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Design team named in major step for Swords Cultural Quarter The Swords Cultural Quarter has taken a major step forward with the appointment of an integrated design team. The team will be led by awardwinning architects O’Donnell and Tuomey. With this team now in place, Fingal County Council can begin to progress the project with a public consultation process intended to commence in May 2022. The project is expected to go to public tender in April 2023 with construction works commencing in Q4 2023.
and economic activity for all its citizens and to create a new sense of place.” Established in 1988, O’Donnell and Tuomey is an award-winning architectural practice led by Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey. Much of their work has involved the meaningful integration of new structures into historically significant contexts, making their team perfect for this project, where medieval and modern architecture will meet.
The Swords Cultural Quarter will be located in the heart of Fingal’s County Town, and will become a focal point for the local community and a desirable destination for visitors. The space will consist of the Civic and Cultural Centre and a Hub Building adjacent to the existing Fingal County Offices and Swords Castle at the north end of Their practice has received over 120 Swords Main Street. national and international awards for their completed buildings. Among their The Civic and Cultural Centre will be a most famous works are the Central centre point for knowledge, arts and European University in Budapest, the culture which will be a great addition to Glucksman Gallery at University College the area. It will include a library space, a Cork, the Lyric Theatre in Belfast performance venue and an arts venue and London’s Stratford Waterfront with several support facilities which Masterplan. They were also involved can be used for artistic, cultural and in the development of Temple Bar, community needs. including the design of the Irish Film Institute, the DIT College of Photography Speaking about the new space, The and the National Photography Archive. Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh, said: “The objective of the Swords John Tuomey said: “We are excited by the Cultural Quarter project is to energise vision for the Swords Cultural Quarter, this area of Swords in order to make with its emphasis on the inherited a balanced town that provides places, landscape, its civic-minded programme buildings and spaces for both cultural for public space, its socially-minded Fingal News Issue No 20
August 2021
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