Swords Cultural Quarter
Swords Ireland
The Swords Cultural Quarter brings back to life a number of disjointed existing urban plots within the heart of Swords town centre. It is a collection of buildings, new and existing, that work together to form a new public place defined by historic fabric and contemporary design.
- GA International 2024: Swords Cultural Quarter
Tokyo, Japan, 20 July - 08 September - 193rd Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition
Dublin, 22 May - 30 July 2023
Ambition for the Project
We were motivated by the urban context and the client vision for this special project, with its emphasis on cultural heritage, its civic-minded programme for public space, its social ambition for open and accessible library spaces, theatre facilities and arts-related amenities.
It was with an ambition to participate in socially and culturally engaged projects like this, public projects for public clients, where architecture can make a contribution to the shape of society, that we established our practice nearly forty years ago.
Understanding the Context
Swords has a strong urban form, typical of an Irish market town, a long street, an sráid bhaile, “the second-widest main street in the country”, with lanes leading to a pleasant riverside path.
The urban character of Swords is distinguished by the monumental presence of Swords Castle, the former episcopal palace, which closes the vista at the end of the Main Street.
The scheme for the Cultural Quarter builds on the spatial clarity of the Main Street, the old northern way out from Dublin, culminating at the park where the Castle stands. A new Civic Space extends the existing parkland, so people can walk all around the castle walls.
Inspiration for the integration of different architectures from different eras was found in a local example, the historical site of St Columba’s with its 19th century church, 14th century belfry and 9th century round tower. The picturesque cluster of St Columba’s provides convincing evidence for the coexistence of compatible architectures from different historical periods.
The New Building
The Swords Cultural Centre houses a Theatre, Art Gallery and the newly consolidated public County Library. The new building wraps around the old Courthouse. The building is entered via a deep entry portico, with a cut-away corner to Seatown Road.
The entry level is set out as a forum, with the open plan library floating above and dedicated zones located around the periphery. The central forum space is public living room, a meeting place for all, where diverse groups mingle for book clubs, book launches and social events.
Floor levels are interlinked by large triangular voids that bring light and air into the centre of the plan. These generous volumes create visual connections between the shared spaces, allowing a clear understanding of the building hierarchy.
Libraries are continually changing and evolving. The open plan encourage interaction and shared learning between library users. Intimate pods provide for individual and group study. Reading spaces are interspersed with book stacks for varying degrees of concentration. The library spaces get quieter as you move towards the top of the building.
A folded roofscape undulates above the interior volume, creating moments of height and decline in the form. West-facing terraces look to the Castle, framed by the rhythm of the façade.
Construction
A naturally ventilated, low carbon construction, solidly built with a bespoke façade in reconstituted stone and harling render. Timber floor plates are inset into a lean concrete frame.
Publications:
- Fingal County Council bulletin, 22.10. 2024, Foundation stone laid for new Cultural Centre in Swords ↗︎
- GA Document, No. 165, 25.06. 2024, International 2024, Swords Cultural Quarter ↗︎
- AV, 117 2023, AV Proyectos, O'Donnell + Tuomey ↗︎
- Architects’ Journal, 11.07. 2022, O’Donnell + Tuomey reveals proposals for Swords cultural centre, Richard Waite ↗︎€
- Independent.ie, 20.06. 2022, Plans for Swords Cultural Centre to go on public display, John Manning ↗︎