Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, has welcomed a decision by Cork City Council to grant planning permission for the redevelopment of the Crawford Art Gallery.
Details
The project, which is being funded by the Minister’s department, has been designed by an interdisciplinary team led by the award-winning Grafton Architects, and it is being delivered by the Office of Public Works and the Crawford Art Gallery.
The project will expand and modernise Crawford in line with international museum standards, providing new exhibition spaces and a learn-and-explore facility, to engage new audiences, as well as a new public gallery, providing panoramic views of Cork City. The redevelopment will also address long-standing challenges with the fabric of the historic building, providing fit-for-purpose storage spaces for the national collection and significantly enhancing the sustainability of the building. Critically, the project will create a new entrance on Emmett Place, opening Crawford onto a new urban plaza at the heart of the cultural life of the city. The gallery will remain open to visitors until the autumn of 2024, after which time the redevelopment will commence.
The redevelopment of the Crawford Art Gallery is a flagship project in the Minister’s programme of investments under the National Development Plan, which will see many national cultural institutions restored, renewed and future-proofed for generations to come.
Statements
Minister Martin said, “Today’s announcement is wonderful news for the Crawford Gallery, for the people of Cork, and for art lovers across Ireland. With this design, Grafton Architects – in collaboration with gallery staff and a dedicated design team – have reimagined this beloved institution, designing a revitalised gallery, which is sympathetic to the building’s historic structure, while also delivering much-needed additional exhibition and learning spaces. The Crawford is just one of the national cultural institutions earmarked to receive funding for redevelopment under the National Development Plan. Today’s grant of planning permission is an important milestone in the programme, and it sets the bar high for the projects to come.”
Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, said, “I am delighted with the announcement by Cork City Council to approve the planning application for the Crawford Art Gallery redevelopment project. This will allow us to progress with our programme of works, to enhance the visual presence of the gallery collections while preserving the historic building and providing a vibrant new space for art and the public to meet, in the heart of the city.”
The chair of the Crawford Art Gallery, Rose McHugh, said, “It is an exciting time for [the] Crawford Art Gallery, and this ambitious and well-considered plan will ensure Crawford remains at the core of Cork and Ireland’s cultural life into the future.”
McHugh thanked the team involved, the OPW, and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for their collaboration on all elements of the project.
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