A bi-annual newsletter from the Office of Public Works

OBAIRIssue 7 June 2002

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CONTENTSA bi-annual newsletter from the Office of Public Works

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02 European Commission Food andVeterinary Office

06 AAI Awards

06 Europa Nostra Heritage Award

07 Minister of State, Tom Parlon, TD

07 President McAleese Reopens Fota House

08 Flooding in IrelandThe Role of the Office of Public Works

12 Returning to EducationRefund of Fees Scheme Success Story

13 PMDS Update

14 Eileen Gray ExhibitionNational Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks

20 Tramore Coast Guard Station

22 GSA Election Services

24 Millennium WingNational Gallery of Ireland

28 Kevin Kieran Award

28 The OPW Partnership Committee

29 Dublin Castle Paintings on Loan tothe Gandolfi Exhibition

30 Farmleigh Summer Cultural Programme 2002

31 Backweston Contract Signed

31 The OPW supports the BonaparteWyse Exhibition

32 Custom House, Galway

Welcome to issue 7 of Obair

Over the past six months many interestingdevelopments have taken place in the Office of PublicWorks, some of which are featured in this issue. Thefirst half of 2002 has seen the completion of the ECFood and Veterinary Office, the signing of thecontracts for the new State and AgricultureLaboratories at Backweston, as well as the opening of

the magnificent Eileen Gray Exhibition in the National Museum atCollins Barracks.

Congratulations go to Martin Cullen, TD, on his appointment asMinister for Environment and Local Government. I’m sure you will allagree that he is to be commended on a very successful term asMinister of State at the Department of Finance with specialresponsibility for the Office of Public Works. A warm welcome isextended to his successor in this office, our new Minister, TomParlon, TD.

I would like to extend my thanks to the Obair team and to all those whohave contributed to this issue and again ask that you keep the articlescoming.

Lynda HendleyPress Officer

If anyone has any comments or suggestions they wish to make in relationto this magazine I would be delighted to hear them. Please email anycomments or suggestions to lynda.hendley@opw.ie

Editorial Team Lynda Hendley Press Officer, Peter Brady and John Bergin Press Office

Eileen Gray Exhibition EC Food and Veterinary Office Millennium Wing, National Gallery

EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOOD AND VETERINARY OFFICE,CO. MEATH

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Conference Room

The European Commission Foodand Veterinary Office in CountyMeath represents thedecentralisation of a major

European Union Office from Brusselsto Ireland. Its completion wasannounced by Martin Cullen, TD,Minister of State with responsibility forthe Office of Public Works, in February2002.

The complex integrates bothlandscape and building designelements, while also endeavouring toincorporate bioclimatic andsustainable design into the project inso far as conventional budgetsallowed. Extensive woodlands andspecimen planting coupled withground contouring help to create asense of place for the new buildings.‘A place where architecture andlandscaping overlap’, as one ECVeterinary Officer said on a recentvisit.

The main components of the buildingare:

(a) A full conference facility withtranslation and back-up facilities

(b) Cellular office accommodation forup to 250 staff with library andcomputer facilities

(c) Kitchen and dining facilities toCommission standards

(d) Archive storage

(e) Service compound adjacent to, butseparated from, the main building

(f) A crèche

(g) Staff recreational facilities.

The Commission expressed a needfor:

• Building to be designed to allow forexpansion

• A building of approximately 1,200square metres plus car parking for150 cars

• A building with its own identity as aninstitution representing the EuropeanUnion

• Preference for a single-storey or low-rise building

• Easy vehicular access

OPW DESIGN RESPONSE

In response to the EuropeanCommission building requirements theOPW design team set itself thefollowing design goals:

• an archetypal building concept toaccommodate change yet maintainits integrity over time

• a unity of building and landscape toreduce the scale and impact of alarge building on a rural location

• ‘genius loci’ – a sense of place notjust space

• value for money not just in terms ofcapital cost but life cycle costs

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• a sustainable design approach.

BUILDING AND LANDSCAPEDESIGN

The OPW design attempts toacknowledge the building’s EuropeanUnion institutional and functional rolewhile at the same time achieve asynthesis with its landscape setting inCounty Meath. Natural materials fromsustainable resources are usedthroughout the building. The extensivelandscape design incorporates nativeIrish and European tree species in bothformal and informal layouts. Theproportioning system for the building iscarried out into the landscape design,thereby ensuring an overlap betweenarchitecture and landscape.

Staff recreational requirements havebeen incorporated into the landscapeplan. Seating areas are provided

adjacent to the dining area and thelandscaped inner courtyard. A south-facing informal courtyard to the rear ofthe building provides a private staffarea while also allowing the buildingground to adjust to the existing sitecontours and underlying rock levels.

Site services are routed underground.Sewerage will undergo phosphate andnitrate removal and an advancedtertiary treatment prior to discharge toa specially constructed percolationarea. The resultant discharge will meetthe standards laid down by the WorldHealth Organisation, which are morestrict than Irish or European standards.A management maintenanceprogramme has been put into effect forthe operation of the plant.

ACCOMMODATING CHANGE

A key component in the developmentof the building design concept was the

need to accommodate change overtime yet maintain design integrity so asto avoid the usual haphazard and adhoc extensions that disfigure so manyoffices and institutional buildings. Acourtyard type approach, whichanswers this problem, was chosenbecause it permits flexibility yetmaintains identity. The courtyardapproach is also rooted in the Irish builttradition of important country housessuch as Dunsany, education buildingssuch as Trinity College, andGovernment buildings such as DublinCastle and Merrion Street. It is adesign archetype adapted to thespecifics of this particular site and thespecial functional brief for what is aEuropean Commission headquarters.

This approach proved its worth whenthe office element of the project almostdoubled in size and an extension wasadded late in the contract documentstage of the job.

BUILDING ENTRANCE

The entrance forecourt accommodatesvisitor arrival and formal occasionswhile at the same time it facilitates thegraduating of the building’s scale andmassing appropriate to its landscapesetting. The paved and landscapedforecourt leads to the security entrancelobby. The entrance area providesaccess and a foyer to the conferencerooms. A reception desk, cloakroom,toilets and an information area areadjacent to the conference areas.

FACILITIES

The interior courtyard or quadrangleprovides a semi-private space aroundwhich the key buildings are located. Allthe public facilities and communal staffspaces such as library, conferencerooms, dining and cloakrooms, areadjacent to the entrance. These spacesare single storey and due to theirdisposition round the courtyard and

were capable of individual designwithout interfering with the cellularoffice area of the building.

There are two conference halls. Thelarger hall has translation facilities forthirteen languages, while the smallerhall caters for three languages. Allmodern audiovisual facilities areprovided.

Disabled access and facilities meet allexisting standards.

A crèche for the children of staffmembers is provided, with an externalplay area with a special safety surface.

CIARAN O’CONNORArchitectural Services

Project Head: Commissioner Sean Benton, OPW

Project Manager:Una Redmond,

Project Management Services, OPW

Assistant Principal Architect:Ciaran O’Connor, OPW

Staff Canteen Interior Courtyard

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Europa Nostra Heritage AwardsFor the first time in five years Ireland, in the form of theOffice of Public Works, has won a Europa NostraHeritage Award. Europa Nostra is the pan-European federationof non-governmentaland non-profit heritageorganisation.

Winners receiving their diplomas from Mr J.Wynford Evans, CBE

The OPW Architectural Services received yet anotheraward for the National Museum of Country Life in Co. Mayoat the opening of the AAI 17th Annual Awardsfor Excellence in Architectural Design in the Atrium on19 April 2002. This Museum has already received theRoyal Institute ofArchitects RegionalAward and theG u l b e n k i a n'Museum of theYear' Award.

AAIAwardsAnother award for the OPW Architectural Services

Des Byrne, OPW Senior Architectensured that the design wassympathetic to the surroundingenvironment and has taken account ofthe needs of exhibitors and, equallyimportantly, the needs of visitors to theMuseum.

Europa Nostra is a key player inshaping and implementing heritagepolicies at European level. TheOPW shares the aims of EuropaNostra in encouraging theprotection and enhancement of ourbuilt heritage and promoting highstandards of quality in the field ofarchitecture. These standardshave been proven time and timeagain with the OPW continuing towin awards for its work across thecountry and abroad.

Competition was challenging withmore than ninety projectssubmitted by applicants fromacross Europe. Although Irelandannually proposes restorationschemes for consideration, noawards have been won here since1997, when the Office of PublicWorks received a medal for itswork in the National BotanicGardens and a diploma for its workon the Ceide Fields visitor centre.

This year three Irish restorationprojects received diplomas. Thesewere:

• Leinster House, Dublin forrestoration and extension workscarried out by the OPW

• Kylemore Abbey, Co. Galway forthe reinstatement of a large,abandoned nineteenth centurywalled garden by Buchan KaneFoley architects, Dublin

• Lyons Estate, Co. Kildare for itsrestoration by Dr Tony Ryan.

Martin Cullen, TD, Minister of Statewith responsibility for the OPWreceived the award from Mr JWynford Evans, CBE, Chairman ofthe Heritage Jury in the presenceof Ms Conseulo O’Connor, IrishRepresentative of Europa Nostra,at a ceremony in Dublin Castle on17 April 2002. Also present wasCommissioner Sean BentonMinister of State Martin Cullen, TD and Commissioner

Sean Benton

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Tom Parlon, TD, Minister of State at theDepartment of Finance, with special responsibilityfor the Office of Public Works

The restoration of Fota Housecommenced in 1999.Extensive works have beencarried out since then underthe expert eye of John Cahill,Senior Architect. The housereopened to the public in Mayand is well worth a visit. (Seeissue 6 of Obair for furtherdetails of the restoration).

President McAleese Reopens

FotaHouseOn 30 April 2002, President McAleese formally re-

opened Fota House, in Co. Cork. Present at the

opening were Brian (Barry) Murphy, OPW Chairman;

Klaus Unger, Assistant Principal Architect; John Cahill,

Senior Architect and Susan Seager, Clerk of Works.

Tom Parlon, TD, was appointed as Minister of State at theDepartment of Finance, with special responsibility for the Office ofPublic Works with effect from 19 June 2002.

Minister Parlon is a TD in the Laois/Offaly constituency. He waselected to the Dáil on 17 May 2002 and is a member of theProgressive Democrats.

Prior to joining the PD’s Minister Parlon was President of the IrishFarmers Association from 1997 to 2001.

He lives in Offaly and runs a 200-acre farm.

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The OPW's activities in this areaare carried out under the ArterialDrainage Act, 1945, and theArterial Drainage (Amendment)Act, 1995. Following the passing

of the 1945 Act, a national drainageprogramme was initiated. The purpose ofarterial drainage is to relieve chronicallywaterlogged and flooded agricultural landand make it capable of production. Someforty separate schemes, which benefittedover 650,000 acres of flood damaged orwaterlogged lands, have been carried out todate under the 1945 Act and theseschemes continue to be maintained by theOPW. The 1995 Act, which empowered theCommissioners to carry out drainageschemes for the alleviation of localisedflooding, was enacted following thewidespread flooding which occurred in1995. The winter of 1994/5 was one of thewettest on record in many parts of thecountry. Rainfall in the period from lateDecember 1994 to end of February 1995, inthe West of Ireland in particular, was up to250% of normal, resulting in extensiveflooding and damages in many urban andrural locations. An initial priority programmeof flood relief schemes was drawn up fornine areas around the country whichsuffered localised flooding on a regularbasis. Other areas have been added to thelist in the intervening years. Details of theOPW's programme of flood relief works areset out in a later part of this article. The

estimated capital cost of projects currentlyin the OPW's Flood Relief Programme is€240 million.

Identifying areas in Ireland which areprone to flooding.

The reality is that flooding is a nationalproblem, which can occur in virtually anyarea, given a combination of differentfactors occurring simultaneously. Floodinggenerally occurs where watercourses havenot sufficient capacity to convey the waterwithout overtopping the banks. The mostcommon cause of flooding is, of course,excessive volume of rainfall. However,excessive and prolonged rainfall cancombine with other factors to produceserious flood events. An example would bethe case of flooding in December1995/January 1996 in Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir and the South and South East, whichresulted from an unfortunate combination ofnatural climatic conditions. Essentially,these conditions comprised exceptionalheavy and prolonged rainfall over the periodfrom 29 December 1995 to 14 January 1996(the Meteorological Service provisionallyestimated this rainfall having a return periodof over one in 250 years), which led to highand in some areas unprecedented waterlevels in rivers (the OPW's own HydrometricService confirmed that water levelsmeasured in Clonmel were the highest sincerecords began in 1953), which, combined

The role of the Office of Public Works(OPW) in relation to flooding in Ireland isto deliver on the Government's policies inthe priority flood relief programme andarterial drainage maintenance.

Flooding Flooding in IrelandTh

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with high winds and raised tide levelsdue to a severe low pressure systemcentred in the area, caused extensiveflooding in a number of locations.While this particular event was limitedto the South and South East in 1996, itmay be recalled that in 1995 otherparts of the country suffered extensiveflooding as a result of extremely heavyrainfall.

A more recent example of seriousflooding caused by the simultaneouscombination of a number of severeweather advents was the seriousflooding which occurred in variouslocations around the country on 1 and2 February 2002, particularly in thedensely populated East Wall/Ringsend/Irishtown areas of DublinCity. The almost freakish combinationof the highest spring tide since the1920s, excessive and prolongedrainfall, gale force southerly winds anda drop in atmospheric pressureresulted in serious flood damage tohundreds of homes in the affectedareas.

Numerous flood events have occurredthroughout the country in the lastdecade, causing extensive damage,including major floods on the Shannon,Suir, Munster Blackwater, Slaney,Barrow, Nore and many other rivers. It

is fair to say that in recent yearsflooding has taken place in locationswhich never experienced floodingbefore. It is not possible to predictwhere flooding might occur againgiven extreme circumstances.

Causes of Flooding

It is important to be aware of thecauses of flooding. It is evident thatwhen the volume of rainfall is high thepressure on channel/watercourseconveying capacity is greatest, thusgiving rise to the potential for flooding.However, conditions can beexacerbated where the channels areobstructed or narrowed. This mayoften occur through towns and built upareas, where, because of developmentclose to or, indeed, right up to theriverbanks, there is little or no capacityfor flood plains to take the excesswater. Indeed, the widespreaddevelopment of urban areas such asfor housing and industrialdevelopment, which necessitatesmany hard surfaces, also leads toincreases in run-off of water. Rainfallreaches the rivers much more quicklyfrom developed areas than agriculturalland areas, thereby increasing theflooding potential.

Human development throughout

history has brought pressure toconstruct towns and to undertakeother developments which encroachon the flood plains of rivers. With therecent increased value of theseriverside developments, there issubsequent pressure to safeguardthem by means of engineeringprotection measures such asembankments or levees. Indeed, thefailure of such protection measureshas led to several major flood disastersin modern times.

Obstructions in rivers can also becaused by the gradual, or in somecases the dramatic, siltation of theriver channels. Overgrazing ofagricultural lands, afforestation, peatdevelopment, etc. can lead to quickerrun-off and erosion of lands withresultant transport of sedimentarymaterials / silt into rivers, which canaccumulate, if not cleaned regularly,thereby reducing channel capacity andcausing blockages leading to flooding.

Dublin Flooding Studies

Following the severe flooding in Dublinin February 2002, Dublin City Counciland the Office of Public Works areliaising with a view to the urgentprogressing of essential studies andreports relating to the exact causes of

in Irelanddhe role of the Office of Public Works

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the flooding in each location and theidentification of interim and longer termmeasures necessary to prevent arecurrence of tidal flooding in thefuture. An interim assessment of thetidal stretch of the Dodder River hasalready been carried out and thenecessary remedial works identified. ACoastal Flooding Risk AssessmentStudy covering areas in both DublinCity and County vulnerable to tidalflooding particularly in the context ofglobal warming is also beingcommissioned.

OPW FLOOD RELIEF PROGRAMME

The OPW is committed to its nationalpriority programme of drainageschemes to alleviate localised floodingproblems as described in the openingparagraph on page 8. The firstlocalised flood relief scheme carriedout by the OPW on behalf of theGovernment under the ArterialDrainage (Amendment) Act 1995 beganin 1996. Listed below are the schemeswhich have been undertaken sincethen:

a) Completed Schemes

Flood relief schemes have beencompleted at the following locations:

• Mulkear River Catchment atCappamore, Co. Limerick and atNewport, Co. Tipperary

• Nanny River, Duleek, Co. Meath

• Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare

• Gort Town, Bridge Street, Co. Galway

• Lacken (Ardrahan), Co. Galway

• Maam Valley, Co. Galway

• Hazelhatch, Co. Kildare, ShinkeenStream Catchment

• Dunmanway, Co. Cork, Bandon RiverCatchment

• Belclare, Co. Galway, Clare RiverCatchment

• Bridgend, Co. Donegal

b) Schemes at Construction Stage

Flood relief schemes are currently atconstruction stage at the followinglocations:

• Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, SuirRiver Catchment (work due forcompletion summer 2002)

• Kilkenny City, Nore River catchment(commenced on site September 2001and due for completion in 2004)

c) Schemes at Design or FeasibilityStudy Stage

Flood relief schemes are at design orfeasibility study stage for the followinglocations:

• Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Suir RiverCatchment (Public Exhibition Stagecompleted January 2002)

• Carlow Town, Barrow RiverCatchment (Scheme exhibitedJune/July 2001; observations beingconsidered)

• John's River, Waterford City (PublicExhibition Stage completed 2002.Observations being considered)

• Ennis, Co. Clare (the OPW part-funded a study commissioned byEnnis UDC - a flood relief feasibilityreport in conjunction with the UDC'smain drainage study for Ennis. Thisreport is now being examined by theOPW).

•South Galway. A specific provision of€3.17 million (IR£2.5 million) wasprovided in the 2000 Budget forworks in South Galway. Minister ofState, Martin Cullen, TD, appointed asteering group to oversee theseworks. A number of possibleschemes are currently beingexamined: Cregaclare (AggardStream) (Public Exhibition of theCregaclare Scheme completed March2002; observations now beingconsidered); Mannin Cross, Kilchreestand Termon (final technical andenvironmental reports due by summer2002); Kinvara - culvert (GalwayCounty Council have carried out thiswork with funding from the OPW)

• Mallow and Fermoy, Blackwater RiverCatchment (investigation of theflooding problems in these two townsis being undertaken by the OPW inconjunction with Cork CountyCouncil and Mallow and FermoyUDCs to develop schemes for theirresolution. Following an EU widetendering competition, engineeringconsultants were appointed in May2002)

• Co. Wexford Flooding (the OPW areparticipating in a Steering Committeewith Enniscorthy UDC and WexfordCounty Council. Initiallyconcentrating on Enniscorthy -feasibility report to be commissioned)

• Arklow, Co. Wicklow (the OPW has

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agreed to fund a technical report onflooding in Arklow. Preliminary reportexpected early summer 2002)

• Tolka River (a major study of floodingin the Tolka River Catchment hasbeen commissioned in conjunctionwith Dublin City Council, Fingal andMeath County Councils. Study to befunded by the OPW). See also noteon ‘Dublin Flooding Studies’ onpage 9.

• Nanny River, Tuam, Co. Galway (theOPW considering options forproceeding with works)

• Mornington, Co. Meath (the OPW co-funding with Meath County Counciltechnical report on flooding )

d) Funded Schemes

In addition to the above schemes, otherschemes have been investigated andare being implemented either by theOPW or in co-operation with localauthorities:

• Freemount, Co. Cork (the OPW andCork County Council investigated theflooding problem here and the CountyCouncil agreed to do work funded byOPW)

• Drumcollogher, Co. Limerick, DeelRiver Catchment (the OPW andLimerick County Council agreed to dowork funded by the OPW)

• Scotch Quay, Waterford City(Waterford City Council doing workfunded by the OPW)

• Belhavel, Co Leitrim (County Councildoing work funded by the OPW)

• Co. Wicklow Flooding (the OPW hasagreed to fund works at a number oflocations - Avoca, Aughrim,Baltinglass)

• Templemore, Co. Tipperary (the OPWis currently examining proposals fromUDC for carrying out minor works inthe town. Specific programme ofminor works to be agreed. The OPWwill consider funding this work whichwill be done by the UDC or theCounty Council. Also, a draftfeasibility study to be discussed andagreed with UDC/County Council)

• Griffeen River, Lucan, Co. Dublin(proposal for part-funding of workssubmitted by South Dublin CountyCouncil being considered)

• Co. Kildare Flooding - Maynooth,Kilcock, Clane, Straffan, Celbridge,Kill, Johnstown: (programme of minorworks and additional technical studiesbeing developed with Kildare CountyCouncil)

• Co. Carlow - Tullow, Clonegal(preliminary discussions being heldwith Carlow County Council toconsider their proposals for floodalleviation)

HUMANITARIAN AID SCHEMES

The OPW has been involved in settingup and funding a number ofhumanitarian aid schemes(administered by the Irish Red Cross) inrecent years for the relief of those whohave suffered hardship as a result ofsevere flooding. Funding for theschemes was provided through theOPW' Vote 44 (Flood Relief) andtransferred to the Irish Red Crossspecial flood relief bank account. The

most recent scheme was set upfollowing the severe flooding inFebruary 2002.

Humanitarian Aid Scheme - February 2002

On 5 February 2002, following theserious flooding which occurred on 1and 2 February in various locationsaround the country, caused by severeweather and tidal conditions, theGovernment approved a humanitarianaid scheme which would assist thosemost severely affected by the flooding.Once again, the Irish Red Cross isadministering the scheme. TheGovernment approved €8.5 millionfunding for this latest scheme. Theclosing date for receipt of applicationsfor assistance under the scheme was 1March 2002.

A total of 715 applications werereceived, 80% from the Dublin area and20% from the rest of the country.Approximately 93 % of the applicationswere from households and 7% fromsmall businesses. Of the households,81% were from the Dublin area and19% from the rest of the country. Allthe applications from small businesseswere from the Dublin area. Allassessments have been completedexcept for ten which are special casesand are awaiting more information.Payments were issued in the Dublinarea before Easter 2002 and thecheques for the areas outside Dublinwere issued during the first few weeksof April 2002.

JOE PAT O’DONNELLProject Management services

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Returning to EducationDermot McElwaine, Dublin Castle, broadens his horizons

Refund of Fees Scheme Success Story

My name is Dermot McElwaine and I’ma Constable in Dublin Castle. Theacademic year 2001- 2002 has been agreat year for me as this was the year Ieventually managed to return toeducation and successfully complete aScience Access National CertificateCourse in University College Dublin(UCD), the first course of its kind to beoffered by UCD.

I had always wanted to continue my education butcircumstances had not previously permitted this.However, the expansion last year of the Office’s Refund ofFees Scheme (Office Notice 19/01) provided me with boththe incentive and necessary financial backing to apply toUCD. Once I had spoken to the Training Officer, JohnCrimmins, and he had explained the Scheme to me, Imade my application and it was accepted. Under theScheme not only did the Office pay all my tuition fees, butI also received a grant towards textbooks and additionalstudy leave entitlements.

As the course involved me attending classes two nights aweek and a half-day on Saturday, and I work on a shiftbasis, I had to approach my line managers to gain theirsupport and approval before proceeding with theapplication. In this regard I am eternally grateful to Mr.Tommy O’Shaughnessy, General Manager, Dublin Castle,

the Operations Manager, the late Mr. Danny Keogh, whodied suddenly last November, and his successor, Mr. JohnKelleher, who all gave me every assistance and made itpossible for me to proceed.

While undeniably the Refund of Fees Scheme hadprovided me with the boost to apply to UCD, progressingmy application through my line managers in Dublin Castleand through the Training Unit proved to be the easy part… the real work started when the course commenced.

The course itself was totally geared towards the maturestudent, as it took into account the fact that almosteveryone on the course had not been in a classroom forsome considerable time. In my case I was brought fromGroup Certificate mathematics to first year collegemathematics in just twenty weeks. Achieving this gaveme the confidence to tackle the other subjects which Iwas not so familiar with, i.e. physics, chemistry, biology,study skills, I.T. studies. Working around shifts andgetting to the library as much as possible was hard attimes but extremely rewarding in the end. I now have myNational University of Ireland Certificate and this hasenabled me to apply for the Safety & Health at WorkDiploma Course in UCD 2002-2004 - that will be the nextstage of my education experience.

I knew when I set out on this education experience it wasgoing to be difficult as I have three teenagers at home allcurrently studying for exams, but all I can say is roll onSeptember 2002!

DERMOT McELWAINEDublin Castle

Dermot McElwaine

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The Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) aims toprovide a framework which enables the organisation to advance towardsimproved performance, greater job satisfaction and better service delivery tocustomers, while developing skills and increasing knowledge-base. The systemprovides the link between the strategic goals of the Office as outlined in itsStatement of Strategy, the Business Plans of each Business Unit and the day-to-day work of each section within the Office.

The three phases of PMDS are:

PMDSUpdate

• the creation of a personal performance plan

• ongoing management of performance

• annual performance and developmentreview.

Training is being provided in each of thesephases in modules of two days, one day andtwo days respectively.

Phase 1 training in the PMDS has now beencompleted with 580 staff members attendingthe two-day course. The courses were heldat two centres in Dublin and in a number ofcentres across the country in Kilkenny,Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo andMeath. In all, forty courses were held,facilitated by five trainers from CarrCommunications.

The reaction of staff to the PMDS training sofar has been very positive and allparticipants are greatly to be commended fortheir cooperation and open-minded approachto the training and to the implementation ofthe PMDS in general.

The system is being introduced into theOffice of Public Works this year and it istherefore necessary for the training, initialmeeting, review meeting and end-of-yearreview meeting all to take place within 2002.Everyone is consequently encouraged tolearn about the process and to treat this yearas an opportunity to familiarise themselveswith the PMDS with a view to its successfulfull implementation in 2003.

Phase 2 training (one day) is nearingcompletion. This phase gives all staff theopportunity to deal with issues arising fromPhase 1 and to learn about the interim reviewmeeting and the ongoing implementation ofPMDS in each respective section.

Phase 3 training (two days) is scheduled tobegin in September with a view tocompletion by December 2002.

FRANK COFFEYTraining Unit

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The Eileen Gray Exhibition, which openedon 21 March 2002, is located on the thirdfloor of the west block at CollinsBarracks, and occupies approximately192 square metres of exhibition space,together with a further 40 square metrefor a resource area.

The Eileen Gray Exhibition,which opened on 21 March2002, is located at theNational Museum of Ireland(NMI) on the third floor of

the west block at Collins Barracks,and occupies approximately 192square metres of exhibition space,together with a further 40 squaremetres for a resource area.

It is impossible to convey in oneexhibition the scope and diversity ofEileen Gray’s work: the elegance, wit,and humanity of her designs; herability to absorb and distil ideas froma wide range of sources; and hercharacter - independent, tenacious,yet reserved.

The exhibition therefore aims to givean overview of her life and career,based on the collection purchased bythe National Museum of Ireland in2000 and consisting of Gray’spersonal belongings and papers,original designs and drawings, and anumber of experimental pieces.The collection is supplemented by a

number of long term loans from theCentre Pompidou, Paris, the Victoria& Albert Museum and RIBA DrawingsCollection, London.

While there have been comments thatthe items in the Collection are not topquality pieces, it must beremembered that the best pieceswere commissioned or purchased bywealthy clients, or destroyed duringthe Second World War. However, theirunique value and interest to thevisitor lies in the fact that they are allartefacts which Gray retained in herRue Bonaparte apartment up to thetime of her death, and clearlyrepresent each stage of herdevelopment, from Slade School artstudent to mature architect.

With the close collaboration of theexhibition team: museum curators,conservators, interpretative planners,graphic designer and exhibitiondesigner, a narrative was developedusing the Collection as ‘steppingstones’. Supplementary informationand images provide background

information on the milieu in whichGray lived. The task of the designers then was todevelop a spatial concept tocomplement and elaborate thisnarrative. To do this, Gray’s work andlikely influences were studied, andaspects of these informed thedevelopment of the design.

These references include Gray’sfascination with the surface quality ofmaterials, her integration of furnitureand architecture, her use of planes -horizontal or vertical - to definespace, her manipulation of light, andher playful use of graphics.

In following Gray’s careerdevelopment, the exhibition isinevitably chronological, and visitorsare directed to commence their visitat the lift lobby, from where the entryspace focuses on a ‘still life’ of whatis probably the most iconic pieceassociated with Eileen Gray: theE1027 table (the original prototype),juxtaposed against a copy of a 1920sphoto of Gray, taken by Bernice

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Abbot, silk-screened onto stainlesssteel (see cover image). Beyond thetable, through a screen of finestainless steel mesh, a modern copyof the E1027 table is glimpsed,indicating the contemporaryrelevance of her work and hinting atthe presence of the resource area.

Beyond the entry area, the nextspace focuses on Gray’s early familylife and first forays into the artistic lifein London and Paris. Here the visitorhas a choice: to turn left into theresource area, or right, and enter themain exhibition space which isrevealed beyond a series of foldedpartitions. This in a sense reflects thebasic layout of Gray’s best knownpiece of architecture, the houseknown as E1027, where the livingand entertaining space opens to theright beyond the vestibule, while theservice areas and the privatebedroom/study are located tothe left.

Following the main exhibition route,the next section deals with Gray’searliest experiments in the medium

where she first gained widespreadacclaim: the art of lacquer. Thedisplay cases, which are deliberatelyshallow to permit visitors to view theartefacts as closely as possible, areintegrated with hinged or pivotingcompartments which containsupplementary information onlacquering. The artefacts include anextensive range of tools, experimentsin colour and texture, and a two-faced door panel which indicatesGray’s move from representational tonon-figurative art.

Moving beyond this medium, thenext area concentrates on Gray’sdevelopment as a designer ofinnovative interior spaces and herwork as the proprietor of a retail shopselling her own furniture, textiles andlight fittings.

A large-scale image of hercontroversial room set, the 1923Monte Carlo boudoir/bedroom, formsa contextual background to theprincipal artefacts, a painted ‘block’screen, and blue glass lantern, whichare displayed on an open plinth

whose presence is emphasised bythe use of a contrasting floor finisharound its perimeter. This device isused again in relation to other openplinths, and makes reference toGray’s use of contrasting areas offloor colour in E1027 to indicate thelocation of floor rugs or pieces offurniture. Again the display cases,exhibiting mainly two-dimensionalartefacts, are integrated intothe partitions.

The visitor is then directed through alow, narrow space representing thetransition from being a designer ofinteriors to a designer of completebuildings. One of the original windowsashes is partly revealed, allowing ashaft of daylight (with UV filter) topenetrate. Here, the visitor can reston the window seat and gain a senseof the relationship of the gallery toClarke Square. The window seat alsoreveals a recess containing criticalreviews of Gray’s work by twoarchitects who were instrumental inencouraging her into the field ofarchitecture: Jan Wils and JeanBadovici.

OBAIR 20

The next space, the largest in theexhibition, examines Gray’sarchitecture, with particular emphasison E1027. An underlit glass plinth,approximately 3.8 square metresdisplays against a large image of theliving area of E1027 a number offurniture items designed for thehouse.

A specially commissioned model ofE1027, copies of the plans and aseries of original photographicimages presented on a continuousDVD loop provide further information.

An alcove to one side providesinformation on other architecturalprojects designed by Gray. Forconservation reasons, only oneoriginal drawing, a projected designof a house for two sculptors, isexhibited. It is complemented by asmall card model, Gray’s own,loaned by the RIBA.

On the far side of this space, furtherpieces of Gray’s furniture, the non-conformist chair and a pair of diningchairs, are exhibited, augmented bylarge-scale reproductions of herfurniture drawings.

It is ironic that as Gray’s architecturalconfidence increased, theopportunities to realise her projectsdecreased, and the final section ofthe exhibition adopts a moreintrospective mood as it considersher late work.

The pair of dining chairs viewed fromthe main space are revealed in factto be two pairs, presented on a glassshelf to permit a clear view of theirprofile. In an adjacent display case, a

letter from Gray written in the 1970sin reply to the National Museumsenquiry if she had pieces of her workfor sale, indicates her modesty andalso her desire to maintain a link withIreland.

The concluding area, againdelineated by contrasting floor finish,and a reverse image of the entryarea, is composed of a ‘still life’ ofthe non-conformist chair (completewith worn armrest), and an image ofEileen Gray taken about a yearbefore her death.

Throughout the exhibition, the choiceof materials, colours and graphicswere carefully considered. Steel,glass, aluminium and perforatedmetal are all materials used by Gray.The overall colour scheme is aneutral palette with hues of theprimary colours, red, yellow andblue, used as accents. Indeed blueseems to be have been a particularfavourite of Gray’s : she devised herown shade of blue lacquer, usingultramarine mixed with otherpigments, and variations of thisoccur regularly in her textile, furnitureand architecture.

The typestyles are variations ofpopular early twentieth-century ones,the stencilled Bodoni being usedextensively by Gray in E1027.

At the end of the exhibition, thevisitor may choose to return to theresource area; this encouragesfurther exploration of Gray’s life andwork through viewing an interviewfilmed about a year before her death,or by examining copies of herdrawings and portfolio, while sitting

on reproductions of some of thechairs. A computer station is alsoprovided, linked to the Archeirewebsite.

The resource area also features apilot study by 4th year students ofDublin Institute of Technology (DIT),Bolton Street on comparative earlytwentieth-century architecture, whichis envisaged as the first of a series ofcollaborative efforts between theNational Museum of Ireland and DIT.

To date, visitor numbers to theexhibition have far exceeded theMuseum’s expectations, and are anindication of the current upsurge ofinterest in contemporary design.

In conclusion, Eileen Gray is quotedas declaring that ‘the poverty ofmodern design stems from theatrophy of sensuality’. An inspectionof her work at Collins Barracks willindicate that this is in no way anaccusation that can be levelled atGray herself.

BARBARA KENNYArchitectural Services

THE OPW PROJECT TEAM FOR THE EILEEN GRAY EXHIBITION:Design Team:Michael O’Doherty: Principal Architect; Liam Egan:

Assistant Principal Architect; Barbara Kenny: Senior

Architect; Anthony Sweetman: Architect; Aifric Aiken:

Architect

Project Management Services: Clare Mc Grath: Principal Officer

Dominic Mc Nevin: Assistant Principal Officer

Georgina Keeley: Higher Executive Officer

Dan O’Neill: Executive Officer

Engineering Services:Alan French:Engineer Grade II

Aidan Quinn:Quantity Surveyor Grade 1

Kevin Mc Loone:Senior Architect Fire & Security Services

EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS:Mechanical and Electrical Contractors: Varming Mulcahy Reilly Associates

Graphic Design: Wendy Williams Design

Main Contractor:Gem Manufacturing Co. Ltd

Nominated Sub-contractors:Display Cases: Netherfield Visual Ltd.

Mechanical & Electrical: Crowe Engineering Ltd.

Security: Security Technology Ireland

Audio Visual: Firefly DVD

Model of E1027 supplied by City Model makers Ltd

OBAIR 21

The main building was used as a coast guard stationuntil 1922, and was occupied by the Gardai until tenyears ago. Sadly, with the exception of brief periods

of occupation of some of the terraced houses, the complexhas been vacant since that time. The boathouse is currentlyused as a base for the Irish Coast Guard. The remainder ofthis substantial site, currently overgrown, slopes down tomeet the boundary to Lady Doneraile’s Walk, a pedestriancliff walk linking the Doneraile Harbour to Tramore.

The Site and BuildingsLocated 1km to the south west of Tramore town, the site hasa road and sea frontage of approximately 65 metres.

The significant historic building is prominently located onan elevated site overlooking Lady Doneraile’s Cove andTramore town. The structure itself is perched on a gravelledplinth, allowing the grounds to slope gently to meet animpressive stone wall that acts as a buffer between the siteand Lady Doneraile’s Walk. The many pedestrians who availof this spectacular route enjoy a sense of being suspended ata height above cliffs that plummet down to Doneraile Cove.

The complex is listed as a protected structure under theWaterford County Development Plan. It consisted of sixtwo-storey terraced houses flanked by a three-storey formerofficers’ residence to the east, and the fortified tower to thewest. Its construction was of rendered rubble walls, withdecorative brick and limestone features around window anddoor openings, brick quoins and a pitched slated roof.There are a number of outdoor privy buildings along thenorthern boundary. All public utilities are available.

The Brief

Following the drafting of an outline brief in conjunctionwith the Department of the Marine and the Irish CoastGuard, work commenced on an initial sketch scheme inSpring of 2000.

Tragically, a fire in October 2000 destroyed the majority ofthe building.

A structural report, completed shortly after the fire,recommended that all internal partitions, floors, stairs andtimber elements be removed for safety reasons. The externaland internal dividing walls are the only substantial structuralelements remaining in the fire-damaged section of thebuilding. The chimneys at the dividing and external wallsare generally free standing as a result of the roof collapse.

After the fire, all structural elements that could be salvagedwere carefully cleaned down, the remaining debris removed,and the site secured.

Discussions were renewed, this time to reconsider therenovation and reconstruction options for the building. Dueto the fact that most of the internal partitions weredestroyed, a unique opportunity now existed to rearrangethe internal layout to maximise the potential of the buildingin terms of new occupancies and provide for the insertion ofmodern services.

The requirements of the Irish Coast Guard mean that theywill occupy the main three-storey building and two of the

Tramore Coast Guard Station was built in 1874 to provide a basefor the regional Irish Coast Guard Branch, and residentialfacilities for the men who worked there. The complex ofbuildings consists of an officer’s residence, a terrace of houses, afortified lookout tower and a boathouse.

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OBAIR 22

original coast guard officers’ cottages. Anew single storey garage will be builtadjacent to the entrance to this wing, tohouse the coast guard boat and trailer, jeepsand quad. The remainder of the coast guardcottages and the lookout tower areavailable for suitable end uses. Allcontemporary facilities will be provided tothis wing of the building to ensure theflexibility of its future occupancy.

The existing boathouse to the west of thesite will be restored and upgraded and willcontinue to be used in conjunction with thenew garage to the east, to house the IrishCoast Guard equipment.

Scheme AnalysisThe fabric of the building was carefullyanalysed, and a scheme harmonising withthe existing template was drawn up. Themain objective of the proposed scheme is toallow for the potential future expansion ofthe current accommodation, whilstmaintaining the highest architectural andconservation ideals. All new buildingelements are located to provide maximumflexibility for future changes.

After in-depth consultations with thePlanning Department in Waterford CountyCouncil, the OPW submitted a planningapplication for complete refurbishment,modifications and extension, and partialchange of use of the building, in December2001.

The building was in poor condition, evenbefore to the fire in October 2000.However, in carrying out these proposedworks, it is intended to restore and preservefully the architectural and historic integrityof this landmark complex. The externalcharacter of the building will bemaintained. All possible efforts have beenmade to minimise the impact of the newelements within the scheme, in accordancewith good conservation practice.

All new windows, doors, architraves andskirting boards will be in hardwood timberto match the originals. In the same vein,the stairs in the three-storey wing of thebuilding, now burnt out, will be reinstatedto the original design. Fragments of ornateplaster detailing have been carefullycollected to provide moulds for newplasterwork.

The entire building will be re-roofed innatural slate, and the decorative bargeboards and trimmings reinstated.

Due to severe water and fire damage, allrendered surfaces on external walls must beremoved, but will be replaced to match theoriginal render. Brick and limestonesurrounds to windows and doors will berepointed, and repaired, if necessary. Aspreviously pointed out, all timber elements(i.e. floors, roof timbers etc.) must beremoved. These structural elements will bereinstated to match the original structure.However, due to the concern with thestructural integrity of the fire-damagedexternal load-bearing walls, a steel framewill be inserted, which will be concealedinside the external walls, to carry the newtimber floors and roof.

Design ConceptThe existing layout of the original CoastGuard accommodation will remain intact,with the exception of the addition of somepartitions in the basement. Although theinternal partitions in the original residentialblock will be removed, the chimney stackswill be retained and incorporated asfeatures within the new layout. The towerblock will be used as a vertical circulationroute, housing the fire stairs and lift. Thebuilding will be re-roofed in its entirety, tomatch existing rooflines. Heritage rooflights will be inserted to the north slope ofthe roof over the existing residential block.

The Irish Coast Guard will occupy the wing

to the eastern boundary and it is proposedto construct a new boathouse/garageadjacent to this wing, which will respectthe massing and form of the existingstructures on the site.

Although it is suggested that the majorityof the outhouses to the northern boundaryshould be removed, one will be retained asan entrance kiosk to the remaining non-coast guard elements of the building. Acanopy perched over a timber approachwalkway will link this entrance kiosk to thenon-coast guard section.

The space around the building will bearchitecturally landscaped, its surfaces acombination of gravelled, decked andpaved elements. Native trees and shrubswill be incorporated within the landscapingdesign to enhance aesthetics and providenecessary shelter from the elements.

The gravelled walkway, now completelyovergrown, which once defined theelevated stone plinth on which the buildingstands, will be reinstated.

Due to the significant level changes withthe complex, a series of ramped gravelledbeds will be provided in the forecourt tothe northern boundary. A ramp will allowvehicles to access the Coast Guard carparking facilities to the southwest of thesite. The new garage will be partiallysubmerged to incorporate these levelchanges, minimising its impact on thestreetscape.

The triangular-shaped strip of land to thefront of the site will be gravelled andlandscaped.

It is hoped that the gravelled forecourt tothe northern elevation will be transformedinto a sculpture garden with public seating.

CIARAN O’CONNORArchitectural Services

All possible efforts have been made to minimise the impact of the new elements within the scheme, in accordance

with good conservation practice.‘ ‘

OBAIR 23

Following the re-organisationof the GSA in 1998,responsibility for procurementand issue of all material usedin the Dáil, Seanad,Presidential and Euroelections, as well asReferenda, was transferredfrom the Stores unit of theGSA to the Printing andBinding Section.

In order to ensure that the high

security standards essential in a pre-

election period were maintained, a

number of measures were put in place

in the GSA warehouse in St. John’s

Road in Dublin. A specific area was

set aside in the warehouse complex to

accommodate all election material. A

strong room was also set up to provide

a secure location for storing the

specialised numbering boxes - the

unique numbering system that

appears on the official ballot papers -

and stamping instruments used for

imprinting the official mark on ballot

papers at the time of issue to voters.

The depot in St. John’s Road stores

stocks sufficient to cater for three

elections and/or referenda. There are

currently 160 coded items listed, from

posters and polling cards to sealing

wax and voting pencils. These items

are requisitioned from the GSA by 23

Returning Officers nationwide.

General elections are funded through

the Central Fund which is administered

through the Department of Finance.

However, in the interest of providing an

efficient and timely service, the GSA

covers the relevant printing costs

incurred in a pre-election period and

recoups these monies from the Central

Fund.

GGSSAAThe Government Supplies Agency (GSA) played a central role

in Election 2002. In association with the Department of the

Environment and Local Government, the GSA provides all the

printing requirements, including ballot papers, for elections. It

also provides and maintains a range of stock items for election

purposes.

Election Services

OBAIR 24

GENERAL ELECTION 2002

Although the use of colour

photographs on ballot papers was first

introduced for the June 1999 European

elections, General Election 2002 was

the first time they were used during a

General Election. The use of

photographs was designed to assist

the electorate to visually identify each

of the candidates. The use of party

emblems on the ballot papers was also

introduced for this election.

The GSA prepared and placed five-

year contracts for the printing of ballot

papers, which were put in place six

months before the Election was called.

In addition to the provision of ballot

papers, it was decided to cater for the

printing of posters and referenda in this

contract. Tenders were assessed and

subsequently placed with nine

contractors nationwide who were

selected to carry out the printing

requirements across the 42

constituencies. Each contractor was

required to have a proven track record,

dedicated resources and to be capable

of handling all aspects of the

production of ballot papers and

posters. The GSA is responsible for the

management and performance of

these contracts.

ELECTRONIC VOTING

The GSA assisted the Department of

the Environment and Local

Government in planning for the

introduction of the new electronic

voting system. It was decided to

introduce a pilot scheme in three

constituencies for General Election

2002: Dublin North, Dublin West and

Meath.

The GSA selected two printing

contractors with the capacity and

expertise to produce the special ballot

papers used with the new electronic

voting equipment. A limited number of

standard ballot papers was also

required for these constituencies to

cater for postal and special voters. A

new range of forms and posters was

also introduced for use in these

constituencies. After this General

Election the position will be reviewed,

with the intention of extending

electronic voting nationwide in future

elections and referenda.

FRANK DOWNEY

Assistant Director

Paddy Wilson, GSA

OBAIR 25

The Millennium Wing provides the Irishpublic with a signature building, uniquein design and construction, a hallmarkfor the cultural heritage of the State. Itwas designed by Benson and Forsyth,whose striking contemporaryarchitectural interpretation of thishistoric addition to the National Galleryhad won them a major internationalcompetition

The Office of Public Works wascharged with project managing thedevelopment on behalf of theGovernors and Guardians of theNational Gallery of Ireland at the behestof the Department of Arts, Heritage,Gaeltacht and the Islands withCommissioner Sean Benton in the roleof Project Head.

The complexity of the contract calledfor constant liaison through a SteeringGroup which was put in place andchaired by Commissioner Benton. ThisGroup comprised representatives ofProject Management Services andArchitectural Services of the Office ofPublic Works, The National Gallery ofIreland and their Adviser, theDepartment of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltachtand the Islands, the Department ofFinance and the Design Team for theproject.

The Millennium Wing building contractwas awarded to Michael Mc Namaraand Company in March 1999 with astart on site date of April 1999 and aneighteen-month construction period. Inthe course of the contract, thecontractor, the Design Team and the

The National Gallery of Ireland Clare Streetextension– Millennium Wing – opened to the public inJanuary 2002, with an exhibition entitled ‘Monet, Renoirand the Impressionist Landscape’, organised with theMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston.

MillenniuClare Street

National Gallery of Ireland

OBAIR 26

um Wing

OPW team had to contend with anunofficial industrial dispute, whichinvolved unofficial pickets beingplaced on the site, in protest at theuse of subcontracted bricklayers.This was an industry-wide dispute, aspart of which specific high-profilesites were targeted. In the case ofthis project, it had the effect ofpractically stopping work on site foreight months, despite the fact thatthere were no bricklayers active onsite, and the quantity of brickwork onthe project was negligible.

Despite this major setback, thequality and cost efficiency of theproject was not compromised. Thebuilding has been critically acclaimedand the final costings demonstrategood value for money. Based oncurrent costings, it is estimated thatthe net cost of the Millennium Wing is€3,427 per square metres on thebasis of Gross Internal Floor Area of5,355 square metres. This comparesfavourably with other galleries ofequivalent standing abroad, such asthe National Portrait GalleryExtension (London), and the DulwichGallery (London) for which costs of€4,308 per square metre and €4,952per square metre have been advised.

However, given the high spaceswhich are integral to the design of theMillennium Wing, it is possibly morerelevant to consider the cost percubic metre of building volume. Thebuilding volume is 28,953 cubicmetres and the total cost equates to€634 per cubic metre. Taking thebuilding volume into consideration inrelation to the cost per square metreof Gross Internal Floor Area , itshould be noted that the averagestorey height equates to 5.41metres.This is some 54% higher than a moretypical storey height of 3.5 metres. Ifthe cost per square metre of GrossInternal Floor Area , €3,427, isreduced by a correspondingproportion, it results in a cost persquare metre of €2,225.

The new building with its sculpturedfaçade is clad in Portland stone. TheClare Street façade faces north and istherefore perpetually in shade.Windows have been carefully placedto give views across the building andthe city. The building is entered fromClare Street through a perforatedglass and steel screen set back fromthe building line ‘to provide adecompression zone’ between thepavement and the building line. The

entrance is defined by the circularform of a spiral staircase whosecurve leads gently from the backedge of the pavement to the maindoor.

The entrance leads to a central,south-lit luminous orientation space,which terminates in a grand staircaserising to the ground floor level, whichconnects to the existing gallery.Adjacent to this staircase are the lifts,which serve each level of the newbuilding. Cloakroom facilities arelocated beyond this point. Thereception desk is placed to the rightof the entrance along the wallflanking the east elevation of No. 5South Leinster Street, opposite theNational Gallery bookshop which hasbeen relocated to provide a moreaccessible facility to the public.

At the rear of the entry level, servedfrom Leinster Lane, the handling andstorage facilities are located. Hoistsand a small staircase relate theservery at this level to the kitchenlocated immediately below this spacein the basement.

The ground floor, served by the grandstaircase from the new entry level

OBAIR 27

and the adjacent lifts, provides directconnections between the existinggalleries and the new building. Thecentral hub of the circulation armatureof the new building is located here, atthe north west corner of the existingbuilding. The staircase which waslocated at this point has beenremoved and replaced with a newexternal (escape) stairwell abuttingthe southern end of Clare Lane on thewest side and also abutting thehistoric building.

Reached from the landing at the topof the grand staircase, the first of thenew gallery spaces is located at thislevel. Within the gallery extension,natural light is ‘borrowed’ fromdiscrete glazing caught between thecantilevered east wall of the galleryand the plane of the elevation. Thesecond major space at this level isthe restaurant, located behind theconservatory space (‘TheWintergarden’) and thereforebenefiting from views into it.Access to the galleries above at first

floor level is provided by a staircasecantilevered into the orientation court.A bridge behind the entrance façadeconnects the gallery back to the northend of the top level of the orientationcourt, at the same time offering viewsacross Clare Street to Trinity Collegeplaying fields.

The new building interfaces with thehistoric building via the SpanishGallery on the top floor and the newSculpture Gallery at first floor level.

The mezzanine between the first andtop levels provides accommodationfor a Centre for the Study of Irish Art.

In essence, the building has beenorganised on the site to provide themaximum area of gallery spacearound a clear circulation armature,whilst achieving the most sensitiverelationship possible with No. 5 SouthLeinster Street through theconservatory space, theWintergarden. Furthermore, thegalleries have been organised to

provide a flexible configuration ofgenerously scaled exhibition spacesof the highest standards. Thesesuites operate in parallel or in serieswhile offering within themselvesflexible alternative layout for thepresentation of artworks.

The success of this project has beendemonstrated by the unprecedentednumber of people visiting the buildingnot just to view the paintings andsculptures but also to see this

Millennium masterpiece. Accordingly,the Office of Public Works should feelextremely proud and satisfied inbeing part of a team that hasprovided Dublin with a civic buildingto compare with the best in the world.

DOMINIC McNEVINProject Management Service

The Millennium Wing provides the Irish public with a signaturebuilding, unique in design and construction, a hallmark for thecultural heritage of the State.

Client

Board of Governors and Guardians of the National Gallery of Ireland

Project Manager

Office of Public Works, Project Management Services

Commissioner Sean Benton, Clare Mc Grath, June Thompson, Dominick Mc Nevin, Kevin Connolly,

Georgina Keeley, Mary Heffernan, Martina Colville, Delia Hickey, Fergal O’Brien

Office of Public Works Architectural ServicesKlaus Unger, Angela Rolfe

Client’s AdviserInteractive Project Management

ArchitectsBenson+Forsyth

Structural EngineersO’Connor Sutton Cronin

Services EngineersOscar Faber

Quantity SurveyorsRogerson Reddan Associates

Main ContractorMichael Mc Namara & Company

KKeevviinn KKiieerraann

This Partnership Committee is chaired by theOPW Chairman Mr. Brian (Barry) Murphy and itsmembership comprises representatives frommanagement, staff and trade unions.

During its existence, several extensive andintensive sub-groups of the Committee have beenestablished. These include:

• Sporting Sponsorship Group

• Artistic Sponsorship Group

• Merit Pay Group

The Committee has been involved in considering a

wide variety of issues since its establishment. Thefollowing are some of the issues that have beenaddressed:

• Performance Management and DevelopmentSystem

• Refund of Fees Scheme

• Civil Service Staff Suggestion Scheme

More recently, the Partnership Committee playeda vital role in considering the OPW Statement ofStrategy for the period 2001-2003. TheCommittee met on a weekly basis to discuss indetail every aspect of the Statement. TheCommittee continues to examine and explore alltopical issues in the Office of Public Works.

DENIS MURPHYSecretary to the

Partnership Committee

Kevin Kieran AwardIn February 2002, The Office of Public Works instituted a newarchitectural award in association with the Arts Council - theKevin Kieran Award. Intended to promote excellence in designamong new architects, the award celebrates the memory ofKevin Kieran, the ArtsCouncil's first architectureconsultant.

The award commemorates thecontribution Kevin Kieran made tothe Arts Council's architecture policybefore his untimely death in 1999, inparticular his support for emergingarchitects and their development.

A gifted emerging architect will beselected every two years and will beengaged by the Office of PublicWorks to design and build a projectfrom its portfolio. The Arts Councilare providing a €50,000 bursary toenable the selected architect totravel and engage in activitiesintended to enhance their artisticand creative ability.

‘We at the Office of Public Works aredelighted to cooperate with theimplementation of this veryimportant element of the ArtsCouncil's Art Plan, as architectureand building represents a corebusiness in the OPW and we arealways interested in promoting newarchitects, for example through ourexisting Graduate Architect Training

Scheme’, said OPW CommissionerSean Benton at the launch of theaward.

‘Throughout its fifty-year history, theArts Council has always had acommitment to developing artisticexcellence in architecture and havealways concentrated on careerformation as a means to achievethis,’ said Patricia Quinn, Director ofthe Arts Council. ‘Our focus today isto promote design excellence byoffering awards to architects ofsignificant promise to undertakeprojects of research, study andcriticism. We are particularly pleasedto be working with the Office ofPublic Works in providing supportand encouragement for a newgeneration of architects through thisaward.’

Further details about the KevinKieran Award are contained in theArts Council publication ‘Awards2002’ or on the Council's websitehttp://www.artscouncil.ie.

As part of the Strategic Management InitiativeProcess, Partnership Committees were established inall Government Departments under the provisions ofGeneral Council Report No. 1331. The Office of PublicWorks Partnership Committee was established inAutumn 1998 and has held 23 meetings to date.

TThhee OOffffiiccee ooff PPuubblliicc WWoorrkkss The Office of Public Works Partnership Committee

Commissioner Sean Benton and Pat Murphy, Art Advisor to the OPW

OBAIR 30

Three paintings from the ThroneRoom in the State Apartments atDublin Castle were loaned to ainternational exhibition held at theAuditorium of San Lorenzo inCento in northern Italy from13 April to 16 June 2002. Thepaintings are by Gaetano Gandolfi(1734 - 1802), an artist born in SanMatteo della Decima in the Povalley who studied and worked inBologna throughout his career.

The paintings were selected for the exhibition by Prof.Donatella Biagi Maino, head of the Department of theHistory of Art and Cultural Studies from the University ofBologna at Ravenna, who has published extensively onthe work of Gandolfi. Dr. Maino visited Dublin two yearsago to examine the paintings having read about them inan article by Dr. Michael Wynne published in TheBurlington Magazine in June 1999. Before Dr. Wynne'sattribution to Gandolfi, the identity of the creator of thepaintings had been unknown. Subsequent conservationwork carried out on the paintings by Roland Hulme-Beaman revealed the artist's signature and dated theworks to 1767.

Dr. Maino selected three paintings from the series ofseven located in Dublin Castle: Minerva and her sacredbird, the owl; Juno (illustrated) Juno and the Peacocksand Vulcan in his Forge. The Minerva painting wasselected by the organising committee of the exhibition toappear on the cover of the catalogue and all advertisingmaterial.

In the OPW catalogue, Dublin Castle Art (Dublin, 1999),art historian Roisin Kennedy describes how the entire

series of paintings, created in Italy in 1767, waspurchased by the Board of Works in 1839 from Gernon, aDublin-based art dealer, for only £89:5s. It is not knownhow they originally arrived in Ireland. They were selectedto hang in the Throne Room, where, accounts show, thecost of the gilt chandliers was £316, more that three timesthat of the painting. The value of the paintings hasincreased significantly since their acquisition and they arenow being exhibited in the artist's home region alongsidehis other major works and also with paintings by his olderbrother Ubaldo (1728 - 1781).

Paintings have also been loaned to the exhibition by theLouvre, Paris; the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; the NorthCarolina Museum of Art; the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, andseveral large-scale religious paintings have been includedalso from churches in the Emilio-Romagna region of Italy.

The exhibition Gaetano e Ubaldo Gandolfi Opere scelteopened in the Auditorium at Cento on Saturday, 13 April2002, and the Office of Public Works was representedby Chairman Barry Murphy and OPW Art Adviser,Patrick J. Murphy.

Dublin Castle Paintings on Loan to theGandolfi Exhibition in Cento, Italy.

OBAIR 31

The Office of Public Works will present the Farmleigh SummerCultural Programme during July and August 2002. The programme,consisting of variousmusical performancesand plays, will take placein the house or groundsof Farmleigh.

The various performances will take place inassociation with the Draíocht Theatre Company withthe Grid Iron Theatre Company, the Anna LiviaOpera Company, the Co-Opera Company, theNational Symphony Orchestra, the Irish ChamberOrchestra, the RTE Big Band, the RTE ConcertOrchestra and Macnas.

Presented by title, date and time,the programme is as follows:

Draíocht, with the Grid Iron Theatre Company‘Decky Does a Bronco’ by Douglas Maxwell (suitable for children over 10 years)4 (at 8pm only), 5, 6, & 7 July at 2pm and 6pm each day

This is an outdoor event.

Anna Livia Opera CompanyOperatic recital by Bernadette Woods‘The Telephone’, by Menotti and

‘Don Pasquale’ (extracts) by Donizetti18 July at 8pm

Anna Livia Opera Company‘Hand of Bridge’by BarberOperatic recital by Edel O’Brien19 July at 8pm

Co-Opera Opera Company‘La Bohéme’,by Puccini24, 25 & 26 July at 8pm

National Symphony Orchestra‘Latin Night’, Sharon Coste, sopranoRobert Houlihan, conductor27 July at 8pm

National Symphony Orchestra‘Gala Night – A World of Music’, Micheál O’Rourke, pianoRobert Houlihan, conductor28 July at 8pm

Irish Chamber Orchestra (as guests of RTÉ Music)Zoe Conway, violinFionnuala Hunt, violinDirected by Fionnuala Hunt29 July at 8pm

RTÉ Big Band‘Glenn Miller Night’, Robert Lamb, conductor30 July at 8pm

RTÉ Concert Orchestra & Big Band‘The Sinatra Years with Jack L’, Emer McParland, Robert Lamb, conductor31 July at 8pm

RTÉ Concert Orchestra & Big Band‘Rattlebag Listeners’ Choice’, presented by Myles Dungan, Proinnsias Ó Duinn, conductor1 August at 8pm

Macnas‘Grainne Mhaol’, Kathi Leahy, director9, 10 and 11 August at 9 pm

Free tickets for the events weremade available by public ballot asadvertised in the press.

Farmleigh Summer Cultural Programme

OBAIR 32

Backweston Contract SignedThe contracts for the construction of the new StateLaboratory and the Agriculture, Food and RuralDevelopment Laboratoriesat Backweston, Co.Kildare, were signed on16 April 2002.

The overall development is the largestconstruction project ever undertakenby the Office of Public Works yetagain that the OPW can and doesrespond to the many challengesplaced upon it by Government and itsagencies.

The total development will comprisesome 37,500 square metres ofaccommodation for nearly 400members of staff at a cost of €200m.The facilities in the two developments

will include laboratories, offices andarchive areas, as well as conferenceand library facilities, an energy centreand greenhouse, with the AgriculturalLaboratories also having animalhousing and poultry buildings.

Pierse (Contracting) Ltd have beenawarded the contract for the StateLaboratory, with Bennett (Contracting)Ltd winning the tender for theAgricultural Laboratories.

25 April, 2002 The Wyse family have been a part of Waterford’s history for manycenturies. Some of the exhibits on display at the Exhibition date back tothe time of William Wyse, Waterford’s emissary to the Court of KingHenry VIII.

The Bonaparte Wyse Exhibition of paintings and heirlooms includes fivefamily portraits - three of Thomas ‘Bullocks’ (1701-1770), one of GentleThomas (1770-1835) and one of Sir Thomas (1791-1862); two veryimportant paintings on copper of members of the Wyse family inNewtown House; an exquisite jet cross, one of twelve commissioned in1821 on the death of Napoleon, as well as a lock of Napoleon’s hair.

The Office of Public Works arranged the loan of a remarkable 1730Bonaparte gilt clock to the exhibition. Presented to the State in the mid-1980s by the family, the clock in question originally belonged toNapoleon’s mother and was on loan to the Department of Justice in St.Stephens Green. It is a very fine example of an early eighteenth-centuryFrench decorative clock, depicting Orpheus playing his lyre lamentingthe death of Eurydice. The clock is now in excellent condition, havinghad some minor adjustments made recently and keeps time perfectly,still marking the hour with its original chimes ringing out in the museum.

The OPW Supports the Bonaparte Wyse Exhibition in the WaterfordTreasures Museum

OBAIR 33

Archaeological Find Necessitates Complete Redesign of the Custom House, Galway

Work commenced in 1997 on the extension ofGalway Custom House. It was, however, suspendedfollowing the discovery of several importantarchaeological finds. Subsequent excavationsuncovered the remains of a medieval hall used by the‘Red Earl’, Richard de Burgo,dating from the 13th century -the oldest building tobe excavated within themedieval walls of Galway.

In view of the importance of the archaeological site and the need topreserve it, the Custom House extension was completely re-designed by the Office of Public Works in conjunction with theRevenue Commissioners. The archaeological site now forms part ofthe new foyer of the Custom House.

This was a significant archaeological find and one that presentedthe OPW with a considerable challenge in terms of re-designing theextension around it. Despite this unforseen development theproject was carried out very successfully. The Custom Houseextension provides the Revenue Commissioners with state of theart facilities for their Customs and Excise administrativeheadquarters.

OBAIR 34

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Office of Public Works

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Tel: 353 1 647 6000

Email: info@opw.ie

www.opw.ie

OBAIR A bi-annual newsletter from the Office of Public Works

Issue 7 June 2002

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