New city cultural quarter goes ahead

THE DEVELOPMENT of a major new 'cultural quarter' for Kilkenny City is to begin shortly.

The first step will be the relocation of the Butler Gallery from Kilkenny Castle to a refurbished and extended Evan's Home at Barrack Lane off John Street.

And a very significant development will be a Tony O'Malley Gallery to house a promised gift of significant works by the late Kilkenny-born artist from the painter's estate.

Just announced by the Butler Gallery, in partnership with Kilkenny County Council and Borough Council, is the appointment of McCullough Mulvin as the architectural firm to oversee the Gallery’s relocation to the Evan’s Home.
The development of the ‘cultural quarter’ has been prioritised by the Kilkenny local authorities as a key to the infrastructural, economic, and cultural development of Kilkenny City and County.

The contribution that culture makes to the growth of an innovative, integrated, knowledge-based economy, is viewed as underpinning the reputation and operating ethos of the Butler Gallery, whose decision to initiate plans for a new building was regarded as an integral part of the development.
The project represents the first phase , which involves partial conservation of the existing Evan’s Home and the provision of a new addition to accommodate the Butler Gallery’s important Permanent Collection, temporary exhibitions and education facilities.

This first phase of development has been made possible by a grant awarded to the Butler Gallery by the the Department of Arts, Sports &Tourism through ACCESS II funding 2007-2009, with the balance being met by the Kilkenny County Council and Kilkenny Borough Council.
McCullough Mulvin, who are now beginning work on the project, are an ideas-based Irish architectural design practice with a growing international reputation, supporting radical re-thinking of the boundaries of design for the 21st century.

Based in Dublin, they have designed many of Ireland's seminal works of architecture of the last decade (Ussher Library, Trinity College and Waterford City Library) and have wide experience in making spaces and places for art (Model Arts and Niland Gallery Sligo, Source Arts Centre Thurles).

Their open-ended questioning of the role of architecture includes a particular sensitivity to place - where the building is made and for whom - which will assist in making a great project for Kilkenny that will be a regional, national and international centre of excellence for the visual arts.