Trinity library redevelopment will help protect priceless collection from fire and ravages of time
:: Council gives green light for work to start
THE Old Library in Trinity College Dublin will get a facelift, with Dublin City Council granting planning permission for major conservation and redevelopment of the iconic library.
Recognised globally as a cultural landmark and adored by locals and tourists alike, the redevelopment follows last month’s historic unveiling of the new Book of Kells Treasury.
The library is home to 350,000 early printed books, and 20,000 manuscript and archive collections which have been assembled over the course of 400 years.
However, external pollution and dust accumulation are taking their toll on the collections and the fabric of the Old Library building, highlighting the need for modern environmental control and fire protection measures.
A spokesperson for the library said recent fires in heritage sites across the globe showed what can happen where fire protection measures are inadequate.
Heneghan Peng Architects, who successfully revitalised the National Gallery of Ireland, will be leading the world-class design team in the development.
Lead architect Róisín Heneghan said: “The project highlights the Old Library’s position between the different characters of Library Square and Fellows Square, making strategic interventions to allow the Old Library to continue to be a space of knowledge and study for the 21st century student while welcoming visitors to share its stories.”
Librarian and college archivist Helen Shenton said the
Old Library’s rare and important works have inspired generations of students, academics and visitors.
“This is a critically important redevelopment project that will safeguard it for future generations. It will enable us to both conserve this magnificent 18th Century building and its collections, as well as make it more accessible to our scholars and public in an historic building reinterpreted for the 21st century,” she said.
The Old Library redevelopment will also include a new research study centre, with a virtual library providing digital access to its collections.