National Gallery of Ireland

Competition: Lost

The National Gallery of Ireland was founded in 1854 to commemorate the Irish railway builder, William Dargan. The Gallery designed by Charles Lanyon in 1856 lies on Merrion Square in Dublin. The Gallery houses largely Italian and Irish paintings. The competition was called for extending the existing Gallery. Safdie’s design extended the third wing creating a new entrance on Clare Street, through a glazed curved wall containing a Great Hall. The oval shaped Great Hall leads into the Grand Stairway, which gently ascends the 6-metre rise from Clare St. to Merrion Square. Eight galleries on the upper levels are organized perpendicular to this grand stairway and read as individual “houses” of equal height. The Great Hall is at the core of the design and functions as an extension of the street. Images on this page: 1 Rendering sketch Dublin, Ireland