€29m Crawford contract awarded

The contract for the design for the redevelopment at the historic Crawford Art Gallery has been awarded to Grafton Architects, it was recently confirmed.

The plan provides for the investment of some €29m in the redevelopment, including design, of the 200 year old gallery building over the next four years.

An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin announced the contract award with An Taoiseach saying: “This is a big public investment by the State in Cork city - which supports Cork’s regeneration into being a forward thinking European Cultural City. “It is an extraordinary opportunity to reimagine the Crawford Art Gallery’s potential and create a vibrant new space for art and the public to meet in the heart of the city.”

He added: “Grafton Architects are an internationally renowned architecture firm with projects spanning from Milford to Milan, and from Lima to London, and I have no doubt that they will bring their experience and skills to bear in interpreting and developing the unique characteristics of the Crawford Art Gallery.”

Minister Catherine Martin said: “This has been a very challenging time for artists and I was very pleased to put in place last year an Art Acquisition fund which resulted in the purchase of 422 artworks by 70 artists working in Ireland for the national collection. This scheme has been a huge success and provided vital support to our artists while at the same time enhancing the national collection. It is inspirational to see some of the works purchased under the scheme on display here.”

Grafton Architects noted: “We see the project as a unique opportunity for this highly regarded national cultural institution to consolidate its status as a highly treasured national, international and local institution.”