Perspective January/February 2023 by Ulster Tatler

Perspective

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Contents January/February 2023 - Volume 32. No. 1

COMMENT

CASE STUDY Queen's University Student Centre Mark Hackett

Enniskillen Workhouse Karen Latimer

Greenhill YMCA Community Hub Architect's Account

St Patrick's Church Architect's Account

FEATURES Q+A

Buildings at Risk

Art Review

Ulster University

Landscape

The Heart of the Matter

Queen's University

Book Review

Cover - Queen's University Student Centre Photograph: Gareth Andrews Photography Published by Ulster Journals Ltd 39 Boucher Road, Belfast BT12 6UT Telephone 028 9066 3311 Fax 028 9038 1915 Email copy@ulstertatler.com Web www.rsua.org.uk Managing Editor Christopher Sherry Editorial Assistant Gemma Johnston Contributors Marianne O’Kane Boal, Sebastian Graham, Karen Latimer, Mark Hackett, Paul Harron, Peter Hutchinson, Andrew Bunbury Advertising Sales Lorraine Gill, David Millar Design Tatler Type RSUA Editorial Committee Kari Simpson (Convenor), Dermot MacRandal, Wayne Hazlett, Jayne McFaul, Aidan McGrath, Andrew Molloy. Extended Committee Andrew Bunbury, Marianne O’Kane Boal, Keith McAllister, Paul Clarke. The Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, 2 Mount Charles, Belfast BT7 1NZ Telephone 028 9032 3760 Fax 028 9023 7313 Subscriptions Christine McGoldrick Telephone 028 9066 3311 Subscription rates UK £24 Overseas (inc. ROI) £30. Perspective is published bimonthly and distributed freely to all architects in Northern Ireland. It is also available by subscription. Printed by GPS. Copyright Content Ulster Journals Ltd Title - RSUA. Opinions expressed in Ulster Journals publications are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publishers.

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COMMENT

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Enniskillen Workhouse claims a unique place in the historical landscape of the county of Fermanagh and the island of Ireland. Coincidentally, it has also become a significant marker in the history of our own practice. Opened in 1845, this grim Victorian edifice was one of 160 workhouses designed by George Wilkinson. At its peak, 10,000 people passed through its doors, as the Great Famine ravaged the land and its inhabitants. Only a handful of workhouses still survive and, until recently, what remained of Enniskillen’s once darkly imposing structure was a crumbling ruin, in danger of disappearing forever and taking its stories with it.

College, supported by a £2.3m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Now falling under the auspices of Erne Campus, the scheme has repurposed the workhouse as a business hub equipped for the needs of the 21st century, running alongside a heritage centre operated by Fermanagh County Museum. During the build around 100 local craftspeople and apprentices benefited from heritage training which saw traditional skills used to preserve original features which sit comfortably alongside modern exhibition, office and meeting spaces.

Had prompt action not been taken we would, for example, know nothing about William Ferguson, a young boy in desperate circumstances who entered the workhouse in 1859. We can be sure of the date because we found his Bible.

As I mentioned, Enniskillen Workhouse was a particularly special project for us, in that it was also the final scheme delivered (on behalf of our conservation arm, Kriterion Conservation Architects) at the tail end of our 50th Anniversary year.

Perhaps the workhouse bell, which still survives, rang to summon him to a meal of soup made from cows’ heads, or he donated a worn-out shoe to the dozens found hidden in the attic, apparently for luck.

Hamilton Architects have been working to improve the built environment of Northern Ireland and beyond since 1972, which has helped us appreciate the importance of preserving the best of the past, while creating futureproof designs.

We do not know what happened to young William in the end. We can only hope he survived, as many did, and went on to enjoy happier times. However, thanks to the visionaries behind this fascinating project, we do know something of his life and that of his companions.

As 2023 begins in earnest, we aim to continue to conserve, renovate, design and re-imagine our architectural landscape for new generations. And we invite you, before the year is out, to walk in the footsteps of young William Ferguson at Enniskillen Workhouse. 

The £3.25m Enniskillen Workhouse renovation and development scheme was a collaboration between Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and South West

Paul Millar, Partner Hamilton Architects (See Case Study on Enniskillen Workhouse on page 28)

Paul Millar Partner, Hamilton Architects

Perspective 03

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WHAT DREAMS MAY COME.

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NEWS

Grace Notes A bid to secure Northern Ireland’s first cultural world heritage site and elevate it alongside the likes of the Taj Mahal and Great Wall of China has been made. The proposal to UNESCO is part of a transnational bid involving three global sites – Bethlehem in Pennsylvania (USA), Herrnhut in Saxony, Germany and Gracehill, County Antrim. All three settlements are associated with the Moravian Church, including Gracehill which is the best preserved Moravian settlement on the island of Ireland. The picturesque village, located on the rural outskirts of Ballymena, was laid out in the 18th century as a settlement of the Moravian Church and was designated as Northern Ireland’s first conservation area in 1975. The nomination is being led by the United States in conjunction with the German and UK governments. It is the first multi-country bid in the 45-year history of the World Heritage Convention to be led by the US. Colum Boyle, Permanent Secretary Department for Communities, has welcomed the development and thanked the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for coordinating the UK part of the three-nation bid. “Gracehill is an important part of our diverse heritage and the Department has been pleased to work with the local community and council over many years as they have sought to preserve the village and ensure that its potential can be realised. “If successful in securing World Heritage Site status, Gracehill and the wider community will benefit culturally and economically from this important accolade that will further protect an important piece of history for future generations.” UK Arts & Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said: “This wonderfully well-preserved 18th-century settlement offers a fascinating insight into the history of the Moravian Church and its community of worshippers.  The village of Gracehill would be a worthy recipient of the first cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland, complementing the natural heritage of the Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast. I look forward to supporting this bid in the coming months.” David Johnston of the Gracehill Trust believes securing World Heritage status would be “hugely significant” to Northern Ireland. He said: “Gracehill has been a good news story for 250 years and for the last 20 years we have been working with international partners to achieve World Heritage status. The prize of World Heritage designation would be hugely

significant, and granting Northern Ireland its first cultural World Heritage listing would bring benefits for tourism, the economy, regeneration, job creation and even reconciliation whilst enriching the profile for the whole region. This is a unique opportunity to achieve something of lasting significance that everyone can be proud of and share in, with substantial potential benefits now and for generations to come.” The Department for Communities and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council have provided financial support and expertise to Gracehill Trust to commission an international consultant to carry out research and prepare a nomination document to UNESCO. Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Alderman Noel Williams, added: “World Heritage Status for Gracehill would benefit Mid and East Antrim considerably by raising the global profile of the Borough, supporting the local economy, especially the visitor economy, and impacting on education, quality of life and civic pride.” “The purpose of World Heritage is to help recognise and preserve the named area for present and future generations. Gracehill is an area of our Borough that we are very proud of and for that reason we would champion any plans that preserve it.” The transnational nomination will be considered for inscription on the World Heritage List by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee next year. The historic Moravian district of Bethlehem in Pennsylvania is an 18th century community created under the auspices of the original Moravian congregation in Herrnhut, Germany. The Giant’s Causeway was designated as a Natural World Heritage site in 1986, but if successful Gracehill would be the first in Northern Ireland to be granted Cultural World Heritage status. 



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FEATURE Q+A

Ryan Hood Director at HBK Architect

What is your favourite building? I was lucky to visit Säynätsalo Town Hall by Alvar Aalto during my 5th year study trip. I always felt that the building was wonderfully site specific. The strengths of the building lie in its humane scale, subtle spatial design, minimal material palette, and the way the building lets nature and light in. Aalto’s hand can be seen throughout many elements of the building including furniture, light fittings, door handles and staircase handrails. What is your least favourite building? Marlborough House, Craigavon. The strengths highlighted in Aalto’s Säynätsalo Town Hall are sadly lacking from this local government building. Which city stands out as a model of good design? This is a difficult one to answer without spending a long period of time there, but Amsterdam has a lot of attractive qualities. Pedestrianised walkways, street canals and an abundance of green spaces point towards a very eco-friendly city. What made you choose your chosen career path? I was always drawn towards the creative subjects at school. Art & Design and Technical Drawing were my two favourite subjects. I also enjoyed Geography and learning about the natural and built environment. When it came to deciding on a university course, I expressed an interest in Architecture, but my careers teacher incorrectly told me that A-Level Mathematics & Physics were essential for entry. This led me to applying for Environmental Planning at Queen’s University Belfast. Luckily for me the Environmental Planning course was integrated with the Architecture course. By Christmas of 1995 I had agreed with the late David Evans that I could change courses and remain in 15 Chlorine Gardens with my Francis Ching ‘Form, Space & Order’ book and my cherished box of Rotring drafting pens. If you could change one thing about Belfast from a design point of view, what would it be? I am old enough to remember the days of waiting in a queue with

my parents to get through the security barrier at the entrance to Royal Avenue. In my student days, after 6pm, Belfast City Centre was the perfect example of The Specials classic hit ‘Ghost Town’. It is worth acknowledging that things have improved dramatically over the last 30-40 years. I have always felt the road system around the City Hall is like a moat, filled with angry cars and noisy buses, disconnecting the public green space of City Hall from the rest of the City Centre. What does good design mean to you? I truly believe as individuals or as a society we are heavily influenced by our environment. With good design we have an opportunity to shape that environment and foster a positive influence on those within it. What do you enjoy most about your job? In my career I have worked with a wide variety of client bodies. Projects relating to education, healthcare, tourism, community, religion, hospitality, retail, manufacturing, housing, sports & recreation. Every new project is an opportunity to learn about the people, places, and workings within each one of those groups. Favourite – movie, band, art piece? MOVIE I grew up with the early Stephen Spielberg classics and the accompanying musical scores by John Williams. Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET : The Extra-Terrestrial. BAND I am an Architect because my dream of drumming in a rock band all around the world didn’t work out. I love watching and playing live music and have been lucky to share the stage with some fantastic musicians. My favourite bands would include Metallica, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden & Foo Fighters. BOOK Animal Farm by George Orwell. ART PIECE The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci painted on the wall of the dining room of the former Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

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Marlborough House, Craigavon

Above and below / Säynätsalo Town Hall by Alvar Aalto

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

Queen’s University Student Centre

10 Perspective

THE TEAM Client Queen’s University Belfast Lead consultant RPP Architects Ltd Architects Hawkins\Brown & RPP Architects Ltd Structural / civil / flood risk Doran Consulting Ltd

MEP services consultant JCP Consulting Ltd Main Contractor Felix O’Hare & Co Ltd Photography Gareth Andrews Photography

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

pproached on a grey winter’s day, past the Lynn Library and University Square, the bronzed grid of new student centre presents a calm and muted tone. The new building disengages from the adjacent terrace, sitting four square on the geometry of Elmwood Avenue. The initial generosity in the entrance volume continues in the flow of terrazzo floor through the building’s length to the Mandela Hall. The intent of building set as Palazzo comes to mind. This unhindered openness extents up the stair and through floor plates; one can meander up to an end social space with its terrace overlooking the mountains. The diagram of the building allows service, cores and private space to be accommodated to the northern / inner edge of the block.

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

The overcast winter’s day also accentuates the clarity of view out to the set pieces of the campus, both distant and close; this is a privileged site in the city and the campus. The typology of building as glass container from which to view a series of historic buildings of articulation and texture sets up a number of reciprocal questions. By day, how does it contribute to the ensemble, is it is a mirror? At night by turn, the characteristic as vessel and transparent room becomes apparent. In this case the building varies with the weather being more muted in winter and, when viewed obliquely where deep glazing mullions reduce reflection. The generosity of the tall glazed hall set within the campus realm is an attractive concept, a room for gathering. A steel ‘grate’ holds the glazing and ceiling plane, a first reading was that the concrete armature of the main floors would brace and Site Plan 14 Perspective PAGE10-18.indd 6

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Third Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

Site Section 1

Site Section 2

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

define this foyer hall. The intent, however, is other; floors are open trays set or shuffled in the framework, space runs deep back into the plan and the stair pushes forward with its giant scale; the limits or transitions of red steel to solid framing are dynamic and ambiguous, not always resolved. An early project aspiration was to reduce parking along Elmwood Avenue, thereby connecting the newly liberated forecourt and wide pavements to Elmwood Hall. Clearly, change to traffic and streets in Belfast is difficult to achieve, decades hence one can imagine Elmwood entirely free as a linear park and cross axis for the city. Viewed at this urban scale the design intention for a long frontage to Elmwood Avenue had a clarity that is somewhat reduced by planning negotiations to introduce projecting bays.

The building brief gathers together student support and administration with the original Union clubs and facilities. The Union night time entertainment venues can be operated separately and vertically on the western side, the division internally handled by dividing doors on different floor plates. The Union entertainments could manifest themselves as a separate building character, one that in turn takes stronger ownership of the adjacent, newly formed outside space set back off the street. Perhaps the rear and yard edge of this sunlit space can be developed with a low activating use. Similarly on University Road, the set back space between the original terrace and its gable awaits further definition or softening as a landscape pocket park and cafe. If we cast forward decades to when the campus realm might be made whole, it is also necessary to backcast. The original

Architect’s Account RPP Architects and Hawkins\Brown were delighted to be appointed as lead consultant and architects on the new QUB Student Centre as the result of a two-stage qualification process and limited design competition. The significance and sensitivity of this opportunity was immediately clear in terms of both the pivotal location of the site, in its rich historical context and as an historic opportunity to establish a focal point, that could be the epicentre of life on campus, fostering a vibrant community for students, staff and the public. As a shared facility, QUB’s brief for their new Student Centre was to bring the Students’ Union and university student services together in one location for the first time. The facility would also include Student Guidance facilities, flexible rooms for Clubs and Societies, shops, bars and a new Mandela Hall venue. The building’s name, One Elmwood, reflects this aspiration. The initial design concept for the building as a simple, flexible container, to showcase and highlight the wide variety of different uses under one roof, was retained and refined through the design process that included building visits, rounds of client stakeholder engagement and pre-application discussions with statutory authorities. Construction of the 11,000sqm facility commenced in late 2020, opening two years later in time for the new academic year.

The glazed exterior presents an open and transparent view of the building and the functions within - during the day and especially at night. A series of ‘totems’ clearly define the main entrance without disturbing the façade behind. The large areas of glazing provide strong visual connectivity between the building interior spaces and the outside world, supporting the desire to encourage greater interaction between the University and the wider public. Once inside, the foyer is a large, flexible space decorated with a mature palette of deep reds and timber to create a warm, calming atmosphere. The central building feature, a wide social staircase, leads visitors up into the building with clear and intuitive wayfinding. It was vitally important to us and the University that the building presented a welcome and inclusive environment throughout. The building’s interior has been designed as a place to go before, between or after classes to study or catch up with friends, with a choice of larger, vibrant collaboration and cafe spaces on the ground floor and more intimate, quieter nooks on upper floors. A variety of student lounges, external terraces and quiet rooms provide opportunities for preparing lunch, relaxation or reflection – a ‘home away from home.’ Gareth Andrews RPP Architects

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

1960’s Union was of great social benefit to student life and included a communal canteen. The built form was, however, unremarkable and controversial in demolishing a fine Victorian terrace of student housing. This heritage loss was one trigger in the formation of the UAHS and lobbying for the first Listing of buildings in NI. Moreover, the conservation movement was prescient in recognising that these building losses were creating an even greater corrosion of urban and village public realms - often initiated by the road schemes of the time. Today, we may see also see conservation as an important ‘brake’ on the incoherent speculative urbanism, environmental damage and waste in these last five decades. Embodied carbon in materials and construction is now being recognised as the largest part of the building’s lifetime carbon cost. As energy generation decarbonises, the case for the demolition of most buildings is rapidly becoming unjustifiable. In Belfast, and indeed most of our towns and villages, the vast tracts of empty sites, tarmac and vacant buildings add to this collective irrationality about where and what we should build. The presumption of a right to develop or demolish should be questioned in a society that is not growing - such constraint could have positives for the quality of architecture. We would recognise that new buildings and construction must produce the best buildings possible, putting longevity and design reflection to the fore. It would also obviate the need for the current speculative planning system; a rational and wholly different repair and renewal system could prevail that also puts attention on outside space.

In this case the 1960s building frame presented difficulties with its half basement, raised ground floor and split levels. The university did undertake a study to repurpose it and has made efforts to retain other campus structures. However, this second demolition and a new piled building represents a considerable carbon cost and churn. The measure of the new Queen’s University Student Centre will be its ability to adapt and endure over time. The changes in universities have been profound in the last decades; the merit of some changes can be questioned. Students and their needs appear to change and numbers have grown. It is important than open places are found or maintained that support gathering and the students’ values and engagement with wider society.  Mark Hackett

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QUEEN’S STUDENTS’ UNION IN FOCUS

ADVERTISING FEATURE

CENTRAL STAIR IN NORDIC OAK DOUBLES AS SEATING The new Student Centre at Queen’s University Belfast brings together student services and the Students’ Union in a spectacular new building. Designed through collaboration between Hawkins\Brown and RPP Architects, the building sits at the heart of campus and cleverly bridges the gap between the University’s heritage and future.

Beech flooring and the one-of-a-kind Union Bar which has been fitted with a reclaimed Junckers’ sports floor. With the old line markings intact, the floor has a rustic, industrial look which will hide a multitude of sins in a busy student bar. It was finished with Junckers’ High Performance Friction+ lacquer to provide a slip resistant surface.

An accessible, modern space with an open plan entrance area creates a vibrant hub for students to socialise, engage, collaborate, and access support and advice. The interior exploits the high ceiling and large-scale steel structure where a central staircase doubles as terraced amphitheatre-style seating. Clad in Junckers’ solid Nordic Oak flooring with nosing in contrasting Black Oak to achieve an LRV differential of 30 points, the stairs form a visual and social focus in the building, creating a flexible, infinitely useable space.

The reclaimed floor was sourced with the help of Junckers’ Buy Back Scheme, whereby Junckers connects with flooring contractors who specialise in reclaiming wood flooring, by providing details of projects where an old floor needs lifting, as well as acting as liaison between contractors sourcing a floor which can be repurposed. The sports floor fitted in the student bar by Oakvale Wooden Flooring was lifted from a school sports hall in England by Hargreaves Reclaimed Flooring.

“The central social stair is a key design feature that links the spaces on different floors and provides clear, intuitive wayfinding for visitors. The warmth and natural character of the Nordic Oak flooring complimenting the red laminate cladding helps visual orientation running up through the public spaces” said Alan Shields, director, RPP Architecture.

high traffic areas and the natural warmth of the timber adds to the material beauty of the interior. With strong sustainability credentials, Junckers’ flooring plays a part in the architects’ design to create a building which is more efficient and less costly to operate and maintain, future-proofed for generations to come.

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The construction and passive house design was managed by Mullarkey Pedersen Architects for Tracey Brothers’ design and build team. The Erne Campus won the 2021 BREEAM Official Public Sector Project – Design Stage Award and was also named UK Project of the Year 2022 by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

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St Columba’s RC High School & Woodmill High School Artist’s impressions | Part of the new Dunfermline Learning Campus

FEATURE CASE STUDY

Enniskillen Workhouse

ngraved on the floor as you enter the newly restored Enniskillen Workhouse are the words of WB Yeats, “A pity beyond all telling” from his poem, The Pity of Love. The concept of the workhouse can send a shiver down the spine, the buildings being designed both to provide relief for the poor of the parish but also to deter them from too readily availing themselves of such help as was offered. As Curl notes “… the architecture itself was often as repellent as the régime. It is no accident that Union workhouses were hated and feared, and that even their appearance could chill stout hearts.” 1 In 1839 the Oxford architect, George Wilkinson, was employed by the Poor Law Commissioners for Ireland as their architect to design and build their workhouses. Initially appointed for one year, he was to remain in post until 1855. The workhouses he

designed, Enniskillen being one of them, had three main parts: the front building, the main building or “body of the house”, and the infirmary building. In his survey of Ulster workhouses, Gould records that the Enniskillen workhouse was completed on the 19th March 1844 for 1000 inmates.2 It closed in 1948 but continued to serve as a hospital, being gradually subsumed into the new Erne Hospital before all but the front building was demolished to make way for South West College’s Erne Campus. When the Johnston Bridge was built in 1954, the orientation of the hospital changed, and the old workhouse now faces the former approach via Erne Rd, becoming less of an entrance as originally intended, being located at the rear of the campus.

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THE TEAM Client Fermanagh and Omagh District Council /South West College Architects Hamilton Architects on behalf of Kriterion Conservation Architects Project Manager esc construction consultants Quantity Surveyor esc construction consultants

M& E Engineer Semple & McKillop Structural Engineers RPS Group Main Contractor QMAC Construction Ltd Photography John McVitty Photography Perspective 29

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

Thanks to strong local support, the remaining front building of the workhouse was Grade B2 listed and, happily, is not of the repellent design referred to by Curl above. Described by Dixon in the UAHS list of buildings in Enniskillen as “of squared random masonry, with a five-bay, two-storey gabled front. The wing bays, larger than the others, advance slightly, and two sets of four chimneys, each with a single binding cornice, rise impressively from the roof. The only other embellishments are hood mouldings for windows, the shaping of the gable copings, and the thick chamfer of the Tudor entrance above which is a shield with the incised date 1841”.3 Thanks to careful conservation work by Kriterion (Hamilton Architects’ conservation arm) this description remains true today. The workhouse now has a new lease of life thanks to a creative collaboration between Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) and South West College (SWC) with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The old workhouse building now serves as a heritage centre and business enterprise hub. A particularly pleasing element of this redevelopment project was the incorporation of a training programme which provided

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

hands-on experience for apprentices and local craftspeople in such traditional skills as stone masonry, plastering and joinery. The partnership between SWC and FODC will continue to offer fruitful opportunities for training and for mentoring start-up businesses; in addition, event, seminar and work spaces are available to rent. Another excellent aspect of the project is the weaving-in of artefacts relating to the history of the workhouse with displays for visiting groups of all ages. Managed by the Fermanagh County Museum and located on the ground floor, the exhibition and heritage elements of the building sit comfortably and subtly alongside the modern uses of the building. Modern partitions have been removed to reveal the original roof trusses and the room names from around the workhouse site have been used in the restored building where appropriate. 32 Perspective PAGE28-35.indd 6

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9 3

4 9 3

10 10

Site Plan

First Floor Layout

First1. Floor Plan Meeting Room

RIDGE LEVEL

EAVES LEVEL

6. Acoustic Room 7. Kitchen 8. Incubation 9. Upper Stairewell 10. Incubation

2. W.C 3. Accessible WC 4. Stationery 5. Comms First FloorCabinet Layout

1. Meeting Room 2. W.C 20 3. Accessible WC 4. Stationery 5. Comms Cabinet

6. Acoustic Room 7. Kitchen 8. Incubation 9. Upper Stairewell 10. Incubation

FIRST FLOOR LEVEL

GROUND FLOOR LEVEL

Front Elevation A

Front Elevation

16 21 14 RIDGE LEVEL

EAVES LEVEL

13 FIRST FLOOR LEVEL

YARD WALL LEVEL

12 7

GROUND FLOOR LEVEL

Rear Elevation B Rear Elevation

1 1

4 6

Ground Floor Plan Ground Floor Layout

1. Heritage Gathering Space 13. Tea Room 2. Accessible WC 14. Exhibition/Seminar Room 3. Ground Porter’s Office Floor Layout 15. Heritage Room 4. Break-out Space 16. Heritage Office 5. Heritage Cell 17. Store 1. Heritage Gathering Space 13. Tea Room 6. Hall 18. Services Accessible 14. Exhibition/Seminar Room 7.2. External Courtyard WC 19. Services 8. Incubation 20. Store 3. Porter’s Office 15. Heritage Room 9. Cleaner’s Store 21. Switchroom 4.Store Break-out Space 22. Accessible Shower 16. Heritage Office 10. Lobby 11. New Stairwell 23. Existing Stair 5. Heritage Cell 17. Store 12. Lobby

Before image

6. Hall 7. External Courtyard 8. Incubation 9. Cleaner’s Store 10. Store Lobby 11. New Stairwell 12. Lobby

18. Services 19. Services 20. Store 21. Switchroom 22. Accessible Shower 23. Existing Stair

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

The workhouse bell greets the visitor on arrival and the old porter’s lodge is now the reception office. The interiors, by revealing original fabric and features, give some sense of what it was like for those who arrived in the building – possibly the largest and grandest, apart from churches, that they had ever entered. Some of the workhouse records and artefacts such as an 1859 child’s bible, pairs of shoes found in the attic and ox teeth found in the grounds are now on display as part of the evocative museum exhibits. It is thought that traditionally a single shoe was hidden in buildings for luck and so the team have put back a shoe, in a box made from redundant floorboards, in the attic where it was found as a mark of respect for past traditions. The building was not without its challenges but the architects working closely throughout with FODC and SWC have managed to retain as many of the original features as possible while providing the services required for the building’s new purpose. The approach was to make new insertions obvious while revealing the 19th century features where possible and, in the process, stripping back earlier and sometimes inappropriate attempts at renovation. Throughout the building glimpses of the past are revealed by retaining old stonework, timber beams, original ironmongery, quarry tiles and limestone flagstones. Concealed fireplaces were opened up; doors and windows repaired or replaced, replicating the original design; roof slates were removed and replaced with a new vapour barrier inserted, and the old cement mortar was removed, and the walls were repaired using lime mortar and lime plaster. As well as the challenges faced in restoring an old building, especially at a time of budgetary restraints and shortage of labour and materials, there are the unexpected finds along the way: one example here

Before image

being the recovery of one of the distinctive chimney-stacks from the site which was able to be reused with minimal repair. The new insertions clearly and rightly stand out as such. The old courtyard has been glazed over to provide an excellent exhibition and seminar space; in the rear yard an obviously, even proudly, modern glazed projection houses a lift and staircase, giving access to the innovation hub on the first floor which also houses workstations, breakout areas, a meeting room and toilets. There are many other workhouses looking for new uses and there is much to admire and to learn from in the approach taken at Enniskillen. It is unfortunate that the context has been lost with the main building, yards and fever hospital long gone and the remaining front building slightly isolated in a sea of tarmac and car parking at the rear of the campus. It is nonetheless a handsome building providing a strong link to the past. The two yew trees mentioned in the Enniskillen list flourish still; and they have been joined by a third, marking the location of the tree seen in Wilkinson’s plans. There is also some excellent new paving denoting the route taken by inmates to the main building. When time and money permits, it would be wonderful to initiate a landscaping project to soften the surroundings and round off a highly commendable scheme.  Karen Latimer References 1. Curl, JS. The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture. 3rd ed. OUP, 2015. p.849. 2. Gould, M. The Workhouses of Ulster. UAHS, 1983. p.23. 3. Dixon, H. Historic Buildings … in the Town of Enniskillen. UAHS, 1973. p.39.

Window before and after

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NEWS BUILDINGS AT RISK

The Thatch Conundrum Thatched buildings are a quaint reminder of our past with its associated heritage, cultural identity and sustainable credentials. Once a roofing material of convenience and economy, thatch has been superseded over the last century and faces threats from a number of different factors. This includes a lack of thatchers across the country, shortage of thatching material, limited government support and insurance worries creating a myriad of short and long-term issues. Not to be forgotten here are the owners of these buildings who have the challenge of trying to preserve the history and story of their buildings. Not all owners are able to rise to the challenge and navigate through the complexities of insurance, maintenance and organise thatchers who have busy schedules. The Environment and Heritage Survey study ‘A Sense of Loss’, published in 1998, charts the dramatic loss of vernacular thatched buildings in Northern Ireland from circa 40,000 in the 1950s to 217 in 1993. Today there are 180 listed thatched buildings, including a number where the thatch is under tin. 21% of these listed buildings are on the Heritage at Risk Register! It should be acknowledged that listing and grant aid since the early 1970s did stem the decline in thatched buildings while the pressures mentioned above remain an issue.

Ivor grows forty acres of flax and rye in his native Donegal for his thatching projects around Ireland. This is enough to keep him going throughout the year but increasingly he is supplying other thatchers. This is something he enjoys but it has to be balanced between his own projects and not knowing what jobs he might receive in the future. This represents both an opportunity and also a challenge. Thatched buildings have regional differences in material, construction and floorplans. The thatch itself can come in different materials such as marram grass, flax, rye, oat straw and also reeds. Therefore, re-thatching is not just a simple case of thatching with any material that is available at hand. The problem is heightened by the fact that few of these materials are grown locally and as a result a large quantity are imported from England and also Europe. Supply chain issues, inflation and the war in Ukraine has resulted in the price of water reed doubling in price in parts of England.1 Additionally, a number of older farmers grew small areas of suitable thatching material in the past but their numbers have dwindled in recent years. Flax, once the key product and export of Northern Ireland, is grown in pitifully small quantities, only three known farmers grow the plant on scale.

In November 2022, I spoke to thatcher Ivor Kilpatrick on site at the Wilson Homestead off the Spout Road, south-east of Strabane. Ivor and his son James are re-thatching the vernacular building with rye straw having removed a layer of rotten straw from the surface. This is being pinned in place with hazel scallops. The thatch here had deteriorated considerably with deep pits, vegetation growth and intrusion of the thatch by rogue jackdaws. Its remote location and the fact it is a museum means it receives less maintenance compared to a conventional lived-in thatched house. In saying this, it is positive to see that in this example, the problem has been dealt with before lasting damage could occur.

A thatched property in Garvagh at risk

Is there an opportunity for further cooperation between the Historic Environment Division and DAERA to offer an incentive for farmers or owners of small-holdings to grow suitable thatching materials such as oats, barley, straw, flax and rye? Growing a wide variety of crops would ensure a steady supply of materials and reduce our reliance on importing material from abroad. It would also provide a ready stock of material to undertake emergency thatching which would pair well with the Historic Roof Repair Schemes. Kilpatricks at work, Wilson House, Strabane

Ongoing maintenance is key for the preservation of thatch buildings. If the thatch is not maintained it can become damp

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NEWS BUILDINGS AT RISK

which promotes algae growth and accelerates subsequent deterioration. In the past the application of copper sulphate or bluestone to the thatch would help extend its lifespan. This is still used and is recommended by a number of thatchers across the country, but it seems that this is not as widely deployed as before. Two thatched buildings surveyed in the summer of 2022 noted the collapse of the thatch roofing. Both listed buildings are now open to the elements and will make their way on to the heritage-at-risk register. Although thatch buildings are prioritised via the Historic Environment Roof Repair Scheme the maximum amount available of £12,000 is but a fraction of the cost to thatch a cottage. For smaller jobs and topping up the thatch this is helpful but persuading owners to foot the other half of a large bill (possibly more) is difficult to overcome. Added to this the ongoing maintenance needed to preserve the structure which again may put people off thatched buildings altogether. The challenge of insurance has now resurfaced in the Republic of Ireland where a number of insurance providers have pulled out of the country.2 Additionally, the cost of insurance has increased and likely will increase more with less competition in the market. It should be noted that the issue is quite varied with other owners of thatched buildings having no difficulties with insurance. The problems mentioned above are known and acknowledged by the Historic Environment Division who carried out a survey of thatch buildings in 2022.3 For those thatch buildings most at risk and facing a total loss of the roof structure, there are interesting discussions as how to best retain the historic roof while also ensuring that the building does not fall out of use and into further disrepair. Carleton cottage near Augher has recently received preventative treatment through the Roof Repair Scheme as the thatch had fallen into poor condition. To preserve the building

Quintessential thatch - Magherally Cottage, Banbridge

a protective tin covering was erected over the roof ensuring that the building is watertight while allowing for funds to be collected to preserve the building in the future. But one might ask: does encouragement of this only highlight the failure of our protection for these buildings? Additionally, how long will the tin stay on and are we, in fact, replicating history by creating new thatch under tins and worrying about the consequences later? The alternatives, however, are equally daunting: loss of character, tradition and history, which cannot be replaced easily, not to mention huge damage to the building fabric. Thatch is a delicate subject requiring cooperation between government departments, owners, insurers and the heritage sector as a whole to find solutions to its continued use. The majority of thatched buildings are owned by private individuals where funding and the availability of grants is limited. Thatch is a proven draw for tourism and is some of our greenest building stock. Getting the current and next generation interested in heritage skills, such as thatching and even growing the materials is needed to re-engage ourselves with the skills and associated heritage. It was promising to see Ivor Kilpatrick’s son in the trade becoming a third-generation thatcher. 

Sebastian Graham Heritage Projects Officer, Ulster Architectural Heritage [1] Thatch price hike ‘could force homeowners to sell’ - BBC News [2] Ireland’s thatched cottages disappearing amid insurance crisis (irishcentral.com) [3] The Department carried out a condition survey in 2021/22 which is being prepared for publication. A detailed thematic survey based upon data compiled since 2000, is also being prepared for publication

Carletons Cottage, Augher - Novel temporary approach to conservation

The Heritage at Risk Register is managed by Ulster Architectural Heritage in partnership with the Department for Communities: Historic Environment Division. More information at www.ulster architecturalheritage.org.uk

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

Greenhill YMCA Community Hub

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THE TEAM Client YMCA Architects Bradley McClure Quantity Surveyor Moore McDade Dowse Structural Engineer Design ID

Principal Designer HASCO Europe Interior Design Lisa Cosgrove Main Contractor Ganson Photography Donal McCann

M&E Consultants SCC

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

n rare occasions the opportunity presents itself to

instructors. The centre has grown dramatically over the last 20

work on a site with an incredible context. On others,

years and the lack of indoor gathering space to accommodate

the privilege is found in getting to design for a client

meetings, workshops and discussions had become an issue

which exists to support young people and provide space for

– this formed the basis of the project requirement. The brief

community development. Once in a very blue moon, both are

involved creating a simple but ﬂexible conference-type

found in one project.

space, relaxed breakout and associated facilities. In addition, the YMCA had identiﬁed a need for an indoor heated pool

Greenhill YMCA is an outdoor and residential centre that sits at

speciﬁcally for water safety training and providing facilities for

the foot of the Mournes and on the outskirts of Newcastle. This

small swimming classes, particularly for those with disabilities.

elevated site provides the setting for sleeping accommodation for up to 200 people and acts as a base for a wide range of

The location chosen for the building was an area previously

outdoor activities, some of which are on-site. Its facilities

used for archery, so didn’t require destruction of trees of

are used by all types of youth groups and schools, church

disturbance of important landscape. It allowed a certain

and community groups, workplace and management teams

level of prominence and ease of connection with other

etc. and hosted by a team of experienced facilitators and

facilities which was important for wayﬁnding, while still being

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

Site Concept Key 1. Conference Rooms 2. Entrance and Breakout 3. Water Safety Training Pool 4. Services, Plant, WCs, Changing

Site Concept

South Elevation

Floor Plan

West Elevation

Elevation and Site Section Context

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

subservient in relation to the heights of existing buildings.

towards Newcastle town while the others address the bay. To

Whilst overshadowed by the mountain behind, this particular

the rear of the building is a linear strip of utility facilities, plant,

area of the site provided incredible views over Newcastle and

changing etc. The opportunity for a lower roof here allows for

the bay.

roof-based plant that is unseen from the ground, hidden by the taller elements to the front.

The building layout is relatively simple in concept – three glazed elevational elements face north towards the views,

The formal expression of internal function of the spaces is

representing the three main parts of the building. The welcome

reinforced by the materiality of the exterior. The entrance and

and breakout space has a glazed corner which also emphasises

breakout are largely glazed, interrupted by external structural

this side as the main approach and entrance. The central

timber columns. The central conference area is clad in a

element is the conference space – this can be used as one large

black corrugated fibre cement panel more commonly found

space or divided into two as separate smaller rooms. The third

on agricultural sheds. Dark grey brickwork covers the pool

glazed space is the water safety training pool which has its

area and wraps around the rear of the building, with all three

own entrance to the east side while also being connected to

materials offering a longevity of finish and lack of necessary

the conference space. The conference space is slightly twisted

maintenance. The materials are deliberately dark to avoid

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

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contrast with the deep colours of its rugged background when

Despite being built during the pandemic, along with all the

viewed at a distance and this, along with the rear being cut

associated additional restrictions and problematic delivery

slightly into the hill, allows the ﬁnished structure to settle into its

issues that were commonplace at the time in the construction

context. The interior ﬁnishes are simple and hard-wearing, with

sector, the project was handed over successfully. As Greenhill

painted fairfaced blockwork walls throughout and services and

has gone on to reopen properly it has become a key part of

structure generally exposed. Dark muted colours were chosen

accommodation and facilities on oﬀer, with the emphasis

partly in respect to the external context, as well as adding

focused on supporting community in all its diﬀerent forms. 

additional contrast to the views and light.

Keith McClure Bradley McClure Architects moco_ad_87x75.pdf

Perspective

03/02/2023

4:21 pm

Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects

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Isabel Nolan, Oh Icarus, 2022, water-based oil on canvas; photograph by Lee Welch, courtesy the artist, Kerlin Gallery, and Void Gallery.

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ART REVIEW FEATURE

Isabel Nolan - flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict “The arc of almost every little thing I’ve proffered in public, in exhibitions or texts is quite similar. It goes as follows: Life is often hard and without meaning in any grand, a priori sense. Art is a good way to find meaninglessness beautiful. Meaning must be invented. And those inventions must be contested and questioned, and never taken for granted.” Isabel Nolan Declan Long has noted that Isabel Nolan’s ‘focus on emptiness and meaningless in the work is fitting to the name of the gallery; Void’. Within her work, Nolan searches for possible readings and explanations of life as we live it. She creates her paintings as potential interpretations of the diverse subjects that she explores but does not want these works to simply be accepted. She invites us to engage, to question and to challenge what she creates as we embark on a dialogue with her. Nolan’s work references philosophy, archaeology, physics, mythology and theology and these themes invite intellectual engagement, consideration and thoughtful response. The installation and layout appears connected to archaeology. The artist has created small sculptural forms that are akin to found objects or artefacts. These are placed under glass in display cases on the ground and within this context, we as viewers feel that we are involved in their discovery. There are also process-based drawings and investigation sketches in vitrines and within glass-topped display tables that again reference an unearthing of ideas, symbols, subjects, colours and forms. Indeed one of the saints that are referenced in the exhibition is Saint Jerome, a patron saint of archaeology. Kevin Burns in his recent review of Nolan’s exhibition argues that ‘paintings intrinsically command attention because they are ‘alpha-art’…right there at eye level usurping the authority of the wall’ (Visual Artists’ News Sheet, Jan-Feb 2023). It is likely that his contention has been sparked by the presence of a lion, considered the signature alpha animal, in one of the key paintings of the exhibition, Desert Mother (Saint Paula) and Lion, 2022. This painting depicts Saint Paula who

has been described as the early ‘desert mother’. She can be glimpsed in a darkened cave with an open book in her hands; her eyes appear to glow as she reads. Outside the cave a lion, that represents Saint Jerome proudly sits, his gaze confronting the viewer directly. The painting references the first translation of the Bible into Latin that was long credited to Jerome. The artist, however, is focused on the accurate revision of this story by contemporary historians where Paula and Jerome were both recognised for this translation. The contribution of Paula was largely overlooked historically so within this panting she is afforded parity. The treatment of the forms on the canvas creates a layered dynamic. The sun dominates a third of the composition and it sets over a rocky landscape containing two caves. The colours cast upon the centre of the painting create a multi-coloured patchwork that delights the eye. While the lion dominates the centre of the composition, his presence does not spark significant discussion. It is the figure of Paula, framed within the dark

Isabel Nolan, Desert Mother (Saint Paula) and Lion, 2022, water-based oil on canvas; photograph by Lee Welch, courtesy the artist, Kerlin Gallery, and Void Gallery.

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ART REVIEW FEATURE

within the blue, fish-filled sea and its surrounding depths. Entitled He could see behind himself (St Columba), 2022, this references Columba blessing Ernene, son of Crasen at Clonmacnoise who attempted to approach him unseen from behind during a procession. Columba sensed his approach and blessed his tongue so that he could spread the faith. The religious references within these paintings are echoed in the titles, scenes depicted, and the treatment on the canvas which resonates with the high colour and translucency of stained glass. A number of works reference mythology, for example Eurydice (dead again) and Orpheus, 2022. In this painting Nolan depicts the moment where Orpheus has managed to bring Eurydice back from the death by leading her from

space of the cave that is the primary focus of the work. She is enigmatic and obscure yet this painting tells her story, finally. Another painting depicts St. Columba, the patron Saint of Derry, who is credited with spreading monastic Christian culture in Ireland and Scotland (and overseeing the emergence of an Irish historical record). He features within a bright wave of yellow and turquoise that appears

Installation images by Simon Mills.

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Isabel Nolan, Fired Up, 2022, water-based oil on canvas; photograph by Lee Welch, courtesy the artist, Kerlin Gallery, and Void Gallery.

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Isabel Nolan, ‘He could see behind himself’ (St Columba), 2022, water-based oil on canvas; photograph by Lee Welch, courtesy the artist, Kerlin Gallery, and Void Gallery.

Isabel Nolan, Eurydice (dead again...) and Orpheus, 2022, water-based oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm; photograph by Lee Welch, courtesy the artist, Kerlin Gallery, and Void Gallery.

the Underworld but he is so delighted to see the light of day that he turns to share his happiness with his soul mate. Through doing this he breaks Hades’ condition that they could not look back and hence Eurydice is dead again and lost forever. The figures look stricken at their painful loss and the painting is split between the cave that marks the entrance to the underworld on the right behind Eurydice and the daylight landscape on the left behind Orpheus. Another tragic myth depicted by the artist is entitled Oh Icarus. This painting is hung high in a space between the galleries and its’ placement suggests that Icarus is captured on the canvas at a key moment during his descent from the skies. The top half of the painting shows his upside down torso with arms outstretched, and head obscured by his wings as he plunges into the depths of the ocean. The sea that surrounds him is beautifully rendered; full of fish and colour but like Eurydice this painting marks the end of Icarus.

Throughout the exhibition the drawings and paintings are defined by high colour. Nolan explains that ‘colours have energy’ and she is selects them intuitively. Bright colours are not intended to signify joyful moments however, conversely often the darker the theme the brighter the exhibition has been. Being human and alive is quite difficult and the works could be seen as a symbol of generosity to engage and attract the viewer, an ‘act of solidarity’, so to speak. This is a fascinating exhibition that resonates with the viewer when encountered but continues to provide food for thought beyond the gallery space. The exhibition ran at Void Gallery, Derry. For further information contact 028 7130 8080.  Marianne O’Kane Boal

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CASE STUDY CLIENT ACCOUNT

St Patrick’s Church

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THE TEAM Client Very Rev Fr. Martin O’Hagan PP, Parish of Newtownards and Comber Architect & Principal Designer HBK Architects Ltd Quantity Surveyor Macauley Heaney Partnership Tiling Contractors Armatile

Structural Engineers Gilligan and Partners M&E Engineers Bailie Associates Ltd Main Contractor O’Prey Developments Stonework S. McConnell & Sons Stone Photography Paul Bell

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CASE STUDY CLIENT ACCOUNT

f stones could speak’ - this is exactly what the inherent vision for the restoration of St. Patrick’s Church encapsulates. This wonderful Victorian ecclesiastical ediﬁce with its treasured provenance reveals the architectural astuteness of that great exponent of the liturgical context, Joseph Hansom (of the patented Hansom cab), who was approached by Lady Elizabeth, the wife of Frederick, the 4th Marquis of Londonderry, in the mid 1870s, to design a Catholic Parish Church for Newtownards on an elevated site in North Street, and thus began a partnership that would reach across the decades. The great architecture of the Parish Church, on completion, was indeed described by Joseph Hansom as a ‘Cathedral in miniature’ which coincided with his work of Arundel Cathedral. Elizabeth’s desire to build the Church at her own expense also reveals her own personal faith journey and this organic building was born, evidencing the crafts and expertise in skills that show true creative longevity. It became 60 Perspective

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CASE STUDY CLIENT ACCOUNT

Proposed Reredos.

Screen Details.

Post Caps.

Proposed plan: Floor ﬁnishes.

Design model by Parishioner Arthur Noble.

Before pictures.

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

a place of prayer for the parish and for guests of the family who came from all over Europe and beyond, then, and now. The Parish Church of St. Patrick’s in Newtownards was solemnly opened, and the altar dedicated on the 24th October 1877, an auspicious day which marked a new chapter in the long history of the parish. The Church of Our Lady of the Visitation in Comber had been dedicated five years earlier in 1872. Lady Elizabeth endowed St. Patrick’s Church in Newtownards with many of the liturgical furnishings and fittings. The reredos was made of marble, with a fine altar of Caen stone, pitch pine seating, a fine pulpit which wrapped itself around a pillar, and more besides. The sandstone pillars stand tall and proud, island-like and surrounded by seating, all handcarved. The lantern tower, particularly English in style, shows the elegance of height and majesty. The rose window, a typical feature of a Hansom design, with the simplicity and profundity of the stain glass and intricate designs which play with the changing light and seasons. The Church has undergone several renovations; in the 1960s with Vatican II and again in 1988. It was in 2020 that the restoration began after several years of preparation, planning and research. Indeed, there was a clear vision on the part of the Parish Priest, Fr. Martin O’Hagan, among others, that was truly about that increasing possibility of realising a dream in which the Church would be returned to its Victorian integrity while assimilating the earlier renovations. Accordingly, after

consultations with the architects Alan Ross and Stephen Salley, and the engagement of O’Prey Developments Ltd, Arthur Noble, parishioner, and through negotiations with the Diocese of Down and Connor, the dream began to become reality. It was with considerable delight that the Londonderry family in Mountstewart was also kept fully informed of this exciting project and thanks goes to Lady Rose and Peter Lauritzen for their advice and support and that of the National Trust. The whole Church interior was completely restored, with some essential exterior work. Spanish marble now cloths the Sanctuary, which has been brought back to its original footprint. The Caen stone of the Main Altar has been brought back to life and some other original pieces have been reassembled into a new High Altar: Christ falling under the weight of the cross and floral displays to right and left. The High Altar is also clothed with Carrara marble which has come from another parish, which has married well after more restoration work, exemplifying the skills and mastery of Mc Connell’s stone/marble experts, breathing new life into the liturgical structures. There is a second reredos which contains the 19th-century Stations of the Cross, a real meditation, which I discovered in poor shape in the attic of the Parochial House and then spent several years in restoring, through the auspices of Cosi Sarkar, whose expertise brought them to a new state of reverence and renewal, all beautifully encapsulated in the wooden structure of refined design and gilded delight. In the centre is the recently written Icon of the Resurrection, by Philip Brennan, the culmination of the meditative stations. A Perspective 63

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CASE STUDY CLIENT ACCOUNT

new icon has been commissioned from Philip, depicting the teacher Saints of Mochai (Mahee Island and Nendrum) who taught Finian who taught Colmcille. The Confessional now draws one in because of the light, and the artistic designs of Tony Campbell (who worked closely with the client in all the artwork etched in glass) of the forgiving Father and Prodigal Son, show a deliberate nod to Rembrandt. The glassed Chapel of the Word, echoing the stencilling discovered behind the paint of the main sanctuary, is a cascade of reds and golds, all linking us to the Passion of Christ, crowned by the Passionflower and the five wounds of Christ and it also reveals the Saints beckoning to us, all associated with this part of the world. Excel Glass, under the tutelage of Jim Maguire, shows that lasting tribute to Frederick the 4th Marquis of Londonderry and his wife Elizabeth, with the associated glass effigy of Cardinal Newman and Joseph Hansom, all unearthing the story of the origins of this ecclesiastical gem. The tiling by Armatile in Armagh is the result of the cooperation of the client, among others, whose vision was to mirror the shapes of the windows in the floor, thus the building must be seen in a holistic manner; only then does the liturgical setting of this sacred space make any sense. The West Door opens to the welcome of the Saints Patrick and Finian, and then Comgall and Columbanus, in glass, all inherently linked to the parish. The patrimony of those edifices associated with the parish from the 6th century to 1877 are depicted in glass, with the monogram of the early Christian cruciform shape from St. Finian’s Abbey of Movilla seen throughout the Church. The lightness of the assembly point of the west door draws us in all the more to the sacred. The chemistry and juxtaposition of light, colour, shade, shape and homilies in stone, marble, wood is so uplifting. The Coats of Arms of the 4th Marquis and Marchioness is now

represented in the Chapel of the Word, with St. Joseph, an original statue from 1877, now restored and placed on a plinth which is a miniature version of the central sandstone pillar in the Sanctuary. The Stations of the Cross around the walls are Spanish and have now been surrounded by designs created by the client to again pull us into the journey of the Cross. The new Baptismal area rests on the gentle and rippling water effect of the tiling with fish in matt and silk. The Ambry is now settled and finds a home in the old Victorian holy water font; the oils have pride of place. There is an interplay of art, history, provenance and spirituality which dance together to show how the Restoration will appeal to and inspire present and future generations. The dream has become a reality, the vision now enfolding in this restored Victorian treasure. The seating is 145 years old, and yet the Church points us towards an eternal reality and the heavenly Jerusalem and the heavenly architect. It is appropriate that this living edifice was solemnly reopened, and the altar dedicated on the 23rd October 2022, by Bishop Noel Treanor, Bishop of Down and Connor, and as close as possible to the very day, the 24th October in 1877, when it was first solemnly opened and the altar dedicated by Bishop Dorrian. St. Paul used the architectural analogy that we are God’s building, alive, dynamic, built on that sure foundation. But might I be allowed to finish with this quotation from Fyodor Dostoyevsky which truly speaks of the whole vision and dream which continues to unfold and unfurl, through the architectural dynamism: ‘Beauty will save the world’. 

Fr. Martin O’Hagan. Parish Priest

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Architect’s Account This was a first for us in many senses: It was our first full interior refurbishment of a listed Church. Never had we the privilege of working for a client who had such a well-articulated vision formed before we were appointed. This was due to the client’s extensive knowledge of the building, ecclesiastical architecture, their appreciation of its strength, the distraction of some previous, inappropriate, if perhaps well intentioned interventions, and their dream as to how the Church could be improved to inspire and educate; Also to the guidance of Architect Alan Ross who had already spent considerable time on the project and who introduced us to the process during the design development stages. The determination, passion, and clarity of Father Martin O’Hagan and of parishioner/retired craftsman Arthur Noble, who physically modelled the Altar, Reredos and Sanctuary to beautifully inform the detail design, was compelling and this permeated through the entire design team, contractor, subcontractors, and tradesmen. Never have we been involved in a project where everyone we encountered seemed so fully engaged and so evidently taking pride in being part of a restoration which aims to be enjoyed for the next 150 years. Early involvement with craftspeople such as stone mason, John McCollum, and later in the process, McConnell stone proved invaluable to completing the composition of the new high altar. Similar engagement with Tiling, Glass and Specialist Joinery contractors all informed the design process. All of this facilitated; encouraged and choreographed by Main Contractor Paul O’Prey. Fr. O’Hagan and Arthur remained “hands on”

through out the project, listening, contemplating, educating, and advising and this has ensured that their overall vision has been beautifully realised. Fr. Martin O’Hagan has truly recognised the character of the Church, appreciated the value of craft, the skill of the original architect and as a final surprise to us, had Alan Ross’s and my name, along with that of contractor Paul O’Prey, inscribed into the glass enclosing the new Chapel of the Word as testimony to our part in their journey; Another first. Stephen Salley HBK Architects

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ULSTER UNIVERSITY

Rural Dwelling / Living City III

End of year show

Our SuperStudio at Ulster University is primarily interested in making better places for people to live, in both rural and urban contexts within Northern Ireland. We seek to generate community-led proposals that will have a positive impact on physical health, mental health and partnerships. We embed a sustainable approach to design, construction and technology – exploring material choices such as timber and natural recycled insulation materials, high levels of thermal performance and site strategies aiming to achieve Zero Emission Neighbourhood (ZEN) standards. Themes explored through student work include deep retrofit, designing for an ageing population, accessibility, shared space(s) and self-sufficiency in terms of food growing and energy production. This report looks back on the work from the last academic year, the third the Studio has run. In the first semester we continued our research into Dispersed Rural Communities (DRCs) and the possibilities for contemporary ‘Clachan’ settlements. Focusing on an area of mid-Ulster to the east of the Sperrins, sites at Broughderg, Sixtowns and Carntogher were identified. This area is rich in history with settlements dating back to the Neolithic Period 6000 years ago, as recorded at the Beaghmore Stone Circles. During site visits some of the groups discovered ruins of stone buildings which would form key points of reference for their proposals. Students were formed into mini vertical studio groups (ranging from 1st to 5th year) which required extensive collaboration to develop and agree site strategies within each group. In the second semester the studio shifted its focus to Sandy Row and the top of Great Victoria Street in Belfast. We wanted

to question how this community can sit in such close proximity to Belfast’s city centre yet feel so disconnected from it? Students were tasked with using film as the medium for their initial site analysis. Following this, a series of workshops were held, involving all students (years 1 to 5), to assess the existing context and put forward a conceptual masterplan that would seek to connect these existing houses and businesses with the city centre. Projects for new homes (and ancillary programs) were defined that increased in scale and complexity up through the year groups. First year were given the existing terrace at 117 – 127 Great Victoria Street to adapt and make proposals for new dwellings to the rear. Adaptive reuse is not easy, whether for a student or live project, but we feel now, more than ever, in the midst of a climate emergency, it is essential for our students to get to grips with it. Thesis students (6th year) are given the freedom to develop their thesis across the full academic year, for the most part independently from the main studio group. This results in diverse and varied work which still has many of the core themes of the studio embedded in it. Projects to note were Samantha Gibson’s ‘Beyond the Street’ which explored adaptive re-use of a cluster of buildings at the bottom of Royal Avenue and Peter Scott’s ‘Village Reclamation’ which sought to rediscover a forgotten sense of community in Dundonald. Thanks to our Guest Critics; Susan Vericat (Studio Vericat) Petrina Tierney (Craftstudio Architecture) Fearghal Murray (MMAS) SuperStudio 4 Studio Lead: Rory Caithness Studio Support: Laura Cushnahan Students: Agnieszka Dutka Samantha Gibson Peter Scott Megan White Ernestas Verenka Catherine Cousins Danielle Mackle Orren McLaughlin John Paul Delaney

Michael Mahood Anthony McCambridge Simon McGurk Naomh Sloan Patrick Leech Orlagh Loye Ryan McCaffrey Molly McMahon Aimee McGonnell Dawid Mucha

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Group model with Ernestas Verenka behind

Orren McLaughlin

4. Peter Scott

7. Samantha Gibson

Samantha Gibson

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LANDSCAPE

The Porchfields

he Porchfields is a 25-hectare area of medieval farmland which lies between the Anglo-Norman town of Trim, founded c. 1180 and the rural borough of Newtown Trim, founded c. 1220. The area has an exceptionally rich history as can be evidenced by the Newtown Monuments (these consist of a large medieval cathedral, two monasteries and small church which date from 1206) which sit immediately adjacent to/bordering the eastern site boundary and St Mary’s Abbey which sits to the west. It is overlooked from the west by Trim Castle, the largest Norman castle in Europe (1173) and is a notable tourist destination. While standing on this site it is easy to attain a sense of timelessness and of this millennia of history, given that apart from the ring road, development has been limited to low-impact incidental footpaths and the Porchfields retained in use for animal grazing.

Park Hood were engaged by Meath County Council to provide Project Management and Landscape Architectural design services for the redevelopment of The Porchfields. The brief was to develop the site as a tourist destination, while protecting the rich cultural heritage associated with its strategic position between the historic sites and the River Boyne. The area was underutilised and underappreciated with access limited to informal grass paths and a dilapidated walkway that was not fit for purpose. This project was underpinned by an earlier procurement exercise (which Park Hood were also involved in), which required the ‘Development of a feasibility study for potential recreational uses on Meath County Council lands.’ The purpose of this study was to produce a preliminary landscape/sporting

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THE TEAM Client Meath County Council

Landscape Sub-Contractor Shaffrey Landscaping

Landscape Architect Park Hood

Main Contractor M&M O’Brien Plant & Groundworks Ltd

Civil Engineers JBA Consulting Quantity Surveyor McDonnell Consulting Ltd

Photography Donal McCann

destinations. This was complimented by new entrance signage and new heritage fencing and gates. 2. Introduction of universally accessible picnic/recreation areas featuring a mixture of benches, seats and picnic tables. An exercise trim trail is provided with a number of items installed suitable for use by all abilities. These are

facilities masterplan to guide and assist Meath County Council in relation to future funding programmes. Funding was secured for the Porchfields in 2020 allowing consultation workshops to begin with the local community and statutory bodies to gain a greater understanding of the opportunities and constraints this site had to offer. These ultimately were honed down to seven landscape design objectives that set out the basis of how the revitalisation of this historic site was to be achieved: 1. Improved access to the Porchfields, with the introduction of 1,800m length resin bonded gravel surfaced footpaths throughout the site linking key pedestrian routes and

provided along the looped walking route, strategically located to make the most of the site’s assets and vistas towards the historic buildings and the backdrop of the River Boyne. 3. Several custom-built interpretation panels were installed including an interactive QR code to allow visitors or tourists to find out additional and varying information on the site, its history and ecology. 4. A new multiuse circular performance area, circa 30m wide, suitable for hosting outdoor events and gatherings. Constructed using a “Netlon” reinforced turf system that allows this area to have a new purpose yet retain a green field characteristic akin to what exists on this site at present. This flexible outdoor events space also features an earth mounded amphitheatre that allows performances to occur that can take advantage of the atmospheric backdrop made up of the River Boyne and Trim Castle. Electrical connections were installed on mini pillars adjacent the performance area for ease of set up and use by vendors. 5. To facilitate site cleanliness, Solar Compacting bins are installed at strategic locations around the site. Apart from collecting litter, these Smart bins contain sensors that measure

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LANDSCAPE

the footfall visiting the Porch Field area, as well as being able to forward information to passing mobile phones with a mobile app which links information developed to tell the story of the area, as people avail of these enhanced amenities. 6. In consultation with ecologists, extensive areas were seeded out in wildflower meadows with the objective of enhancing the local biodiversity and introducing a vibrancy to former field areas. 7. All works were undertaken with the overriding objective of enhancing the setting or the listed structures on site, based on advice from site archaeologists and following best practice to ensure these monuments and the designated Architectural Conservation Area is safeguarded for the future. The success of the scheme is evident with the Porchfield’s displaying an enhanced amenity, setting and sense of place. The works have boosted local public use including a weekly 72 Perspective PAGE70-74.indd 4

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community park run and family activities on account of it being a safe, natural environment and welcoming for children to play in relative freedom contributing to healthy lifestyles and well-being. At a higher level the development of an event space, formal creation of linkages between historical monuments and the provision of way finding, viewing platforms and information boards serve to enhance a vital historical resource and promote greater awareness and appreciation from local residents, visitors and tourists of the collective of historic and scenic assets in this part of Ireland. The project fulfils the most important aim of the client team (Meath County Council) to maximise heritage assets and safeguard the Porchfield site in the years to come as an important cultural and greenfield amenity zone within the urban fabric of Trim. 

Andrew Bunbury

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FEATURE

The Heart of the Matter An unexpected ‘vacation’ in the RVH Cardiovascular Department by Peter Hutchinson

This article covers a short period of time in my life and is a record of what transpired during that time. During a recent hospital stay I recorded my journey and its unexpected consequences, including my thoughts on the National Health Service (NHS) and the excellent service it provided to me. My reflections are also recorded pictorially with a series of sketches.

Background I attended my GP in early January ‘22 with a thigh problem and took the opportunity to raise the subject of additional concerns such as ankle swelling and shortness of breath upon exercise. Following an examination and an electrocardiograph (ECG) he immediately referred me to the A&E department in the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), where I was quickly triaged and thereafter admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit, Ward 5b, from where my twomonth journey through the hospital system began. This period in hospital allowed me, as a patient, to observe closely the daily routine of staff, patients and visitors and also the organisation of the building, its facilities and equipment, and their functioning, both individually and collectively. As an obsessive illustrator of my environment, this hospital stay resulted in many sketches which now illustrate this text. After a number of medical tests - including echocardiographs, ultrasounds, x-rays, CT scans and finally an angiogram – I underwent

a x4 heart bypass operation to replace blocked coronary arteries; now an almost routine procedure in hospitals, but slightly more traumatic for the patient. I was wheeled down to the operating theatre on my bed, with all my worldly goods stacked around me, robed in a not-so-flattering backless gown, and once in the theatre was transferred to the operating table. The theatre was an enormous space filled with wonderous electronic and technical equipment, including an oversized TV/ monitor screen. I was surrounded by a multiplicity of staff, including nurses, radiographers, anaesthetists and surgeons. Their quiet professionalism made me feel relaxed and I was so fascinated by the space and all that was going on around me that I wished I had my sketch book to record it. Once sedated, I had no further awareness of the next 5/6 hours until I woke up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), lying in bed with a dizzying array of tubes and connections attached to the monitors and appliances surrounding me. The patient care here was one nurse to one patient, with an amazing group of dedicated ICU nurses taking care of my every need. Almost immediately I was offered tea and toast, which was gratefully accepted as I had not eaten that day due to fasting (where would hospitals be without tea and toast !!). Incredibly, I was soon encouraged to get out of bed and stand; three days later I was walking unaided. I left ICU to complete my recovery in Cardiac Surgery Ward 5a. I cannot thank the nursing staff enough for their care and dedication; they were truly remarkable. Back in the ward my recovery continued and about a week later I left hospital to complete my convalescence at home. I am now well on the way to leading a normal life thanks to the coronary bypass operation which has given me a life expectancy of ±20 years - truly remarkable!! The post-operative care is ongoing with the hospital outpatients’ service monitoring my progress and supporting my recovery in every way possible. I had a slight hiccup some months into recovery when an upset in my heart rhythm resulted in my readmission to hospital. Following successful ablation of abnormal electric pathways in my heart’s conduction system a normal heartbeat was re-established, hopefully finishing my time as an inpatient under the care of the RVH cardiac unit.

Tea trolley, nighttime screen monitor and patient record whiteboard.

The Images While in hospital I recorded my journey as a travelogue, illustrated by a series of sketches. At the time they were not specifically drawn for any particular reason except to jot down my observations of how a place works: what makes it tick, what makes it unique and

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FEATURE

Patient in Ward 5b-bed, side cabinet and electrical equipment.

Caricature of two patients in adjacent beds; awaiting operations.

Patient in Ward 5b awaiting surgery, attached to monitor, on mobile.

Hygiene station attached to wall, hand-wash facility and ‘disposables’.

Ward reception desk with computer/ monitor screen and phone.

Patient in adjacent bed having a quick snooze in between treatments.

Patient in reception getting fresh air, peace and quiet, awaiting surgery.

Hygiene station attached to wall, handwash facility and waste bin.

Nurses at reception desk during handover between day/night shifts.

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FEATURE

Quick sketch of nurse with PPE and patient at window in reception.

‘Slingsby’ postal trolley with ward mail ready for collection by porter.

ICU nurses reviewing at changeover at their station; foot of my bed.

Quick sketch of nurse with PPE, hard, as they rarely sit still for long.

Secretary at reception desk with protective Covid-19 screen.

Drainage chambers and vessels for surgery; drains, side of my bed.

Mobile computer station and monitor on wheels.

Mobile IVF monitor, solution in bag attached, patient cupboard behind.

ICU nurse relaxing during lunchbreak rare occasion without PPE.

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FEATURE

The NHS and its Band of Mighty Warriors How to describe the hospital - the complexity of the building fabric, its multiplicity of parts, the amazing range of technical equipment, its staff, their tasks and personal contribution - is virtually impossible. This article is a tribute to all the men and women - from the porters and cleaners through to consultants and the surgical team, including students, probationers, part-time and auxiliary staff at every level - who looked after me. The value, respect and dignty shown to me and each and every patient, at all times, was wonderful to see and experience. The way in which each patient was treated with such care made a profound impact on me, my family and friends, and will remain with me for a long time after my discharge. I could make comment about some inadequacies and shortfalls in the system, too, possibly due to underfunding and inadequate staffing levels. The RVH is like a big juggernaut, or better still, a giant oil tanker: difficult to stop or change direction and costly to run (a bottomless pit?), but for all its faults we are blessed to have it. Our NHS is a national treasure, the envy of others and needed now more than ever and should therefore be treated accordingly. You have given me a future to look forward to, one that would not be there without your help.

Close up sketches of nursing staff at reception concentrating on screen.

gives it its character, what are its flaws and shortcomings? Warts and all, so to speak, as observed mostly from the comfort of my hospital bed/bedside chair, strolling around the ward or along the hospital corridors. What is everyday or “normal” to hospital staff, not thought of as relevant or worth recording at all, can have, to the outsider, a huge impact. During my stay I gained a unique insight into the hospital’s modus operandi, its many parts and services, and the workload and multiplicity of tasks undertaken by staff. I created 32 illustrations over an eight-week stay in the RVH Cardiac Surgery Unit. The sketches began in Ward 5b - my first bed before transfer to a side ward. After the operation recovery was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), before returning to Ward 5a and recuperation, then, finally, to the ‘departure lounge’ and exit. Whilst I have listed and entitled each sketch chronologically, as they were drawn it became apparent that the longer I stayed, the more the sketches highlighted the different spaces, elements and personnel, allowing me to categorise them as per Appendix One.

Conclusion & Reflection I feel a bit strange writing this article retrospectively, after being discharged from hospital almost five months ago, wondering did it really happen - a surreal experience - or was it all in my imagination? Certainly it was very real when I was there, especially entering the operating theatre, and my time in ICU recovering from the operation, but some bits are a bit of a blur, especially the long wait pre-operation when hours turned into days, then weeks. Getting Covid-19 and consequent isolation put back the operation, which didn’t help physically or mentally, but much of the delay was also due to lack of operating time and staffing problems. Whilst I was only in ICU just over three days, it left the strongest impact- the 24/7 care by nurses on 12-hour shifts, tending to my every need; my utter dependence on their care has left a lasting impression. I fell in love with all of them, but offers of marriage failed to appear - strange (silly old romantic fool that I am!!). When the day came to leave hospital I entered the discharge lounge, and panicked, not realising that I had become institutionalised after so long in hospital. As a few staff members said goodbye and a porter shovelled me into his chariot, piling me high with my accumulated baggage, I looked back expecting tears and wailing at my departure – instead, my bed was already being stripped, sanitised and made ready for the next person sitting patiently in the wings. A showstopper if ever there was one - curtain down,

Perspective 79 PAGE76-81.indd 5

09/02/2023 14:25

FEATURE

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY NHS: Always there when you need it most Arts Care - Belfast www.artscare.co.uk/donate-1

Interior view of Discharge Lounge, waiting to be whisked away.

Footnote/observations - this in no way is meant to be critical of the hospital and its workings - just some personal thoughts and views on the hospital fabric as an observant patient. 1.Circulation spaces - at least 7 no. levels of corridors, banks of lifts, stairwells & landings. I was amazed by the length and width of the main corridors: almost 100m long, v wide with acres of glazing. Stairwells - and banks of elevators/lifts: spacious compared to the spaces allocated to the wards and ancillary facilities which appeared cramped and were always cluttered with medical equipment, trollies etc. 2.Medical Equipment Mobile - it is amazing how many pieces of equipment are on wheels - beds, tea and food trolleys, medicine cabinets, blood pressure equipment, drips, ECG & X-ray units, bedlinen & medical file units. But best are the porters’ chairs [chariots] that transport patients everywhere by an army of porters. 3.Medical Equipment/fixed to walls - In wards the multiplicity of medical devices inc. monitors, oxygen supply, patients’ buzzers, even to raise/lower matresses - number of conduits, plugs; the mileage of hidden cables, tubes and pipework necessary to run the system is mind blowing! Each bed had 2 multi-functional ’robotic arms’ that could be manipilated/rotated and carried a multiplicity of medical equipment to each patient’s bed during their stay/ recovery - they were the Sampson & Goliath of the hospital - scary stuff!! 4 Sustainability & Recycling - whilst I understood the overarching need for safety and hygiene, especially in light of the recent pandemic, I was perturbed by the almost complete lack of reuse and recycling of any used medical equipment and vestments. Very difficult to change overnight but I would love to see it being addressed sooner rather than later to reduce the need for incineration or adding to landfill.

Nurses and auxiliaries changing & sanitising bed for next arrival

lights off - and that is how it should be; just one of the audience but what a performance they put on!!  My Request to Each and Every One of You At some time in your life you will inevitably cross paths with the NHS in one of its many guises; it is there to look after each and every one of us hour by hour, day by day, weekly, yearly, for the whole of our lives. It is therefore crucial that the services it provides have the necessary funding needed to keep doing what they do so well. Now this is where you come in: you can help fill the gap in funding required for everything from everyday running expenses to high-end research projects, health promotion campaigns etc….etc….etc….

Peter Hutchinson

A&E triage waiting area.

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FEATURE

ICU nurse reviewing her notes and patient case at desk.

ICU doctor reviewing my case notes at station foot of my bed.

1st of pair of integrated monitor/dispensary bed stations in ICU ward.

Ward medicine cabinet/trolley and mobile blood press unit.

The ‘long corridor’ of the original Victorian RVH now conserved.

ICU nurse typing up patient case notes at desk in ward.

RVH porters patient transport ‘chariot’ invaluable chair on wheels.

Caricature of three patents in adjacent beds-awaiting operations.

2nd of pair of integrated monitor/dispensary bed stations in ICU ward.

One of the ±100m long glass corridors of the new hospital block.

Perspective 81 PAGE76-81.indd 7

09/02/2023 14:25

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Perspective Published by Ulster Journals Ltd. Advertising Sales: (028) 9066 3311

any form without written consent from the publishers. The publishers will institute proceedings in respect of any infringement of copyright. Please note that whilst every effort is made to ensure that any submitted items which you wish returned are sent back in the condition in which they were received, Ulster Journals Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage. All items submitted are at the owner’s own risk. Manuscripts and photographs/ illustrations submitted should be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. If possible do not send original or irreplaceable material - to avoid disappointment please send copies only. The Publisher - Ulster Journals Ltd reserve the right to reject any advertisment and editorial copy submitted.

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QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

Endurance

Last year the unit entitled ‘Endurance’, offered by Catherine Blainey and I at Queen’s MArch level, continued to explore ideas of material culture and form as a receptacle of meaning. The territory offered here is intentionally broad so that each student is encouraged to define their individual voice. Our studio is a place where conversation is understood as a design tool and objects (drawings and models) speak. For us, these conversations are the joy of teaching in the university. An example of one such exchange is the work of Rachel Aitcheson and Beth Mogey. Examining Dublin’s Liberties, their separate proposals, developed in concert, posit a critique of contemporary generic urban planning and present a cry for a return to the ‘Art of Building Cities’.

sought to recompose the city at night as a safer, more convivial place for humans and animals alike. In all of the work, here and by others, we witnessed a great care and understanding of the social implication of urban form. In a time when every student feels the pressing need to confront how we live, here, there is no simple recourse to supposed radical or paradigm shifts, so often called for and most probably the primary reason for our current malaise. Instead we see a reassuring demonstration of how the great skill and techniques of our discipline can draw people together in communities and in doing so contribute to real and meaningful change.  Colm Moore & Catherine Blaney

Responding to a recently constructed student housing development, Rachel’s proposal is for keen adaptations to the existing fabric in and around these hermetic buildings, finding space for intimate human interaction in the careful calibration of doors and passages, leftover gaps and crevices. Drawn out in walks and explored through choreography, these spaces between were measured in time, from the quotidian to the archaeological. In all of this was a quiet search for a gregarious architecture. A different movement can be seen in Beth’s proposal for cooperative housing, one that restlessly explores various scales of city building. From designing a city quarter to a building ensemble, to the interior of a room, to a window sill, this work captures the city as an unfolding landscape of rooms and one where the exterior can also be experienced as an interior. For all its endeavour, this is not total design but something more infrastructural, an attitude that leaves space for others to develop and dwell in. Although not in The Liberties. The work of Ellen Dunlop was very much a part of this same conversation. Whilst chasing Orson Welles through Carol Reed’s Vienna in The Third Man, Ellen became obsessed by scenography and the city. Drawing parallels between post-war Vienna and Belfast, the project examines the architecture of artificial light. Making small interventions in and around the Northern Bank Building, Ellen

City - Livingroom Interior - Beth Mogey

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Ellen Dunlop - Rooflight Study

Figures - Passages - Beth Mogey

Ellen Dunlop - Window Study - Vienna Opera House

Liberties - Walk One - Rachel Aitcheson

Site Plan - Rachel Aitcheson

Section - Rachel Aitcheson

Perspective 85 PAGE84-85.indd 3

10/02/2023 09:39

DID YOU KNOW PERSPECTIVE DIGITAL EDITION IS NOW AVAILABLE FREE TO EVERYONE ON OUR MAILING LIST?

Perspective

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ON SALE NOW Architects of Ulster 1920s - 1970s PAUL LARMOUR

UAH

“An invaluable guide to 50 years of architecture in Ulster and the people who led the way” Ciarán Fox, Director, RSUA This book recounts the life and works of a select number of Ulster architects who played a significant part in forming the architectural landscape of Ulster in the period of the 1920s to 1970s. Each of them not only produced some individual buildings of special interest but most also had careers which were notable for their invariably pioneering example and sustained performance, their overall contribution seemingly significant enough to set them apart from the rest of their professional colleagues.

Available from: Ulster Architectural Heritage, The Old Museum Building, 7 College Square North, Belfast BT1 6AR T: +44 (0)28 90550213 or order online at www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/shop Price £36 (hard back) & £28 (soft back).

Published in hardback and softback, full colour, November 2022, ISBN: 978-0-900457-85-2 & 978-0-900457-86-9

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Grant Aerona3 R32 air to water air source heat pump. product knowledge from the comfort of their own homes. This varied approach ensures continued professional development is accessible for all.  Commenting on another successful year of the Grant Training Academy, trainer Keith Scully said, “At Grant our research and development team works tirelessly to design and manufacture the most efficient and forward-thinking heating technologies for our dedicated customers. With this in mind, we, the training team are dedicated to ensuring that those charged with designing

The high quality training facilities located at Grant headquarters in Birr, Co Offaly, include a dedicated training academy featuring an auditorium and training suite. The onsite training courses run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am to 4.30pm and are available to those working within the plumbing and heating industry including architects, installers, engineers, plumbers, merchants, local authorities and energy assessors. Grant’s online training can be accessed via the Grant eLearning Academy.

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New Book Launch by Ulster Architectural Heritage Society Architects of Ulster 1920s - 1970s PAUL LARMOUR

Ulster Architectural Heritage launched its latest publication, ‘Architects of Ulster 1920s-1970s’ by renowned Architectural Historian Dr Paul Larmour on Wednesday 23rd November 2022. The attractively produced and richly informative new volume was launched by Ciaran Fox, Director of the RSUA, in the very appropriate and beautiful setting of the Chapel of Unity at Methodist College Belfast, which was designed by one of the featured architects of the book, Gordon McKnight in 1966-8. The book recounts the life and works of 21 architects of the 20th Century who produced individual buildings of special interest and were also notable for their pioneering example and signiﬁcant contribution to architectural design in Ulster. The chapters in the book originated in a series of articles written over many years by Dr Larmour which appeared in ‘Perspective’ and which have been expanded, referenced and edited for book format and accompanied with exceptional newly commissioned and archival photography. The ﬁne design of the book was a happy collaboration between the publisher, UAH, and the publisher of ‘Perspective’, Ulster Journals Ltd.

Invited guests at the launch included several relatives of some of the architects featured. Dr Paul Harron, Chief Executive of UAH, welcomed everyone to the UAH event in the chapel, followed by words of appreciation by Karen Latimer OBE, UAH Publications Chairman and Editor, who in turn handed over to Ciaran Fox of the RSUA who formally launched the book, noting the immense contribution which Dr Larmour has made to our understanding and appreciation of Ulster’s architects and architecture over the course of his career and through his many superb books and articles. He commended the book to all, not least members of the current architectural profession. Dr Larmour responded by not only describing the special setting of the building and outlining some of the features of the book but also thanking Karen Latimer, the UAH and Ulster Journals, among others, and all the relatives and friends of featured architects who had made a special eﬀort to attend. Dr David Johnston, Chairman of UAH, closed formal proceedings by both encouraging all to purchase the book and spread the word on its availability far and wide but also invited folk to retire to the atrium of McArthur Hall at MCB for refreshments and photographs.

RSUA Director Ciarån Fox and Patrick Wheeler.

UAHS Chairman David Johnston, Karen Latimer, Paul Larmour and Chris Sherry.

The book is available to purchase in hardback and softback from the RSUA online shop www.rsua.org.uk, the bookshop at 2 Mount Charles, Belfast BT7 1NZ and from UAHS www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk.

The RSUA Shop is available at http://www.rsua.org.uk/shop The RSUA shop is currently processing and posting orders Monday to Thursday, items are posted Royal Mail second class delivery.

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BOOK REVIEW

English Victorian Churches, Architecture, Faith & Revival by James Stevens Curl

Keble College Chapel, Oxford (1873-6, W Butterfield) - Geoff Brandwood.

Recently I had the privilege of revisiting and giving a talk about the strikingly fine High Victorian church of St Mark’s, Dundela, in Belfast, designed by William Butterfield, setting it in the context of the architect’s extraordinary ecclesiastical creations across

the British Isles. What a rewarding body of work is his, and how important it is to understand what was going on in terms of religious belief and debate affecting aesthetics in such dynamic ways in ecclesiastical architecture during the nineteenth century Perspective 91

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BOOK

REVIEW

St John the Baptist (since 1976 the RC Cathedral), Norwich (1884-1910, G G Scott and J O Scott) Alex Ramsay.

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BOOK REVIEW

English Victorian Churches, Architecture, Faith & Revival (John Hudson Publishing, 2022). As one would expect from the author, it is a scholarly, richly informative, refreshingly pithy and engagingly written study and it is to be especially applauded for the clear chapter structure and format and for the terrific wealth of colour photographs of the buildings brought under discussion (exterior and interior views). It is the perfect antidote to ignorance about the period and its architecture and it is to be hoped that it will help increase understanding and appreciation of these buildings – in England, of course, but also their ‘cousins’ across the rest of these islands, including in Ulster. The book begins with an introduction to denominations and Victorian churches – the Church of England, Nonconformity and Roman Catholicism and a discussion about the need for new churches during the period of great urban expansion, industrialisation and societal upheaval. Curl then turns his attention to architecture, antiquarianism and styles, focusing on the beginnings of Gothic scholarship and Gothic and the Nation before turning to the charged religious atmosphere of the 1830s and 40s, followed by the Anglican revival and the impact of Ecclesiology and the Anglican crisis, the search for an ideal by the aforementioned Butterfield but also George Edmund Street and George Gilbert Scott, the architecture of the 1850s, 1860s and early 1870s, featuring William Burges (in Ireland, think St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork), John Loughborough Pearson and GF Bodley, and finally turning to late Victorian Anglican churches, Anglo Catholicism and the Arts & Crafts influence as well as some non-Anglican buildings for religious observance (including

All Saints’ Margaret St, Westminster (1849-59, W Butterfield) - Chris W Redgrave.

which resulted in the great Victorian church buildings, especially Anglican and Roman Catholic ones. To refresh and enhance my knowledge, I turned to the work of James Stevens Curl, particularly his comprehensive tome Victorian Architecture: Diversity & Invention (2007) as well as The English Heritage Book of Victorian Churches (1995). JS Curl has in his long career helped to pioneer an appreciation of undervalued aspects of Victorian architecture and sought to correct prejudice against later phases of the Victorian Gothic Revival, and to his impressive output of publications an excellent new publication has now been added:

St Mary’s, Wreay, Cumbria (1840-42, S Losh) James Stevens Curl.

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BOOK

REVIEW

(aware that so much has changed in society and in the churches over recent times) is that there might be a greater realisation as to how rich is England’s 19th-century church architecture. He seeks not to write an elegy but to describe the various styles of Victorian ecclesiastical architecture and to give a flavour of the backgrounds that prompted designs and realisations, from ‘wonderful repositories of the very best exemplars produced by craftsmen of genius’ to the quirky and decidedly peculiar. The final section of the book comprises an epilogue on the importance of church restoration and thoughtful (wistful) closing remarks, and the volume concludes with a very superior glossary (Curl also co-authored with Susan Wilson the Oxford Dictionary of Architecture after all) and a useful select bibliography. This is highly recommended volume – an essential handbook for all who may be intrigued and want to know more about these remarkable buildings but who might be somewhat afraid of them because they don’t fully understand them (or even

Former RC Friary Church of St Francis, Gorton, Manchester, (1864-72, E W Pugin) - Mark Watson.

a synangogue and a mosque). There are occasional necessary detours into, for example, Rundbogenstil, Neo Classicism, stylistic oddities and the work of JF Bentley, architect of the stunning Westminster RC Cathedral and also the Church of the Holy Rood, Watford (with a big and remarkable rood). Curl posits that ‘into their churches Victorians poured creative genius, and their finest exemplars stand comparison with the best medieval work, often surpassing it in quality … most are not mere copies of medieval styles … indeed they are often marvellously original’ and his purpose in writing this volume

Exeter College Chapel, Oxford (1854-60, G G Scott) Geoff Brandwood.

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New West End Synagogue, London (1877-9, G A Audsley and N S Joseph) - David Abitbol.

understand them at all), to a wonderfully illustrated go-to ready reference for those of us who are already won over to them as awe-inspired admirers, believers in their beauty, brilliance and purpose and who seek to treasure them now and into the future. The publication contains some great familiar faces – such as Truro Cathedral, All Saints Margaret Street and St Giles RC Church Cheadle, for example – but also some inspirational surprises such as St Cuthbert’s Kensington and Christ Church, Appleton-le-Moors, Yorkshire which, for this reviewer, are now firmly on the must-see list. 

Dr Paul Harron

English Victorian Churches, Architecture, Faith & Revival by James Stevens Curl

John Hudson Publishing

Hardback, 222 pp ISBN 978-1-7398229-3-4

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PARTING SHOT

Enniskillen Workhouse Architect: Hamilton Architects Photo by John McVitty Photography

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09/02/2023 14:44

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Perspective January/February 2023

Articles inside

English Victorian Churches, Architecture, Faith & Revival

New Book Launch by Ulster Architectural Heritage Society

GRANT WELCOMES OVER 1000 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS TO ITS ONSITE AND ONLINE TRAINING ACADEMY DURING 2022

Endurance

Perspective

BELFAST SKIN CLINIC

The Heart of the Matter

The Porchfields

Rural Dwelling / Living City III

Architect’s Account

St Patrick’s Church

Isabel Nolan - flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict

entrance systems help keep dirt at the door

Greenhill YMCA Community Hub

The Thatch Conundrum

Metalcast NI

Enniskillen Workhouse

Leading the way in Passive House Education

Timber walls and ceilings from LSA Projects Ltd

CENTRAL STAIR IN NORDIC OAK DOUBLES AS SEATING

Turning good spaces into great experiences

Architect’s Account

Queen’s Students’ Union

Ryan Hood

Grace Notes

For Whom the Bell Tolls