract. RPS has offices in Ireland, UK, the Netherlands, North America, Brazil, Middle East and Australia.

brendan cannon

We are very happy to support you in your bid to bring the World Design Capital initiative to Dublin in 2014. I can think of no better city to host this prestigious event than Dublin – our messy, vibrant, innovative, dirty ol’ town. Intel has been in Ireland, in Leixlip on the outskirts of Dublin, for more than 20 years now. Over that time our campus has grown, through the knowledge, skills and innovation of our Irish workforce, to become Intel’s largest advanced manufacturing location outside of the US and a hub for some of the most exciting technology and manufacturing research currently taking place on one of the most technologically advanced industrial campuses in Europe. Over that proud 20 year history we have become intertwined in the scientific, social, academic and industrial life of our local community and the country and would welcome the chance to strengthen those links through our support of the Dublin World Design Capital bid. Intel worldwide pushes the boundaries of innovation so our work can make people’s lives more exciting, fulfilling, and manageable.

365 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT Dublin

Conference, American Chamber of Commerce 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner and the 8th Irish Film & Television Awards Ceremony. In 2012, The CCD has confirmed EuroScience 2012, International Bar Association as well as Interaction 12, the annual conference of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA) Conference in 2012. As a popular destination and with the City’s strong heritage in design, arts and culture, Dublin is the perfect host for the World Design Capital 2014. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do at The CCD to help support this important project. Dermod Dwyer Executive Chairman The Convention Centre Dublin

We will promote the year actively among our staff and clients and we look forward to playing an active role in promoting the activities of the year in 2014. I will also help to promote the bid in my role as incoming President of Engineers Ireland, in May 2011. PJ Rudden Group Business Director RPS

The design of our products and our programmes plays a huge part in striving to achieve the vision of creating computing technology to connect and enrich the lives of every person on earth. We continually look for the next leap ahead – in technology, education, culture, manufacturing, and social responsibility. And in so many ways, so does Dublin… Brendan Cannon Head of Corporate Affairs Intel Ireland

PIVOT DUBLIN 365


PIVOT Dublin

Testimonials

maureen conway

Ballyfermot College of Further Education is delighted to support the City of Dublin in its bid for World Design Capital 2014. Established in1979, BCFE is a constituent college of the City of Dublin Vocation Education Committee. We have eight departments delivering 40 programmes from Art and Animation to Music, Media, Business, Social Care, Film and Television, Digital Media and Computer Games, Travel and Tourism and Engineering. The college draws students not only from Dublin and every county in Ireland but has students from 50 plus nationalities, from both inside and outside the EU. College graduates have achieved many successes over the years. Within the past twelve months our animation graduates have achieved two BAFTA nominations, one BAFTA win, one EMMY, four Academy Award nominations, one Academy Award, one Royal Television Society award and one Grand Prix at the 2010 Digital Media Awards. Graduates of our Rock School have

brian maccraith

On behalf of Dublin City University (DCU), I am very happy to write in strong support of Dublin’s bid to be the World Design Capital 2014. DCU is a university that places a major emphasis on innovation, particularly where it answers a societal need or an industrydefined problem and, crucially, where it can be translated into economic benefit. It is well established that design plays a key role in innovation and I would particularly welcome Dublin’s goal of exploring “new design ideas which address local needs yet have global relevance”. At DCU, we are making a firm commitment to prioritise such societal grand challenges in our research – issues such as enhanced healthcare, a cleaner environment, energy needs, multi-culturalism – what we call societally-oriented research. The focus of our research activity includes the development of efficient technologies to reduce electrical energy consumption, which can contribute greatly to the reduction of global carbon emissions. In addition, we are developing broader-scale projects in the Clean-Tech area. On November 22, 2010, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation & Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn came to DCU to launch ‘An tSlí Ghlas’ (The Green Way), Ireland’s First Green Economic Zone. The goal of The Green Way is to position

john hegarty

Trinity College Dublin is delighted to endorse Dublin’s bid to become World Design Capital 2014. As Ireland’s oldest university situated in the very heart of its capital city, our community of staff and students have been contributing to the fabric of this vibrant city since 1592. As an institution we are wholeheartedly committed to advancing Dublin as an international city of learning, culture and innovation. At the core of Trinity’s research is the concept of sustainable society. The themes proposed under ‘Pivot Dublin - Turn Design Inside Out’ very much align with this strategic focus and will benefit from design strengths at Trinity centred around the School of Engineering (www.tcd.ie/Engineering/). Of particular note are TrinityHaus, the Trinity Centre for

366 PIVOT DUBLIN

been named Best Irish Female at the Meteor Music Awards and won an international singing and song writing contest in Chengdu in China. Ireland has a long history of our people leaving to work abroad through economic necessity and to support the establishment and development of nations. We also have a strong tradition of storytelling and the creative arts. Some of our most famous artists live, work and draw their inspiration from daily life in Dublin. The city is teeming with creativity – writers, designers, actors, singers and visual artists making Dublin an ideal placed to host the World Design Capital 2014. Maureen Conway Principal Ballyfermot College of Further Education

Ireland as a centre of Clean-Tech innovation and enterprise and to develop trade partnerships with other major international green corridors such as the US East Bay Green Corridor Partnership and Lahti Clean-Tech Science Park in Finland. DCU is Ireland’s University of Enterprise and DCU Invent (a state of the art Innovation and Enterprise Centre) is a key element of our strategy for innovation. DCU Invent was established to transform knowledge into commercial success and to provide the critical link between the university and the marketplace. DCU Invent works on the transformation of cutting edge research into innovative and commercially exploitable products and services, with purpose-built incubation space for technology-based start-up companies. The Design Capital bid is a valuable opportunity to showcase Irish design talent as well as an opportunity to explore valuable new design ideas that can effect change for the better. I am delighted to support this initiative and wish the Dublin design team the very best in their endeavours. Prof. Brian MacCraith President Dublin City University

Bioengineering, and TRIP, the Centre for Transport Research and Innovation for People. Broader initiatives of relevance to ‘Pivot Dublin’ in the context of a design strategy for society are TILDA, with a focus on successful ageing and independent living, and the Creative Arts, Technologies and Culture initiative. Trinity College Dublin is proud to be associated with ‘Pivot Dublin - Turn Design Inside Out’ as it seeks to spark new ideas, practices and connections, to set the pace for change, and to forge a sustainable society rich in wisdom, health, culture and wealth. John Hegarty Provost Trinity College Dublin


Testimonials

pat cooney

The Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland (OPW) and the State Architect welcome and support Dublin’s bid for designation as World Design Capital in 2014. As the procurers, designers and guardians of many of the most significant and historic public buildings in the capital city, we encourage good design as essential for the delivery of a quality built environment for the citizens of the State. The OPW has been responsible for the conservation and restoration of many historic places and structures in Dublin and look forward to contributing to the Seed Project: Connecting the Historic City. The OPW can facilitate access to a range of public buildings as part of the proposed 100 ‘Special Rooms’. The OPW may also be able to make available facilities at Farmleigh

angela brady

PIVOT Dublin

House, Royal Hospital Kilmainham and Dublin Castle as venues for conferences, seminars, exhibitions and workshops if required. The OPW believes that if Dublin were to be designated the World Design Capital in 2014, the focus on good design will encourage a dynamic between creativity and innovation to flourish in Dublin, whereby generating creative energy throughout Ireland. Pat Cooney State Architect Director of Architectural Services, OPW

As one of the many Dublin diaspora who came to London in 1980’s and stayed, I can see huge value in the recognition of Dublin being designated as World Design Capital in 2014. Irish people have an innate and distinctive design style in everything from jewellery and fashion, to art and architecture, creating a unique ‘sense of place’ that is Dublin. Its rich culture of writing music and politics linked to its colourful history adds to a Living City that has rapidly expanded in the past boom time and improved the quality of life for Dubliners and visitors alike. Irish designers are well educated and talented and those located abroad do not disengage or forget their roots. This Irish cultural design identity is reinforced as it returns home in most arts forms and welcomes in turn international designers to be part of this Dublin stage – see Libeskind’s Opera house and Calatrava’s bridges.

Our Irish architectural graduates set up the RIAI London Forum in 1985, and each year we showcase the best of Irish architecture, the latest exhibition being hosted by the Irish Embassy in London. There is no doubt that Irish architecture is world class as evident in the plethora of contemporary award winning buildings in Dublin, from the famous regeneration of Temple Bar, to the world renowned oasis of Trinity College. So while Dublin is a city on the edge of Europe – its design heart is at the centre of the world.

ireland’s design organisations

On behalf of

The Irish are an enthusiastic and optimistic people who have an ancient relationship with culture and art. Our relationship with design is more recent – but no less enthusiastic! For such a small nation our culture and art has had a profound effect on world Culture and our design culture is following suit. Dublin is a vibrant and exciting city with a long history. It is the capital city of our island and from an early age the relatively tranquil Irish Sea and the broad calm estuary of the river Liffey brought our ancestors out into the world and brought many visitors to our shores – engagement with others is a tradition that we cherish. Now we are connected by technology, shared thoughts and ideas, a passion for design and a belief that we can collectively change our world for the better. Our organisations, collectively representing the design and creative community in Dublin, share a great enthusiasm for the Dublin bid to host World Design Capital 2014. We give our collective commitment to the bid team and to those who have promoted this initiative in Dublin – we extend this same unwavering commitment to those visionaries who first imagined that there could and should be a World Design Capital project that promotes and encourages “the use of design to further the social, economic and cultural development of the world’s cities”.

367 PIVOT DUBLIN

Angela Brady FRIAI FRSA RIBA RIBA President September 2011-2013

Garrett Stokes Chairperson Design Business Ireland Pearse McCaughey President The Institute of Creative Advertising & Design Derek McGarry President The Institute of Designers in Ireland Martin D Lowery President Engineers Ireland Douglas Carson President Architectural Association of Ireland Paul Keogh President The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Dave Kirkwood President Irish Landscape Institute Eddie Shanahan Chairperson Council of Irish Fashion Designers Séamus Byrne Chairperson Interactive Design Association Dublin

PIVOT DUBLIN 367


Dialogue

Neil McCabe, Fireman I do indeed. I think Dublin Fire Brigade would immediately respond to that answer. I would say to you that in this fire brigade everyday an ordinary day of our lives on duty is shared with the worst day, or perhaps a very bad day of someone’s life, when we turn up outside their house. One of the things people associate with the fire brigade, apart from fire safety, is the use of water and the creation of carbon. Perhaps we don’t create the carbon but we are definitely on site when it is being poured into the atmosphere. In this station one of the good things we’ve done is design and install a rainwater harvesting system. And the maths of it is, we collect 14,000 litres of rainwater every ten days which means we are able to fill the fire engine twice with rain water per day and for a year now we have been putting out fires with rain water. As a separate system, we have another rainwater collecting chamber and what this chamber does is it collects rainwater, treats it to EU standards and then sends it to the showers and the toilets and finally that water leaves the station and goes to waste water treatment works which treat the water and send it back across to the original rain water holding tank which feeds the fire engine. So we have almost no water leaving this Fire Station and almost no water entering this Fire Station. Neil McCabe asks Jenna Logan

How do you see changes being made across our society that will have a positive impact on the next generation?

Jenna Logan, Barista I think the changes are there and I think people want them. I think it is harder to get those changes implemented when the economy is down. I think people look at that stuff and because there are long range goals involved with that, people need to see immediate pay off. It isn’t a sexy thing for City Council to do - Hey let’s have more recycling, let’s talk more about transport, let’s talk about putting in more bike lanes. However, that said, they have brought in Dublin Bikes and I think that is fantastic and I know it is on their agenda to expand on that and ? I think these are the kinds of things that have to happen, because, even if an individual doesn’t personally see themselves and think - ‘Hey, I’m going to get on a bike and I’m going to ride it around town’, I think the fact that it’s there, it indicates a new way of thinking within the city and even though the bike may not be their thing, they’ll take it somewhere else, they’ll do something else with it. Ok, maybe I don’t need to get into my car to go across town because there is a perfectly good bus line that takes me there, ok, let’s do that. So it is about changing our way of thinking. Jenna Logan asks Jesse Jones

What role will the artist play in our search for a more balanced future?

Jesse Jones, Artist You know, I think that idea of a ‘more balanced future’, what does that mean? The present isn’t balanced and the past isn’t balanced, the last thing that could possibly happen to humanity is that we reach some kind of equilibrium of balance ‘cause there is always something to be contested, there is always different agendas at play and that is kind of the making of history and the making of reality. ‘Balance’ is like the constant struggle for who has more power and who has more authority and who has just more space? I think there is a definite feeling that the future is going to be quite a difficult place, especially in this part of the world - in Ireland - in terms of our past and our present that our future is going to be quite difficult and that search for balance is possibly the wrong kind of agenda to have. I think the chaos might actually be really good for us as a nation, because we will actually have to have to stake a claim into what kind of society we want to live in. Jesses Jones asks Culturestruction

368 PIVOT DUBLIN

If you could collaborate with someone from any artistic discipline, from the present or even someone from the past, who would that be and why?


Open Questions

369 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 369


Open Questions Response to questions 43, 44

370 PIVOT DUBLIN

Open Questions


Case studies

Open Questions

designing for a sustainable future 43. Provide a minimum of three examples or case studies that demonstrate how the city has used design, design management and design development to create a socially, culturally and economically sustainable community and environment. Include a description of how design is currently addressed within the city’s strategic plan.much or as little space as needed. Think big and be creative.

Dublin as a city is in the process of transforming itself. The economic boom enabled an accelerated programme of development and regeneration, but since the boom has ended, design and planning have been prioritised as means of continuing the transformation of the city. The challenge to continue our transformation in the current economic environment has so far served to stimulate innovation and partnership. Our plans for Dublin are based around people and their needs. We know that designing for the future of Dubliners demands a collaborative, open and non-linear approach. It must be reactive not static, participatory not exclusive; and wholeheartedly optimistic about the potential for a better city.

371 PIVOT DUBLIN


Case studies

dublin’s creative voice

creative dublin alliance In 2009, arising from an Economic Action Plan for Dublin identifying Strong Leadership as a priority, a network of leaders was created across the local authorities, universities, economic development, business & finance sectors, and the creative and cultural industries to form the Creative Dublin Alliance. Early on in its formation, the Alliance benchmarked Dublin against other competitive cities in the global economy, as it is generally recognised that cities, not countries, compete against each other for investment, and Dublin is Ireland’s only internationally competitive city region. Successful cities attract talented, young, highly skilled workers; are centres of innovation and entrepreneurship; and are competitive locations for global and regional headquarters. Dublin is indisputably competitive on all these fronts.

Dublin City The river Liffey and the bay, photo by Peter Barrow

372 PIVOT DUBLIN

Open Questions

The belief was that by: unifying resources; working on projects that solve our city region challenges through the synergies created in the Alliance; and then delivering on these projects, that the Creative Dublin Alliance can position Dublin as a creative, influential and new ‘successful’ international city region.


Case studies

Open Questions

Dublin Docklands

Creative Dublin Alliance has also been actively involved in establishing the following networking, collaborative and promotional creative industry projects: innovation dublin

An annual festival of events showcasing innovation and creativity across Dublin.

economic action plan

An Economic Action Plan for the Dublin City Region led by the four Dublin local authorities on three fronts of Strong Leadership, Vibrant Place and Creative People.

designing dublin

A design-led initiative that engages individuals through collaboration and entrepreneurship to find solutions to Dublin’s future challenges.

univercities

An initiative to align teaching and research programmes in universities to assist in managing and planning for the future of Dublin.

innovation alliance

A Trinity-UCD project to develop Innovation as the third arm of the University sector, along with Education and Research, with identified outputs in job creation and enterprise.

branding the city region

A strategy to brand Dublin as an internationally competitive and creative city that attracts investment and talent.

network mapping

A mapping project to identify and capture the formal and informal cross-agency and cross-sectoral alliances and linkages that exist across key players in Dublin.

the 5th province dublin

To get Dubliners passionate about contributing to their city, via discussion forums, events and project initiatives.

373 PIVOT DUBLIN

Temple Bar


Case studies

Open Questions

Power Wafer 7

partnerships to make a city better

ibm smarter cities

IBM Smarter Planet Exhibition

374 PIVOT DUBLIN

In cities across the planet, including Dublin, we see public services operating in isolation with issues around co-ordination and collaboration across sectors such as housing, transportation, water, waste or public safety, having proven difficult. By contrast, Smarter City services are instrumented, interconnected, intelligent and interacting systems. In 2010, Dublin City Council announced a collaboration with IBM to make Dublin a Smarter City ‘Test bed’. IBM’s first Smarter Cities Technology Centre will be built in Dublin. This centre is now home to a highly skilled and cross-disciplinary team that is helping cities around the world better understand, interconnect and manage their core operational systems such as transport, communication, water and energy. Smart Cities allow governing authorities real-time information to make decisions. Experts work and collaborate with city authorities, universities, small and large businesses as well as experts from IBM Research and the company’s Software Development Lab in Ireland to research, develop and commercialise new ways of making city systems more connected, sustainable and intelligent.


Open Questions

Case studies

Some of the current collaborations between Dublin City and IBM include: Transport and traffic management systems that allow for the display of real-time information and the development of an integrated ticketing system. Smart water metering to address Dublin’s water issues around cost and supply. Energy use optimisation systems.

This collaboration and repositioning of Dublin as a Smarter City embraces the latest technology to stimulate economic activity, and meets the challenges of a globally competitive city for the future.

Picture Story Students and Cities

“ Researchers at the new Centre will investigate how advanced analytics and visualisation techniques coupled with solutions such as Cloud, stream, and high performance computing, can help city authorities make optimal use of resources and so meet the challenges of our increasingly urbanised world” Dr. Katherine Frase, Vice President, Industry Solutions and Emerging Business at IBM Research

375 PIVOT DUBLIN


Open Questions

Case studies

positive change through design thinking

design 21st century

Design Twentyfirst Century is a not for profit educational foundation established by entrepreneurs Jean Byrne and Jim Dunne in 2006. They believe that new ways of learning are needed to nurture a happier, healthier and more prosperous nation. Design Twentyfirst Century has evolved a method of learning that uses design thinking processes and tools. They call this model Learning to Learn. It answers the need of how we can better equip our people – our greatest asset - with the skills to solve complicated problems in a much more socially inclusive and sustainable way.

Designing Dublin Street Conversation

376 PIVOT DUBLIN

Designing Dublin Clongriffin Workshop


Case studies

Open Questions

There are five unique qualities to the Learning to Learn concept: Allowing people to interact with cities as living laboratories: By matching real world projects with multi-disciplinary, real world people. Mixing individuals from the private and public: This model is based on multi-disciplinary teams who work collectively by leveraging the diversity of their thinking. Teams are made up of volunteers who work full time (who want to learn design thinking and who want to contribute to the city), and seconded staff from the client (in this instance, that would be Dublin City Council). Allowing processes to produce outcomes: By establishing a set of tools and methodologies based on design thinking that outline a clear and directed, but still flexible, creative process that produces innovative ideas and outcomes. Embracing an ethos of possibility and “yes we can” attitude: By approaching challenges creatively, with an open, optimistic and curious mindset, we create the space for sustainable innovation to occur. Fostering individual responsibility and ownership: By producing intelligent, well-informed and committed people to act, not just observe.

To date, Design Twentyfirst Century has run two pilot projects where they have applied their Learning to Learn concept: Designing Dublin 1.0 – Finding the Hidden Potential of Place in Clongriffin. Designing Dublin 2.0 – Love the City in Dublin’s City Centre. Both have been supported by the Creative Dublin Alliance in collaboration with Dublin City Council. Throughout both projects, the multi-disciplinary teams involved have been tasked with collaborating with the people of the selected areas to find solutions to the ‘real’ challenges faced by the Dublin City Region. Teams conducted research, street engagements, ideated, iterated and run prototypes… all with the aim of finding the best solutions that take into account people’s needs and wishes.

Designing Dublin Positive Protest

Some of the outcomes from Designing Dublin 1.0 - Finding the Hidden Potential of Place were: 500 people contributed to defining the project. 17 people joined the team. 1,700 ideas were produced. 18 concepts were sketched. Five projects were developed. 300 residents engaged in the projects. 20 residents became project champions. One developer engaged in the projects. One team member started a new business. One team member re-energised a start-up business through the new skills. One team member started a PhD in citizenship engagement and social spaces. Three team members returned to the public sector and challenged the system. Five team members formed an innovation laboratory. One business network was established.

Designing Dublin Hug Dublin

377 PIVOT DUBLIN


Open Questions

Case studies

moving people and their minds

dublinbikes scheme

The success of the dublinbikes scheme since its introduction in September 2009 has been truly remarkable! dublinbikes provides a fully integrated transport alternative whereby people borrow bikes from automated self-service stations. This transport alternative has captured the imagination of the public, and massively aided the promotion of cycling as a safe, healthy and environmentally sustainable form of transport in the somewhat fragmented city of Dublin. It has proven to be a scheme for everyone; from commuters to tourists, from the public utilising the bikes for recreational purposes; to business people going to meetings and students to college. Everybody wants them!

Dublin Bikes DCC and JCDecaux

378 PIVOT DUBLIN

Dublin Bikes DCC and JCDecaux


Open Questions

Case studies

The dublinbikes scheme: Has approximately 50,000 subscribers and close to 1,500,000 journeys recorded to date (projected targets was an up-take of 5,000 persons in year one, this figure was calculated to be 44,097). Was introduced by Dublin City Council as part of a contract entered with an advertising and street furniture company that has also seen public information campaigns, advertising and new signposting added to city centres amenities. Is now recognised as one of the most successful public bike rental schemes globally and has had queries and requests for information from cities all over the world, including: Tel Aviv, Brisbane, Colorado, London, New York and Stockholm! dublinbikes have been described as ‘almost iconic’ feature of Dublin already due to the distinct design and sheer number of dublinbikes continuously in use. Has proved so popular that a phased extension of the scheme up to 2016 has been planned to provide for up to 5,000 bikes and 9,000 docking points.

Key to the overall concept was the idea of encouraging ‘public ownership’ of the scheme to ensure that dublinbikes subscribers have a certain attachment and would act as ‘guardians’. Extensive and exhaustive research identified problems encountered in other cities’ similar schemes and also some Dublin-specific issues. To counter this, dublinbikes distinctive design features include: always-on LED lighting, an anti-theft lock, a chain guard to reduce potential vandalism, front and rear brakes integrated in wheel hubs, and a front bicycle basket. The overall performance of the dublinbikes scheme has contributed dramatically to the growth of cycling as a means of public transport in Dublin. Surveys show that 70% of the new 50,000 dublinbikes subscribers use the scheme to make daily trips to work and college, while the balance use it for social purposes, leisure and entertainment, as well as to shop and access services. This represents a seismic shift in people’s physical, environmental and sustainable travel behavioural patterns. It’s simple. People love dublinbikes.

Dublin Bikes DCC and JCDecaux

“ They (dublinbikes) have become part of someone’s thoughts when they decide to go to town, they’ll take one, use one and return it” Darragh Doyle, Culch.ie Pantone 316C and Cool Grey 5C

379 PIVOT DUBLIN


Open Questions

Case studies

making longer lives better

tril (technology research for independent living) centre We are all growing older, and design can considerably improve the quality of life in our aging process. Founded in 2007, the TRIL Centre looks at the physical, social and cognitive consequences of ageing and designs and develops technologies to address them... ‘making longer lives better’. TRIL operates as a virtual centre where researchers and designers based in the third level institutes of UCD and TCD collaborate with Intel and GE Healthcare. The centre harnesses multidisciplinary ageing research, clinical expertise and enabling technology design development and evaluation, to support independent living and it has succeeded in raising the agenda for ageing research both nationally and internationally. At the heart of the work of TRIL is a commitment to understanding ageing ethnographically. This involves spending time with people in their own homes and communities and participating in their lives. This work ensures that TRIL research is people-centred rather than technology-led.

Gait Analysis TRIL Clinic

TRIL’s achievements to date include: Establishing a good clinical practice (GCP) standard assessment clinic in St. James’s Hospital (one of the city’s main public hospitals), to gain a deep, holistic and practical understanding of the physical, cognitive and social health of older people. Generating a portfolio of technology prototypes characterised in a clinical setting. The deployment of those technologies into over 250 homes. The establishment of a worldwide network of technology and academic collaborators. Becoming a leading international academic-industry collaborative research centre in the ageing field. Developing specific technology including the BioMOBIUS research platform, The TRIL Gait Analysis Platform (GAP).

“The seeds of user relevant innovation can be found in the dreams and ideas of everyday people” Uday Dandavate, SonicRim

“ They (the TRIL researchers) were very nice and I hope I can help other people less fortunate than me” Bernadette Whelan, 74, The Liberties, Dublin City

380 PIVOT DUBLIN


Open Questions

Case studies

capturing the imagination

special olympics world games 2003 Our hosting of the Special Olympic World Games 2003 demonstrates Dublin’s and Ireland’s ability to stage, design, market and communicate a worldwide and worldclass event that really connected with, and captured, the imagination and warmth of the Irish people. The Special Olympics 2003 World Summer Games were hosted in Ireland, with participants staying in multiple host towns around the island in the lead-up to the games before moving to Dublin for the events. An incredible 30,000 volunteer officials and support staff assisted in the organisation and running of the 2003 Special Olympics World Games. In summer 2003, ‘the Games’ was a constant talking point! The opening ceremony, held in Croke Park featured an array of international names including U2, and Nelson Mandela, who officially opened the games. 75,000 athletes and spectators were in attendance at the opening ceremonies, and Muhammad Ali was a special guest. The main initiative during the three years prior to the games was at the local community level. Under the ‘Host Town Programme’ the community building initiative proved to surpass all expectations.

Special Olympics Flame

381 PIVOT DUBLIN

Special Olympics Photo by Sportsfile


Open Questions

Case studies

The highly successful social inclusion and community development programme was rolled out through the Host Town programme. 177 towns, cities and villages and the Aran Islands hosted national delegations in the run up to the games. By early 2003 it would have been difficult to travel any significant distance in Ireland without encountering a town from the Host Town Programme. Each town educated the local community about the customs of the country they would host, and provided facilities for the teams to acclimatise. The Schools Enrichment Programme was a highly successful initiative in the build up to the Games to promote and build awareness of the Special Olympics. On all approaches to participating towns one was greeted with large colourful signs welcoming a particular country’s delegation to their town.

Special Olympics Flame

Special Olympics Photo by Sportsfile

Special Olympics Opening Ceremony

At all times the Games were promoted, marketed and communicated in such a way that everyone involved felt they had contributed and belonged. The Special Olympics main legacy has been in changing people’s attitudes and perceptions about people with learning disabilities. Other legacy facets include: the development of a National Disability Bill and the government’s announcement that it was to put $50m into supporting people with disabilities in Ireland.

382 PIVOT DUBLIN

People found the games extremely moving and this wonderful experience found a real place in Irish hearts. The games ultimate legacy is that people with disabilities in Ireland now have a better life than before. And that legacy is immeasurable.


Open Questions

Case studies

building better livelihoods

camara

Camara (a West African word meaning “one who teaches with experience”) is an Irish volunteer organisation which uses technology to deliver education more effectively to disadvantaged communities in Africa and Ireland. The organisation operates as a social enterprise in two distinct business lines: ‘Education Delivery’ and ‘Computer Reuse’ and the key to its success is the remarkable operating model they designed which connects these two, seemingly disparate activities. Based in Dublin’s Digital Hub, Camara takes in used computers from Irish companies and individuals, wipes their hard drives of data, refurbishes them and loads them with educational software before setting them up as Learning Centres in schools in Africa and Ireland. Camara produces the computer training and educational multimedia materials used by the teachers and children. The computers and software are then shipped to Camara’s partner hubs in six African countries, from where distribution, training, technical support, and end-of-life eWaste facilities are managed. They also provide similar packages into Irish Schools and are shipping their first container of computers to their newly established hub in Jamaica.

Camara Delaney Memorial School

383 PIVOT DUBLIN

Camara’s work was recognised in January 2011 with the award for Most Innovative Development Project at the prestigious Global Development Network Awards. The citation noted that their work “will help people build better livelihoods for themselves and so break the cycle of poverty that continues to affect so many people in the country. The model it represents is both sustainable from an early age and is highly replicable across many countries and cultures.”

Camara Delaney Memorial School


Open Questions

Case studies

St Patrick’s Festival

our global platform

st. patrick’s festival St. Patrick’s Day is a unique worldwide celebration, party and parade of Ireland and Irishness. The Irish global network celebrates our national day with parades in many far-flung destinations - from Tokyo to Montreal, from Seoul to Buenos Aires, Australia and New Zealand. The United States of America has nineteen separate St. Patrick’s Day Parades, with the largest of these being held in the famed Irish diaspora cities of New York, Boston and Chicago. Dublin is the centre of the international St. Patrick’s Day festivities. However, in the mid-1990’s, St. Patrick’s day and the parade in particular was a somewhat tired event. The UCD Architectural Graduate Association (AGA) put the cultural potential of St Patrick’s Day on their Agenda and began to explore design initiatives and ideas to transform our national day. They began by monitoring and analysing the parade over a three year period. Following their research, AGA formulated recommendations, which included that the parade needed to be fully

choreographed and that St Patrick’s Day should become a properly funded festival, rather than ‘one day parade’ for the city. The main idea was that St Patrick’s Day Parade should be similar to an opera – a co-ordinated, themed and design-filled spectacle. The ideas from the UCD Architectural Graduate Association, supported by Government Funding, were then taken on board by a committee consisting of designers, tourism officials and event managers who further developed initial recommendations. The committee had the aim of reflecting the talents and achievements of Irish people on many national and world stages in the parade, and for it to act as an exciting showcase for the diverse skills of the people of Ireland, of every age and social background. Through the advent of an annual theme relating to the celebration of ‘Irishness’, this allowed local active arts organisations, street artists and a range of community groups to become intrinsically involved in the Festival. This has resulted in a greater emphasis on designing, celebrating and projecting a fluid and inclusive notion of “Irishness”.

“Loved Festival 2010, spent more time in town than at home for the weekend” Sindy, The Dublin Community Blog

384 PIVOT DUBLIN


Open Questions

Case studies

St. Patrick’s Festival now: Showcases Ireland and its culture. Offers a national festival that ranks amongst all of the greatest celebrations in the world. Creates energy and excitement throughout Ireland and our global network via innovation, creativity and grassroots involvement. Provides the opportunity and motivation for people of Irish descent (and those who sometimes wish they were Irish!) to attend and join in the imaginative, creative and expressive celebrations. Has a large-scale economic benefit to the city through tourism.

St Patrick’s Festival

In Ireland, the St. Patrick’s Festival crosses all social, cultural and economic divides. One million people from across the country and from around the world descend on Dublin to attend the free parade and events throughout the city during the week-long celebrations.

“ I have wanted to come to the Dublin Parade for years and it is more awesome than I could ever have imagined. The range of diversity, creativity, ethnicity and scale of it all has truly blown me away” Alice McTague, 54, Minnesota, USA (both parents were 1st generation Irish)

385 PIVOT DUBLIN


Open Questions

Case studies

keeping traditions alive

na píobairí uilleann A hive of honeyed sound… uilleann pipes are recognised worldwide as iconic symbols of Ireland. The uilleann pipe (pronounced “ill-in”, from the Irish word ‘uilleann’ for elbow) is a distinctively Irish form of bagpipe and undoubtedly the sweetest and most complicated member of that family. The pipes have evolved and developed over centuries, its current form came into use in the late 18th century. Uilleann pipes’ distinguishing features include a bag filled by a bellows, not from a blow pipe; and a chanter or melody pipe with a arrange of two octaves as compared with a range of nine notes on the older pipes; drones which provide a fixed tuned constant harmonising sound, usually in three octaves; and uniquely the addition of regulators or closed chanters which permit an accompaniment to the melody.

Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU), founded in 1968, is a very vibrant cultural organisation, with a strong volunteering ethos among communities of performers in Ireland and throughout the world. NPU’s dream is to make uilleann piping a major form of music worldwide, and since its foundation, the number of uilleann pipers has grown from less than 100 to over 6,000 in over forty countries! But without a supply of new uilleann pipes and the required design and craftsmaking skills of toolmaking, wood turning, woodworking, metal work, leather work, reed making, balancing and voicing, progress made to date in Ireland will stall. New design research and prototypes instruments will remain an untapped potential. In response, NPU has embarked on an ambitious design-led plan to mend the break with traditional pipe making skills in Dublin. In doing so, they married the restoration of a symbol of Irish identity to the revival of local skills and production. step one:

The restoration of their Georgian headquarters in 15 Henrietta Street, to provide a home from which to promote the playing and manufacture of the uilleann pipes worldwide. Accessibility for Dubliners and visitors, younger ones in particular, to the very rich and long heritage of Irish music is crucial.

step two:

The most recent initiative is the establishment of a state-of-the art training centre in County Dublin. Designing a fulltime pipe makers training course, with the assistance of those recognised as the best in the world, can become the turning point.

Uilleann Piper photo by Catherine Shepherd

“ The challenge for our generation is to ensure that uilleann piping thrives.” Gay McKeon NPU

386 PIVOT DUBLIN


Case studies

Open Questions

current design strategies In the challenge to deliver sustainable livelihood and liveability, every city on the planet is coming under increasing pressure from two angles: Firstly, natural Resources such as oil, fish, timber, minerals, are becoming more costly and more difficult to access; and secondly, dealing with waste is becoming more costly, and has critical local and planetary impact. Dublin City Region has sought to respond to these challenges through its Development Plans, its most important policy documents, and to embed design within these as a fundamental platform. The city’s approach has been to embrace a philosophy of urbanism, which acknowledges complexity and adopts a holistic view of the city. The six urban themes of: economy, culture, social, environment, movement and urban form/spatial, constitute a framework to help manage and nurture this complexity and the different issues and challenges that arise. The framework can flip up to apply at a strategic regional level, or can flip down to drive the process of plan making at a local level. The six urban themes can each express a value system which helps articulate the shape of long term success, against which current disconnects can be clearly identified. This urban philosophy of place making has traditionally informed models as diverse as Temple Bar in central Dublin, new urban quarters in Docklands and Adamstown in South County Dublin. What is the true road to sustainability? In applying the six urban themes the City would not necessarily be able to establish or measure whether real progress was being made towards a sustainable future. The “Framework for Sustainable Dublin” (FSD) incorporates “The Natural Step”, a rigorous and proven systems approach which defines sustainability according to four principles, and has a compelling methodology of use and application. The six themes are therefore bookended with Sustainable Dublin at one end and Governance at the other. Sustainable Governance means openness, transparency, accountability and collaboration. The Dublin City Region is committed to producing the first regional sustainability report in 2012 and all Dublin Local Authorities are participating in a Sustainable Indicators Project geared to produce a baseline audit. In meeting the many challenges of designing and making a sustainable city, there is a critical need to harness the energy of the city community and engender a widespread culture of collaboration. The creative role here for the Local Authority is to be the “Architect of Conversations”. The Creative Dublin Alliance (CDA) brings together regional leaders with a vision for a Creative Sustainable Dublin and its mantra is for Dublin to be a trialling and prototyping city region. The CDA engages through projects and research aimed at meeting the challenges of today and aspiring to make the city of tomorrow from a replicable seedbed of innovation. Key projects include: the first Regional Economic Action Plan which features three innovation corridors linking the inner city to the region; (i) The Northern Corridor to Fingal, the Airport and Swords (ii) The Western corridor from Heuston into South County (iii) The Southern corridor from Trinity to UCD and Sandyford. Design is fundamental to these initiatives, which aim to engage with the city and its inhabitants in new, considered and energising ways.

387 PIVOT DUBLIN

Father Collins Park, Abelleyro + Romero Architects & MCO Projects, photo by Anthony Woods


Case studies

Open Questions

from a whisper to a shout: dublin turns design inside out 44.

Describe the expectations of your city for the WDC 2014 designation.

With PIVOT Dublin, we have set ourselves an ambitious agenda of creating transformational change. Being World Design Capital in 2014 will be the catalyst to enable us achieve this change – the PIVOT Dublin legacy. From streets to studios and from boardrooms to classrooms, the story of this bid is the story of a conversation which has grown and grown. The consensus from participants is that World Design Capital is an important opportunity from which we need to achieve significant outcomes. We have much to learn and much to give. For all those who participate in PIVOT Dublin, from all areas of design, from all walks of life, from all cultures and nationalities, we hope that they will teach us and bring home what they learn. We want people to continue the conversations that will be started here, and put the knowledge and connections gained to work in many, many different contexts. For Dublin, we plan positive legacies for everyone in the city; all our communities, businesses and visitors. Our seed projects are rooted in Dublin’s ground conditions, focused on specific issues in Dublin which need to be addressed. Our PIVOT Dublin communications strategy puts city-wide participation to the fore. Our PIVOT Dublin programme engages a diverse range of stakeholders and together, we believe we can develop solutions which will create change for the better.

388 PIVOT DUBLIN


Case studies

Open Questions

But we want the legacies of PIVOT Dublin to be about changing how we do things as much as what we do. Our PIVOT Dublin approach, collaborations through seed projects, will develop new networks, and connect design to issues and innovations where it can play a positive role. We can forge stronger connections between designers and other sectors such as scientific research and business. We can foster a culture of design for all. These new networks and working methods will be a legacy in themselves. PIVOT Dublin World Design Capital 2014 will put design centre stage in the city’s conversations. It will give people a greater understanding of the inherent role of design in everyday life and the choices we as a city can make to improve our quality of life. Our PIVOT Dublin legacy will be that our children understand how important design is, and that they will value it as a positive force for all our futures.

389 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 389


Dialogue

Culturestruction, Collaborative art and architecture practice Tara: I think that we have decided that maybe it would be an engineer. Joanne: Yeah. Tara: Enabling us to do something physical that maybe we wouldn’t be able to do without that person. Tara: Because he makes things that I can’t imagine how you would make them. Joanne: I can imagine being able to design them, and have them made, but to help you make sure it stood up. Tara: I can grasp how to make them, but I can’t imagine being able to do it on my own without somebody like that. Joanne: And there is definitely an extent to which building that has happened over the last few years has become so standardised in it’s process, whereas he was kind of at the cutting edge of thinking about new processes and ways of building in concrete. And so, not necessarily that I would really want to work with concrete, but as a material, it was also at a time when people were thinking about maybe a feeling of more possibility about how something might work so, like, so many of the things – everything that has just been built in the last fifteen years has been built in the really similar standardised building processes and we would like to do something different. Culturestruction asks Dan Morrissey

If tomorrow you looked at the calendar, and suddenly it was 2015, what would have changed that would make Dublin a better place?

Dan Morrissey, kid Well I’d like to see maybe less factories and smoke and less cars and more people on bikes and walking instead of using all these machines that pollute everything. Well I think there would probably be a lot more space for people just to go instead of all these car parks and everything and I think there would just be, like, better for people to live in Dublin. Well I think that there would be a lot more business for bike shops and that a lot of the people would be really happy about being on bikes and that they just wouldn’t want to be in cars any more and they would start worrying about the environment a bit more. Dublin isn’t the best city in the world, but it’s still pretty good.


Thank You

391 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 391


Acknowledgements Thank You

392 PIVOT DUBLIN


Acknowledgements

Thanks

from a spark to ‘ignite’: the story of dublin’s world design capital 2014 bid The spark. On 21st July 2009, the exciting and captivating process that has led us to this bid started with an Iscid press release announcing that Helsinki and Eindhoven had been short-listed for World Design Capital 2012. That spark of curiosity led to chance conversations and an opportunity to table the idea of a Dublin bid at an IAF (Irish Architecture Foundation) Pecha Kucha night in the Sugar Club later. The idea started to gain momentum. But Dublin? A design capital? Although a city of many designers and design achievements, Dublin wasn’t known as a ‘Design City’. We soon came to realise that this was an anomaly, given our international profile in animation and gaming; the city’s vibrant graphic design scene; and our internationally renowned architects. Not only is Dublin the birthplace of internationally known businesses with strong design identities (Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Guinness, Jameson) and home to many more; but it is a city where decades of transformative social, cultural and economic design projects have been carried out by Dublin’s own Local Authorities. This is the city where James Joyce located his redesign of the modern novel; where an innovative Local Authority and industry ‘Smart City’ collaboration is working to make our city systems more connected, sustainable and intelligent; and where a clever local initiative to reuse old computers is changing the lives of countless children and adults in Africa. Turning it over… So, we realised that there was a story to tell, but it was one we needed to tell ourselves as well as the world. This bid for World Design Capital designation was an opportunity to do just that. We had 20 meetings over the next two months with designers across all disciplines, as well as representatives from government, education and business. People were enthusiastic (although some wondered if we were ready). Jonathan Legge put it best when we spoke to him in his pop-up Christmas shop on South William Street; he told us that Irish design needs just one push to make it strong, and aWorld Design Capital bid could be that push. John Tierney, the Dublin City Manager and colleagues on the senior management team could see the potential. More encouragement came from Sarah Fortunati in Turin, who told us that World Design Capital 2008 had given Turin a business boost and reaffirmed its status as a distinguished design city. When ‘if’ became ‘how?’ We met more people, the contact list grew. We gathered a group of project champions to take us to the next stage - Paul Keogh, Alan Mee, Aibhlin McCrann, Elaine McDevitt, Toby Scott, Barry Sheehan and Nathalie Weadick. 100 or so designers came together in Dublin’s Wood Quay Venue on March 22nd 2010 to discuss their hopes and fears for a Dublin bid under the expert guidance of Toby and Aibhlin. It was an intense, animated afternoon of discussion, debate and dissent. This and a brief meeting with EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn informed the final decision. The April 2010 feasibility study ‘Dublin World Design Capital 2014 - The potential for Dublin to mount a bid for the designation’ set out a plan of action, and the “will we?” became “yes, we will.” We realised that the bid process would create a clear and compelling statement about Irish design capacity. The bid document - this document -would set out a plan of action for design initiatives and articulate the role Irish designers could play in meeting fundamental challenges presented by a society, which has found itself at such a pivotal point. And we were in to win. Design addresses the need The project became more structured - we had a plan, targets, and the support of key politicians, designers, the Design Bodies and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG), who were helping to fund the bid process. The next step was to shape the bid, to tease out and reveal our theme. The project grew to include all the Dublin Local Authorities. With the support of County Managers David O’Connor, Joe Horan and Owen Keegan, and County Architects Marguerite Murphy, Eddie Conroy and Andree Dargan, we hosted workshops across Dublin, from Civic Offices to Denis Byrne and Maggie Moran’s tiny Darc Space. We looked for fresh eyes and new voices. Kate Cronin, a young designer in Ballymun’s Rediscovery Centre, suggested that Sam Russell (who, as part of Design Without Borders, created an affordable life jacket that has changed the lives of Ugandan fishermen) might be just the person to help.

393 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 393


Acknowledgements

Thanks

Workshop participants were asked a simple question, ‘Design addresses the need, what is Dublin’s need?’ Food for thought was given by Justin Knecht, Lisa Godson, Sarah Miller, Carrie Anne Moran, Bob Gray, Tara Kennedy and Joanne Butler. The Designing Dublin team surveyed hundreds of Dublin City Council employees to hear their thoughts. Conversation with interesting people – from Angela Dorgan to Gena Heraty – further inspired ideas about how we could approach a bid theme and programme. Sam distilled the output for our second stage report, ‘Pivot Dublin – Becoming a World Design Capital.’ ‘Pivot’ was Maria Hinds’ idea. Maria, a young graphic designer working between Dublin, New Orleans and New York, with Dublin colleagues Keith Nally and Rory McCormack offered ‘Pivot’ as a word that best expressed Dublin’s ‘unleashed potential’. Expectations were building. Our contact list had grown to 600 names, 600 touch points. Garrett Stokes led the charge by harnessing social media. And so pivotdublin.com, designed by Maria, Keith and Rory, was launched in Dublin’s City Hall in September 2010 by Lord Mayor Gerry Breen and Mayor Lettie McCarthy on behalf of the four Dublin City and County Councils. The website contributors, all volunteers, now included new champions among the familiar faces, such as Cathal O’Meara, Aisling Farinella, Marcel Twohig, Dan Spencer, Frank Long, Frank Hughes, Michelle Hetherington, and Clare Grennan and Laura Caffrey from the Irish Design Shop. Now for the hard work With the Pivot Dublin holding site in place feeding information and gathering ideas, small and large meetings continued, from one-to-one to the lunchtime audience in Trinity College’s Long Room Hub, organized by Dr. Sandra O’Connell. The bid document itself was always going to be a formidable undertaking. Public Procurement of services is a lengthy process and the team that won, Bob Gray (Red&Grey Design), Emma Curley (Emma Curley Architecture, Urban Design, Facilitation), Tom Burke and Shane Hogan (Areaman Productions) and Dr. Linda King (IADT) beat off stiff competition with Henrietta McKervey subsequently joining the team. The bid process had seen highs and lows, steady progress and bursts of frenetic activity but the bid team’s appointment saw the project enter its most intensive phase. Stefano Mirti in Turin and Helmut Langer in Germany helped focus our minds on ‘what matters’ about Dublin. Once again, we called on people’s generosity. Many people across the Local Authorities, business and the design community met the team, submitted material, suggested project collaborations, and wrote letters of support. Evelyn and Chris Hanlon, Jen Kelly and Noel Comer welcomed us into their homes to film our bid ‘conversations’. An advisory panel of people passionate about Dublin’s potential to deliver a great bid reviewed the team’s output - Toby, Lisa, Aibhlin, Elizabeth Hatz, Ré Dhubthaigh, Damini Kumar, Aisling Prior, Jean Byrne, Vannesa Ahuactzin and Wayne Hemingway. The creativity, energy and commitment of the bid creative team and coordination group have been extraordinary with a special word of thanks due to Owen O’Doherty and Mary Harvey. All this happened against a backdrop of unprecedented political and economic upheaval. At the time of writing, the aftermath of the General Election on the 25th February, we are awaiting the formation of a new Government and will be seeking this new Government’s support. We will have that support because we’ve prepared the ground. That level of preparation, of dedication, underpins everything we have done to create this bid, and everything we want to achieve as Dublin’s World Design Capital 2014. From our proposed opening gala ‘Ignite’, PIVOT Dublin will turn design on its head in 2014. And all this will happen from one spark…

Ali Grehan Dublin City Architect March 3, 2011

394 PIVOT DUBLIN


Acknowledgements

credits and acknowledgements Thanks and gratitude is owed to so many people whose energy, commitment, hard work, support and creativity went into the preparation of Dublin’s bid to become World Design Capital 2014. Particular thanks are due to:

steering committee: Dublin City Council, City Manager: John Tierney Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, County Manager: Owen Keegan Fingal County Council, County Manager: David O’Connor South Dublin County Council, County Manager: Joe Horan coordination team: Dublin City Council - City Architects’ Division: Ali Grehan, Owen O’Doherty, Mary Harvey Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – Architects’ Division: Andree Dargan Fingal County Council - Architects’ Department: Marguerite Murphy South Dublin County Council - Architectural Services Department: Eddie Conroy advisory panel: Toby Scott, Dr. Lisa Godson, Professor Elizabeth Hatz, Ré Dhubthaigh, Dr. Michael John Gorman, Damini Kumar, Aisling Prior, Jean Byrne, Vannesa Ahuactzin and Wayne Hemingway MBE bid design, film and content team: Red&Grey Design: Bob Gray, Keith McGuinness, Richard Weld-Moore and Lorna Melody Emma Curley Architecture, Urban Design, Facilitation: Emma Curley, Andrew Murray, Stéphanie Fy and Denis O’Kelly Areaman Productions: Shane Hogan and Tom Burke Other Contributors: Dr. Linda King (IADT) and Henrietta McKervey communication team: Communiqué International: Aibhlin McCrann RPS: Mary Murphy Dublin City Council: Michael Sands, Dick Gleeson, Kieran Rose, Sinead Connolly, Peter Finnegan, Evelyn Hanlon and Alan Breen

Bid Document funded by the four Dublin Local Authorities and the Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government ‘Policy on Architecture Programme 2009 – 2015’.

395 PIVOT DUBLIN

Thanks

image research by: Sara Daley Olivia Safer contributors: Mark Bennett Jo Anne Butler Laura Caffrey Martin Colreavy Noel Comer Eddie Conroy Jamie Cudden Ciarán Cuffe Ali Curran Designing Dublin Dublin Convention Bureau Jim Dunne Mark Dyer Fáilte Ireland Aisling Farinella Connell Foley Dick Gleeson Aidan Gregan Clare Grennan Evelyn Hanlon Declan Hayden Gena Heraty Michelle Hetherington Maria Hinds Frank Hughes Jen Kelly Tara Kennedy Paul Keogh Orla Kiely and Dermott Rowan Justin Knecht Jonathan Legge Frank Long Lisa Manselli Nicola Matthews Neil McCabe Niall McCullough Elaine McDevitt Alan Mee Kathryn Meghen Sarah Miller Stefano Mirti Keith Nally Dr Sandra O’Connell David O’Connor DIT Cathal O’Meara Barry O’Sullivan Ruairí Quinn Kieran Rose Susan Roundtree Sam Russell Richard Seabrooke Barry Sheehan Dr Conor Skehan Daniel Spencer Marcel Twohig Nathalie Weadick Ronan Whelan Ray Yeates

photographs contributed by: Architecture Ireland Peter Barrow Ian Bruce Andrew Bradley Alice Clancy Jason Clarke Photography Dr. Maurice Craig Dariusz R Cyparski DIT student images Dublin City Council Dublin Civic Trust Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Gregory Dunn Eamonn Elliott Fáilte Ireland Philip Farmer Fennell Photography Fingal County Council Dennis Gilbert Rich Gilligan Kieran Harnett Richard Hatch Graham Hickey John Hinde Ros Kavanagh Aidan Kelly Philip Kennedy Kilkenny Design Workshop Philip Lauterbach Anew McKnight Michael Moran Des Moriarty Sean Murray Conor Nolan Jeannie O’Brien Nikki O’Donnell Architects Gerry O’Leary Designing Dublin, Learning to Learn Parks Department, South Dublin County Council Sean and Yvette Photography Dominic Price Christian Richters James Russell Catherine Shepherd South Dublin County Council Goska Smierzchalska Sportsfile Temple Bar Cultural Trust Matthew Thompson Paul Tierney Unthink David Wall Siobhan Walker Photography Anthony Woods

contributors to ‘conversations’ films Gordon Byrne Kaethe Burt-O’Dea Mary Davis Angela Dorgan Dr. Michael John Gorman Damini Kumar Shelly McNamara Dr. Eddie McParland Deirdre McQuillan Ciarán O’Gaora Jane Ruffino Sam Russell David Smith Nathalie Weadick Ray Yeates contributors to ‘dialogue’ participants Sean & Yvette Jonathan Legge Rich Gilligan Colm Long Roise Goan Unthink Mark Little Frank Long Conor & David Bren B Dr Lisa Godson Alan Mee Scott Burnett Diarmaid Ferriter O’Donnell + Tuomey David Joyce Colm Mac Athlaoich Justin Knecht Dylan Haskins Grace Dyas Neil McCabe Jenna Logan Jesse Jones Culturstruction Dan Morrissey John Lambert Fiach MacConghail

PIVOT DUBLIN 395


The Irish Design Story

Irish Design: History, Context and Possibilities 1900 - 2011

introduction Ireland’s creative output has often been framed by international successes in literature, music, acting, filmmaking and art production. Yet, these represent only a small and incomplete picture of the breadth of Irish creativity. Irish fashion and textile designers enjoy worldwide recognition; Irish engineers and architects have created some of the world’s most iconic buildings; Irish production, costume and animation designers have won the highest accolades in the film industry; Irish software engineers provide engines to some of the world’s most successful companies and have secured recent successes in mobile app development; Irish graphic and industrial designers have graduated and trained in some of the world’s most well regarded studios. While some of these designers have made their homes elsewhere, Dublin has emerged as home to a vibrant, energetic design community.

396 PIVOT DUBLIN

In totality Irish design development can be viewed as the establishment of five networks. The first comprises the provision of state infrastructure allied to the nation-building project in the early years of independence. The second consists of an international network of design influence that evolved partly as a consequence of emigration. Additionally, it reflects both an interest in travel and ambition for international professional design training and expertise. Ireland has also witnessed waves of immigration in select areas of design practice. While this history is lesser known, it has had a profound effect on indigenous creativity and can be understood as a third network of influence. The fourth encompasses a network of educational provision that, in the last twenty years, has grown hugely; stimulating and sustaining design development. Finally, the fifth network comprises a web of international connections facilitated by contemporary communicative systems that have enabled Irish designers to connect to global spheres of influence.


397 PIVOT DUBLIN

Grafton Architects Bocconi University

Atelier David Smith Fire Station Artist Studio

For all the national and international successes, the narrative of Irish design activity can be difficult for international observers to locate, fuelling assumptions that Ireland’s most notable creative achievements lie in the literary, film and artistic fields. However, this discrete output needs to be viewed as a consequence of the country’s unique trajectory of design activity, which, with the exception of architecture, has had an ad hoc, often informal, evolution by comparison to the experience of other European countries. Ireland’s limited industrial history reflects a national economy that, until the mid-20th century, was based on agricultural production; its unusual position within Europe – that of a colonised country surrounded by colonising forces – fostered a political and economic climate of flux and instability. Both these factors had a significant impact on attempts to establish the industrial base necessary for the development and expansion of design. Within this climate much of what could be construed as design activity was typically allied to craft-based production.

This essay and accompanying timeline, make no claim to being comprehensive, and more in-depth analyses are currently emerging with new scholarship. However, this study aims to chart broadly the trajectory of Ireland’s design heritage, to capture the breadth of design expertise that currently defines the Irish cultural landscape, and give additional context to the content of the submission document.

PIVOT DUBLIN 397


The Irish Design Story

Guinness Established 1979

Aer Lingus Established 1936

the beginnings of irish design development

munications. Milestones of the period included the monumental, Siemens-built, Ardnacrusha hydro-electrical station on the Shannon River and the launch of a state radio station. As the political climate stabilised in the 1930’s, the emphasis on state infrastructure continued with the establishment of a national airline, Aer Lingus; a new national radio station, RTÉ; and the provision of a network of national hospitals and schools, many of which are still in use today. The blue print of Dublin city changed dramatically during this time: Dublin Corporation (the forerunner of Dublin City Council) embarked on an ambitious campaign of rebuilding the city’s main thoroughfare and alleviating high levels of poor and unsanitary housing. The renaming of streets and state buildings after Irish cultural and political figures was an important, and cost effective, visual gesture of national pride, that recast the cities as symbols of political independence. Design activity played a crucial role in visualising this new political autonomy. Definitive stamps, coinage and variety of printed ephem-

Farming was, until the second half of the 20th century, the main driver of Irish economic activity. What manufacturing did exist prior to the foundation of the state in 1922 largely consisted of local craft-based industries centred on textile, glass and ceramic production. In the previous decades, craft output had taken on a particular significance as the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement demonstrated how local traditions could materialise Irish difference and give concrete form to the aspirations of cultural nationalism. Examples of large-scale manufacturing were limited, and in Dublin brewing, distilling, baking and paper production thrived, in addition to a modest textile industry. Within this industrial landscape, Guinness (1759-) dominated the story of Dublin’s industrial production. The first government of the Free State embarked on an ambitious project of nation building in which design activity – dominated by architecture and engineering - were employed to create a national network of infrastructure and com-

398 PIVOT DUBLIN


The Irish Design Story

RTÉ 1961 Opening

era as issued by the state synthesised historical references within contemporary idioms, giving popular expression to the change in political status. A growth in what we would now consider to be ‘graphic design’ activities saw new advertising companies appearing in Dublin. However, the need or desire to advertise Irish products was limited until the 1950’s as protectionist economics policies limited the competition for Irish goods to compete either nationally or internationally. An emphasis on the economic benefits of tourism had a crucial impact on the trajectory of design practice. This awareness can be traced back to the 1940’s with the realisation that the tourism industry could supplant agriculture as the principal indigenous industry. As mass emigration and high unemployment figures defined the 1950’s, there was a distinct growth in design activity, allied to tourism development. This was most evident in the area of graphic design where Dutch designers from KLM were imported to work on an ambitious advertising campaign for Aer Lingus. As the decade progressed, these designers worked

399 PIVOT DUBLIN

for many tourism-related companies including Bord Fáilte and John Hinde, in addition to working for a host of indigenous companies, including Guinness and RTÉ. They were also active in promoting the advertising industry which continued to expand with the establishment of the Institute of Creative Advertising in 1958 (now ICAD). As a flag carrier, and thus, official agent of state, Aer Lingus became hugely significant in how Ireland and Irish design were viewed internationally. It became a locus for the promotion of quality Irish goods as exemplified by the design of crew uniforms, the examples of Irish ceramics, glass and textiles used in its service provision, and its promotion of Irish design in the pages of its in-flight magazine, Cara. Ireland’s success in exporting fashion and textiles can also be traced to this mid-century point. This was, in part, influenced by the growth of US tourism, but also by an evolving interest in celebrity culture and the greater availability of television. After Jacqueline Kennedy was photographed wearing a white Irish linen dress by fash-

PIVOT DUBLIN 399


The Irish Design Story

John Hinde Liberty Hall postcard

ion designer Sybil Connolly, sales for Connolly’s designs increased, while an appearance on CBS’s Ed Sullivan show by the Aran jumper-clad Clancy Brothers in 1961 sent the sales for this distinctive garment soaring. With limited industrial production, direct or indirect state intervention into the stimulation of design activity remained necessary during this period. A number of government reports were published emphasising how greater links between art, industry and tourism were crucial for the country’s economic survival and the recommendations of these, including that of educational reform, slowly trickled down into official policy. By the late 1950’s, Ireland had reached a turning point. A radical shift in political thinking from insularity to internationalism emerged and paved the way for economic development through greater engagement and trade relations with Europe. This culminated in Ireland’s application for, and acceptance to, the EEC in 1961 and 1973 respectively, opening up the possibility for Irish produced and designed goods to access

400 PIVOT DUBLIN

new markets. The fabric of Dublin city materialised this changing dynamic as an architectural boom in urban planning, office developments and corporate headquarters redefined the landscape. As a new generation of architects returned home after training in the US, they provided modernist paradigms reflective of this more internationallyfocused Ireland. With respect to other design disciplines, specifically graphic design, textiles, ceramics, house-wares and industrial design, the most significant development occurred as a consequence of an invitation to a group of Northern European designers (including Kaj Franck and Åke Huldt) to survey Irish design in 1961. The observations of this group (published as Design in Ireland or The Scandinavian Report) were partly responsible for the establishment of the Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW), the first government-sponsored design agency in the world, and the singular, most important design initiative in the history of the state. KDW focused on the training, retailing, modernisation and promotion of Irish design, in


The Irish Design Story

401 PIVOT DUBLIN

Kilkenny Design Workshop Archive Objects, Earthenware

Abram Games Guinness poster

addition, to making sustainable links with extant Irish and European manufacturers and small-craft initiatives. By the mid-1960’s textiles and graphics were the main source of design employment in Ireland and KDW had particular successes in these areas. In addition to nurturing the emergent field of industrial design, it also had great success in the export market for Irish craft, particularly in the US. Growth in design awareness, particularly as allied to export markets, eventually heralded huge developments in design education provision in the 1970’s. In Dublin the National College of Art and Design was completely reformed; Dún Laoghaire’s College of Art and Design championed Bauhausian principles of education; a network of Regional Technical Colleges appeared across the country; and new courses in graphics, industrial and fashion design emerged. In a similar trajectory to the 1950’s, the recession of the 1980’s unexpectedly stimulated creativity and ingenuity. The first design degrees materialised in 1981 and as a new generation of formally trained design-

ers graduated, Dublin in particular experienced a significant rise in graduates establishing graphic and industrial design consultancies. Due to an increased emphasis on tax breaks for foreign investment, international animation studios also established headquarters in the city. A new wave of emigration added to the network of the Irish design diaspora. As Irish graduates secured internships in the design centres of New York, Milan, Paris, Berlin and London, they opened up opportunities for subsequent graduates, keen to train with the world’s best design talents. Back in Dublin, astute entrepreneurialism saw the industrialist Tony Ryan establish the lowcost airline Ryanair, revolutionising airline travel across Europe and placing Dublin at the centre of a growing aviation network. The physical fabric of the city also began a radical transformation. By the end of the 1980’s, an ambitious project of urban renewal was formulated; twenty years on this Docklands Development Plan has transformed the city’s landscape through a mix of office, residential and cultural buildings.

PIVOT DUBLIN 401


The Irish Design Story

Philip Treacy Chapeau London 3

the maturing of the irish design professions The 1990’s saw the greatest expansion of design activity in the state, in part fuelled by the economic boom that defined the years between 1995 and 2007. Dublin especially experienced a significant rise in the number of indigenous design companies. Developments in hardware and software provision, coupled with the affordability of new technologies, gave new and established designers greater access to the means of design production. While larger design studios continued to be established, smaller, more independent studios emerged. Without large overheads, many of these enterprises were subsequently able to row with the tide of economic change; to diversify and apply design thinking to a new range of strategic applications. As the network of Regional Technical Colleges became autonomous as Institutes of Technology (IoTs), they greatly expanded the range of design education. A range of more specialist courses

402 PIVOT DUBLIN

emerged at undergraduate level, with a notable concentration in areas linked to design for screenbased media and those that fostered transferable skills applicable to a number of design related activities. The synthesis of design and new technologies was captured in Enterprise Ireland’s report Opportunities in Design (1999), which reconsidered the core role of design as framed by developments in emergent media (web design, interface design, motion graphics, animation, gaming), and the music, entertainment and tourism sectors. Subsequent examples of how these themes synthesised are numerous and include the commodification of heritage (most notably The Book of Kells, DVD, 2000), the inclusion of interactive elements within exhibitions in the state’s galleries and museums, and the alliance of culture, design and technology which has defined Ireland’s presence at the World Expos of 2000 in Hanover and 2010 in Shanghai. Irish strengths in innovation, transferable skills and technological development led to the establishment of MIT’s Media Lab Europe in


The Irish Design Story

403 PIVOT DUBLIN

Úna Burke Piece 5

Image Now Muller Brockmann exhibition invitation

Dublin city centre. Although short-lived, its remit of applied research lives on in the National Digital Research Centre. Irish strengths in these fields, coupled with low corporation taxes, have seen transnational companies including Microsoft and Google establish European headquarters in Dublin and grow service provision. Outside of technology, one of the most significant growth areas for the international recognition of Irish design has been in fields relating to film and animation. Irish designers now work for many of the world’s most celebrated directors and producers. Illustration and technology have merged in the new field of concept design, Irish production and costume designers have garnered Emmy and Oscar wins - many for projects originating at Wicklow’s Ardmore Studios - while Academy Awards and nominations have been conferred on a number of Irish animators. The last decade has also seen an increase in design advocacy and public discourse. Annual events including Design Week, Open House and OFFSET, coupled with the

growth of design-related exhibitions by national museums and private galleries, have endeavoured to engage both the design community and general public. The IoT and the university sectors have pioneered new research into design history and criticism; have, and are currently, hosting public lectures on design issues; and have continued to evolve new design courses at under and post-graduate levels.

PIVOT DUBLIN 403


The Irish Design Story

Red&Grey Design NCAD/DRG, Love Objects poster

Stone Twins PIVOT Dublin Book Cover

conclusion Ireland’s economic boom has left a rich legacy of infrastructural projects including a network of national motorways and award-winning public housing schemes. In Dublin, the provision of the Luas system of trams, the rebuilding of two national sports stadia, a free bike scheme servicing the city centre, the development of the Docklands, and the future provision of an underground rail network have - and will continue to - encourage greater public engagement with design issues. At grass roots level, a new generation of young designers is active in publishing, music and entertainment promotion, street art and the hosting of design exhibitions and events. The design successes highlighted here and elsewhere in this bid document are testament to Irish designers’ resilience, perseverance, their ability to think laterally and to adapt core problem solving skills to contemporary circumstances. Irish designers have repeatedly shown an aptitude within new and emergent fields that thrive on skills transference and versatility. Indeed, it could be argued that our limited industrial

404 PIVOT DUBLIN

design heritage has allowed practitioners to move with the tide of change and embrace new and emergent areas. While Ireland’s recent economic downturn is an undoubted challenge, change is inevitable, and there is a palpable sense of possibility arising from adversity. Irish designers are actively seeking and making new possibilities. It is this expertise that PIVOT Dublin seeks to grow through its bid for World Design Capital; harnessing creativity and ingenuity to grow design awareness and improve the life of its citizens through strategic design thinking and application. Dublin’s status as World Design Capital 2014 would offer a focus to harness such energies and to contribute to economic development and nation rebuilding. Dr. Linda King School of Creative Arts, Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. March 2011


Irish Design timeline

Irish Design Timeline

1900 - 2011 irish design milestones

irish cultural/political milestones

dublin/irish connections abroad

irish designers

irish designers abroad

405 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 405


Irish Design timeline

titanic finished, harland & wolff, belfast: 1912 – crawford municipal technical institute opens: 1912 college of technology, bolton street (later part of dit) founded: 1911 college of marketing and design, mountjoy square (later part of dit) founded: 1905

irish design milestones

iveagh/guinness trust buildings completed, bull alley, 1901-4 – college of commerce, rathmines (later part of dit) founded: 1901

dublin lock-out: 1913

irish cultural/political milestones

1900 1901

1905

1911

1912

1913

mcconnell’s advertising est: 1916 – honan chapel opens, cork: 1916

ford est manufacturing and assembly plant, cork: 1917-84

easter rising: 1916 – dublin’s first motor taxis appear: 1916

1916

war of 1ndependence: 1919-21

1917

1919

1920

dublin/irish connections abroad

irish designers

irish designers abroad

406 PIVOT DUBLIN

harry clarke illustrates fairy tales by hans christian andersen: 1916

harry clarke illustrates tales of mystery and imagination by edgar allen poe: 1919 (1923 reprint).


Irish Design timeline

walter gropius lecture, riai: 1936 janus advertising est: 1935

arks advertising est: 1931 – arrow advertising est: 1931 carrigaline pottery est cork: 1928

free state established: 1922 – james ingram des first definitive stamps: 1922 – james joyce publishes ulysses: 1922

1922

arklow pottery est: 1934 newbridge cutlery est: 1933

saorstát éireann official handbook, pub: 1932 – eucharistic congress: 1932 – economic war with britain: 1932-8 douglas hyde launches first radio station, 2rn : 1926

ardnacrusha completed: 1929

civil war: 1922-23

first free state coins: 1928

1923 1925 1926

1928

1929 1930 1931

aer lingus established: 1936

1932

1933

1934 1935

1936

guinness opens brewery at park royal, london: 1932-2005

harry clarke illustrates faust by goethe: 1925

herbert simms housing for dublin corporation: 1934-38 – waterford stanley est: 1934 colm o’lochlain designs colmcille typeface: 1936

eileen gray designs st tropez rug in donegal tweed: 1925

eileen gray completes e1027 in france: 1929 stella steyn (artist) enrolls in bauhaus: 1931

407 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 407


Irish Design timeline

arts council est: 1951 grafton academy founded: 1938

irish design milestones

dubarry shoes est, galway: 1937 – design committee est under lemass: 1937 – o’kennedy brindley advertising est: 1937

industrial parades begin: 1950 sun advertising est: 1945 desmond fitzgerald completes dublin airport: 1940

industrial development authority est: 1949 – bodkin report on the arts in ireland: 1949 waterford crystal re-est by charles bacik: 1947

rural electrification scheme begins: 1946

dublin/irish cultural/ political milestones

rté radio launched: 1937 – bunreacht na héireann (irish constitution): 1937

1937

dublin/irish connections abroad

irish designers

irish designers abroad

408 PIVOT DUBLIN

1938 1939

1940

irish republic est: 1949

first transatlantic flights (twa, panam) into rineanna, co clare: 1945 – córas iompair éireann (cié) est: 1945

brendan o’regan invents duty free concept, shannon airport: 1947 – shannon airport opens: 1947

1945

1947

1946

1949

1950

1951

michael scott designs shamrock pavillion for nywf: 1939

guus melai, dutch (graphic designer) starts at sun advertising: 1951-6 – liam miller founds dolmen press, 1951 – jan de fouw, dutch (graphic designer) arrives: 1951 – irene gilbert, establishes fashion company 1951-68


Irish Design timeline

an tostal festival est: 1953 belleek pottery (est. 1887, fermanagh) intros electric kilns: 1952 – first large-scale advertising conference, cork: 1952

chester beatty library opens: 1954 – john mcguire (md brown thomas) commissions textiles designs from pat scott, turlough connolly, le brocquy, neville johnson: 1954 – signa design consultants (scott, le broc) est: 1954 – international design exhib (design research unit/arts council): 1954 – donegal carpets (previously morton’s rugs) est: 1954 – youghal carpets est cork: 1954-84 (bought out by couristan carpets)

john hinde sells first postcards, shannon airport: 1957 – v’soske joyce (carpets) est galway: 1957 – gaeltarra éireann (ind dev agency for gaeltacht) est: 1957 irish design exhibition by arts council: 1956 – john hinde est: 1956

coras trachtala (export board) est: 1952 – ireland of the welcomes (tourism magazine) launched by bord Fáilte: 1952 – john ford’s the quiet man: 1952

1952

1953

sybil connolly est company: 1952 michael scott completes busaras: 1953

1954

celtic ceramics, clare est: 1961 (1976 taken over by rosenthal)

1956

peter owens advertising est: 1960 – ronald tallon begins rté complex: 1960

institute of creative advertising founded: 1958

worst emigration stats in history of the state: 1957

aer lingus transatlantic route est, 1958 – ardmore studios open, wicklow: 1958 – t.k. whitaker pub programme for economic expansion: 1958

1957

1958

piet sluis, dutch (graphic designer) arrives: 1956 – cor klassen, dutch (graphic designer) arrives at o’kennedy brindley: 1956

abram games ica lecture: 1959 – campaign magazine est by ica: 1959 – ica publish campaign: 1959-62

lemass becomes taoiseach: 1959-67 – ulster television lauched: 1959

1959 1960

michael scott and partners est: 1958

ib jorgenson est company: 1957-94

peter rice (engineer) joins ove arup: 1956

409 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 409


Irish Design timeline

liam mccormick completes burt chapel, donegal: 1967 irish international advertising est: 1966 – helena ruuth (kdw) textile designs for heathrow airport seating (w conran): 1966 scandinavian report published: 1962

irish design milestones

robin walker, bord fáilte headquarters: 1961 – celtic ceramics clare est: 1961 (1976 taken over by rosenthal and worked with kdw)

john johansen completes us embassy, ballsbridge: 1964 certificate in architectural technology est, dit: 1963 (locates to bolton st, 1966) – desmond rae o’kelly: liberty hall: 1963 – kilkenny design workshops founded: 1963-88

regional technical college waterford est: 1970 – regional technical college athlone est: 1970 – regional technical college carlow est: 1970 – scott tallon walker complete carrolls factory, dundalk: 1970 – technical institute in Dún Laoghaire est diploma in art and design: 1970

regional technical college letterkenny est: 1971 – crafts council of ireland est; 1971 – holger strom designs modular exhib cubes for kdw: 1971 – ncad restructured: 1971

vatican two: 1962-5

dublin/irish cultural/ political milestones

rté established (new year’s eve): 1961 – ireland applies for eec membership: 1961

1961

dublin/irish connections abroad

1962

clancy brothers and tommy makem appear on ed sullivan show in aran sweaters: 1961

free secondary education intro: 1967

jfk visits: 1963

1963

1964

1966

lemass on cover of time: 1963

1967

1968

kdw us promotions: 1967-72

1969 1970

sam stephenson designs irish pavillion for osaka expo, 1970

kevin roche john dinkeloo associates est: 1966

irish designers

damien harrington est graphic design studio at kdw: 1968 – timoney technology est: dublin, 1968 damien harrington (kdw designs p+t) logo: 1969

irish designers abroad

410 PIVOT DUBLIN

peter rice (engineer) sydney opera house: 1963

1971


Irish Design timeline

international council of societies of industrial design (icsid), dublin congress: 1977 stephenson completes dublin corporation offices: 1976 – kdw open dublin store: 1976 – international council of societies jim fitzpatrick jailbreak album ofdesigns industrial design (icsid), dublin cover for thin lizzy: 1976 congress: 1977

idi est: 1972 – holger strom designs iq light for kdw: 1972 – regional technical college galway est: 1972 – irish aluminium/kdw design street litter bins; 1972

design partners est wicklow: 1985 – sullivan bluth est: 1985-95 – kilkenny design (book): 1985

sam stephenson completes central bank, 1975 – ronald tallon, bank of ireland headquarters, 1975. telectron (telecommunications)/kdw design partnership: 1974-6 – cork regional technical college est: 1974 – avoca handweavers (est, 1723) bought by pratt family: 1974 – braun est manufacturing plant, carlow: 1974-2009

icograda congress: 1983 ncad validates first degrees in design: 1981 – delorean cars est belfast: 1981-2 jeanne sheehy publishes the rediscovery of ireland’s past – the celtic revival (book) 1830-1930: 1980 Dún Laoghaire college of art and design est: 1979

rosc established: 1974 ireland joins the eec: 1973

1972

1973

1974

dart launched: 1984

pope john paul ii visits: 1979

1975

ryanair founded: 1985 – microsoft establish dublin office: 1985

u2’s first album boy: 1980 – sense of ireland exhibition and catalogue: 1980

1976

1977

1979

1980

1981

1982 1983

1984

1985

a sense of ireland exhibition (traveling), kdw: 1980

elizabeth fitzsimons (kdw) des eirbus logo: 1972

peter drabinett (kdw) designs telecom eireann logo: 1981 bill bolger, an post logo: 1982 (implementation by dabinett 1983)

harrington (kdw) des dairy council logo: 1973 – harrington (kdw) opw logo: 1973 scott tallon walker est; 1975 de blacam & meagher est: 1976

john rocha est first label chinatown: 1983-88 – design factory est: 1983 – designworks est: 1983

peter rice (engineer) est rfr with ian richie: 1977

peter rice (engineer) est rfr in paris: 1982

411 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 411


Irish Design timeline

murikami wolf swenson, est: 1989-2000. ifsc development: 1988 irish design milestones

hugh oram publishes the advertising book: 1986

dublin institute of technology est: 1992 – dublin institute of technology dermot mcguinne publishes est: 1992 irish type design: 1992 – paul larmour publishes the arts & crafts movement in ireland: 1992 group 91, temple bar development plan launched: 1991 – graphic design business association (gdba) est: 1991

national print museum reclocates to beggars bush: 1996 – ahrends burton koralek (arch) est dublin office: 1996 gdba est irish design effectiveness awards (idea): 1994 crawford college of art & design joins cork institute of technology: 1993 enterprise ireland est: 1996

the commitments:1990 dublin city university est: 1989 – limerick university est: 1989 dublin/irish cultural/ political milestones

dublin millennium: 1988

1986 1988

dublin/irish connections abroad

irish designers

kdw open london store: 1986

josie mcavin, oscar for out of africa: 1986 – martello media est: 1986

1989

1990 1991

1992

1993 1994 1995 1996

arthur gibney designs irish pavillion, seville: 1992 (riai win: 1993)

louise kennedy, first collection: 1990 – language est: 1990 dolmen design est: 1991 – philip kenny est company limerick: 1991 – identity business est: 1991 (now brand union)

reddog, est: 1993 x communications est: 1994 public communications co. est: 1995

dynamo est: 1992

irish designers abroad

brian cronin, emigrates to the us: 1986

alan aboud est aboud sodano: 1989 – peter o’brien joins chloe, 1983-7; joins parfums rochas 1989-2003 philip treacy establishes company: 1990

412 PIVOT DUBLIN

orla kiely establishes company: 1993


Irish Design timeline

opportunities in design, enterprise ireland (report): 1999 – creative ireland (discussion forum) est: 1999 enterprise ireland est: 1998 national museum, collins barracks opens: 1997 – iadt est: 1997 – dcc, ballymun regeneration begins: 1997 – john rocha designs for waterford crystal: 1997 – national irish visual arts library opens: 1997

gert dumbar, dit/cricital voices lecture: 2001 media lab europe est: 2000-5 – guinness storehouse opens: 2000 – chester beatty library relocates to dublin castle: 2000 national craft gallery opens –kilkenny: 2000 national craft gallery opens kilkenny: 2000

roughan and o’donovan, william j dargan luas bridge: 2002 – jarlath hayes designs euro coins design: 2002 – conor clarke, oranje and green (book): 2002

richie, dublin spire completed; 2003 – william h walsh lecture series begins (idi): 2003 – living in motion (exhibition), imma: 2003 – on the edge (conference), iadt: 2003 – art spiegleman, critical voices/iadt lecture: 2003 – calatrava, james joyce bridge: 2003 – o’connell st regeneration: 2003-4 – jane ni dhulchaointigh ivents sugru: 2003-9

forty-eight posters josef müller-brockmann

image now gallery 17a new bride street dublin 8

the posters are on loan from the museum für gestaltung zürich

all images copyright of shizuko müller-yoshikawa

for further information on josef müller-brockmann visit www.imagenow.ie

luas begins: 2004 – muller brockmann (exhibition): 2004 – google dublin: 2004

JMB.indd 1

museum of country life opens turlough park, co. mayo: 2001

good friday agreement: 1998

1997 1998 1999

havoc est: 1998 – frontend est: 1998 – carton levert est: 1998 atelier david smith est: 1999

brian keaney (tableware) est dermot power (concept tonfisk, finland: 1999 wars: 1999 designer) for star – brian keaney est tonfisk, finland: 1999

413 PIVOT DUBLIN

03/12/2008 10:44:30

2000

2001

2002

2003

murray o laoire design irish pavillion, expo, hanover: 2000

niall mellon trust est: 2002

zinc est: 2000heneghan peng est, dublin: 2001

ruari robinson oscar nomination: 2002 – brown bag, oscar nominations: 2002, 2010

marcus notley, waterford: 2001 – heneghan peng est dublin: 2001

pony london (niall sweeney): 2001

red&grey design est: 2003

paul donnellon/ voodoodog: 2003

2004

d.a.d.d.y. est.: 2004 – lovely productions est.: 2004 – zero g est.: 2004 – studio aad est.: 2004 – detail est: 2004

pauric sweeney bags est florence: 2004

PIVOT DUBLIN 413


Irish Design timeline

irish design milestones

dublin/irish cultural/ political milestones

designing ireland (kdw catalogue and exhibition): 2005 – ndrc est: 2005 – croke park finished: 2005 – candy magazine launched: 2005 – candy collective est: 2005 – sweettalk est: 2005

helvetica (exhib) at imagenow: 2007 – media cube est at iadt: 2007 – love objects (conference), ncad: 2007

2007

2008

2009

conor & david est: 2006

joan bergin, emmys: 2007, 2008, 2010 – consolata boyle, oscar nomination: 2007; emmy 2004 – brian williams, designs indents tg4: 2007

grafton architects, win first world building of the year at inaugural world architecture festival awards, luigi bocconi university, milan: 2008

2010

gena heraty, est haiti fund: 2010 – opw design irish pavillion, shanghai, expo: 2010

sam russell, joins design without borders: 2008

dublin/irish connections abroad

mcor matrix founded: 2005

atypi conference: 2010 – house of waterford crystal opens: 2010 – liebskind, grand canal theatre opens: 2010 – populous/scott tallon walker design aviva stadium: 2010 – moderns opens imma: 2010

nama est: 2009 – cist founded: 2009

centre for design innovation est sligo: 2006

2005 2006

irish designers

bender exhib opens, nmi: 2008 – gdba becomes design business ireland: 2008 – open house launched: 2008

dcc dublin bike scheme begins: 2009 – designing dublin est: 2009 – calatrava, samuel beckett bridge: 2009 – eileen gray opens at nmi: – forfás (report) skills in creativity design and innovation: 2009 – ikea opens: 2009 – seabrooke est, offset: 2009

notion design est (exkilkenny, ncad, id): 2009 cartoon saloon,

oscar nomination, the secret of kells: 2009 – geoguides design visit dublin iphone app: 2009

tom conroy/colman corish, emmy: 2010 – maser they are us project: 2010 – rory’s story cubes, educational toy: 2010 – amp visual est: 2010 david smith, agi 2010

irish designers abroad

414 PIVOT DUBLIN

anthony dunne, becomes prof, interaction design, rca: 2006

kevin finn est finn creative, australia: 2007

dean caffrey, designs audi q5: 2008 – gregor timlin joins helen hamlyn center: 2008 – stone twins made heads of dept, design academy eindhoven: 2008

úna burke designs costumes for lady gaga: 2009

richie baneham, oscar: 2010 – johnny kelly, title sequences for het klokhuis, holland: 2010


Irish Design timeline

ixda conference: 2012 design discourse (lecture series of international designers/writers), iadt: 2011 – ireland, design and visual culture, (book), linda king/elaine sisson, launch (dub/ny): 2011 – year of craft: 2011

2011

2012

imagine ireland, cultural festival, ny: 2011

legible dublin, wayfinding system: 2011

415 PIVOT DUBLIN

PIVOT DUBLIN 415


Irish Design timeline

416 PIVOT DUBLIN


Irish Design timeline

417 PIVOT DUBLIN


Turn design inside out

418 PIVOT DUBLIN


419 PIVOT DUBLIN


pivot dublin, world design capital 2014 The world is at a pivot point. The systems and structures of the 20th century are crumbling away and we must adopt new approaches to how we live, work, engage with one another, and interact with the planet. Dublin finds itself at a confluence of these global forces, forced to pause, reflect and renew. Dubliners recognise the need for change, the need to reshape our city and its place in the world. We must look to our strengths as we try to navigate a sustainable path through these social, cultural, and economic changes. One such strength is design. PIVOT Dublin is our response to Dublin’s unleashed potential to use design as the vehicle to turn things inside out; to become something else. We want Dublin to become World Design Capital 2014 and this book ‘PIVOT Dublin’ is a declaration of our intent to offer Dublin as a test-bed for design solutions to local, national and global challenges. A pivot creates a departure point, a fulcrum, an angle from which to proceed. It is a step in the process of lining up for the next move. It suggests success, urgency and decisiveness. PIVOT Dublin will be all this and more. Through resourceful design innovation, we will look at things afresh, rethink the groundrules and change them for the better. It is an opportunity to reinvent the city; to make the undervalued valued, the ordinary extraordinary. Dublin, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, is design. In 2014, PIVOT Dublin will turn design inside out. www.pivotdublin.com

420 PIVOT DUBLIN


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.