The Coal Quay’s boosted by arrival of community table
Grace Sweeney
Cornmarket Street is famous for many things but now the shawlies will have somewhere to sit and eat.
A new sculpture called Urban Mirror has been unveiled as part of Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail, Island City.
Urban Mirror is the fourth sculpture of the cultural trail and was inspired by the Cornmarket Street Market which takes place every Saturday morning from 10am-12pm.
The sculpture is a beautifully crafted community table and is intended to be a space used by the public.
“We want to create a space for people to come together to talk, to eat, to play and to interact,” said Jennifer O’Donnell, co-founder of plattenbaustudio. It was designed by architects Jennifer O’Donnell and Jonathan Janssens and fabricated by Sara Murphy and Frank Prendergast of Space Forms Ltd.
Made of durable stainless steel, the new sculpture has 16 fixed chairs, seating up to 50 people with the yellow globe providing a warming glow when the sun sets.
Jennifer O’Donnell said: “We used stainless steel as the main material for its durable and elegant qualities. Its reflective nature will also light the square on a bright day. The elevated meteorite ball is inspired by the zebra crossing lights. As the sun sets it will light up, giving a warm glow to the area.”
Explaining the sculpture O’Donnell said: “At one side children can easily sit on a low chair, and at the opposite end an adult can lean at counter height. We’ve designed the rounded edges to weave in and out so that small groups of people can create their own corners and it also allows wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies to fit comfortably at the table.”
Michelle Carew, Arts Officer at Cork City Council, said: “We are delighted to see Island City, Cork City’s Urban Sculpture Trail grow with this fourth installation. It will be a focal point for local people, visitors, market traders and local businesses and will bring people together to savour this historic area of Cork city.”
Speaking on the inspiration for Urban Mirror O’Donnell said: “We were really inspired by how people interact with everyday things and the cultural environment of Coal Quay. We spoke to people who both live and work in the area and what shone through is how invested they are in their community.”
Island City is a unique cultural trail of five contemporary sculptures with the aim of bringing art into the everyday life of the city.
The first three sculptures, Sentinels on Carey’s Lane, Boom Nouveau on Cook St, and The Face Cup on the corner of Princes St and Oliver Plunkett St were installed in recent months.
Island City is a Cork City Council project and is funded by Fáilte Ireland under the Urban Animation Scheme.
The Irish architects are based in Berlin and have a strong connection with Cork.
To learn more about Island City, go to www.corkcity.ie/islandcity or follow @IslandCityCorkSculpture on Instagram.