Land+Living: Ranelagh Multidenominational School

Ranelagh Multidenominational School
Category: Architecture
Posted by: James on 1/14/2006 10:32:00 AM | Digg | Stumble It! | del.icio.us
An urban Dublin neighborhood school / Seeing Éire [I.5]

Back to Ireland as promised, and a month after my last post in the Seeing Éire series no less. Here we will take a closer look at one building in Dublin by O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects, a building which made an impression on me nearly eight years ago and which took my two visits to Dublin to finally see in person.

Set in the Georgian south Dublin neighborhood at Mountpleasant Square, the design for this school responds equally to site, program and context. The concept interweaves a series of internal and external spaces in response to program requirements connected by a linear spine. Spaces interlock to make one block which provides a strong edge and presence to the busy street to the north, while the south facade presents a softer face with a verandah opening outwards to a sunken playground/garden on the south of the building in deference to the adjacent residential terraces. Salvaged brick and stone create the perimeter shell while wood cladding and detailing defines the more interior facing spaces.

Firm: O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects
Link: Archeire - O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects win RIAI Gold
Article: RIBA Journal, December 1998, Volume 105, No 12 - Lesson Plan
See it: Google Maps Ranelagh Road at Mountpleasant Road & Old Mountpleasant

Reference: Seeing Éire [prologue] (L+L)
Reference: Seeing Éire [I] - Ailtireacht na Baile Átha Cliath (L+L)
Reference: RIAI Awards 2005 (L+L)

VIEW FROM RANELAGH ROAD AT MOUNTPLEASANT ROAD / MOUNTPLEASANT SQUARE

PLAN

SECTION MODEL, LOOKING SOUTH FROM RANELAGH ROAD

Though I can't recall the publication, I remember being impressed by the understated complexity of this project when I first saw it published some years ago as I mentioned above. In my 2001 visit to Dublin, I had hoped to stumble upon it by luck, but it was not to be. Fast forward to fall 2005 when this building was honored with the Triennial Gold Medal Award from the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) as exemplifying the best of contemporary architecture for the period of 1998-2000. Armed with more specific information with which to locate this building on my trip this fall, yet is was by pure chance that I happened to drive past while on my way out of Dublin.

Inspired partly by the rational diagram of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow School of Art, the building functions externally as an integral part of the historic district, and internally as a sort of "small town" with its interconnected spaces stitched together by the circulation spine. This building exemplifies modern architecture's ability to relate to historic fabric. This building is about good solid design, context and community. The fact that this building won Ireland's most prestigious award for a building of its era, an award given retrospectively once the luster has faded, is not surprising. The building also exemplifies Irish architecture, demonstrating a stanch awareness of cultural and physical milieu.

O'Donnell + Tuomey are pioneers of contemporary Irish architecture. Prior to the 1980's, modern design in Ireland was limited and of the undistinguished corporate American variety. O'Donnell + Tuomey's work is influenced by the work of James Stirling and Aldo Rossi, and shares a kindred spirit with Tod Williams Billie Tsien & Associates. While their goal was not to try to define 'Irishness' in architecture, their work laid the foundations for modern design in Ireland that, like the Ranelagh School, is very aware of its environment. The approach yields results that more architects should aspire to achieve.

O'Donnell + Tuomey continue to make their mark in the architecture world winning many awards, most recently for the Lewis Glucksman Gallery at University College Cork, Ireland (which we featured in Clippings earlier this week).

CLASSROOM INTERIOR (ONE OF EIGHT)

VIEW FROM RANELAGH ROAD NEAR CORNER OF OLD MOUNTPLEASANT LOOKING WEST

TWO VIEWS ALONG OLD MOUNTPLEASANT

PLAYGROUND/GARDEN

VIEW OF SOUTH FACADE

DETAIL OF SIDE OF SOUTH FACADE

View Land+Living Maps in a larger map

Comments

Add Comments

Connections
Posted by Sean O' Connor on 10/28/2007 6:21:00 AM

I feel that the south facde timber clading and the brick work reminde me of the Glucksman Gallery in UCC

I know but still,
Posted by Student in Sixth Class in RMDS on 11/6/2008 10:32:00 AM

I get that my school is an architechural breakthrough and all that but it is just a school, we get really annoyed when people like you flock to our school just to look at it and I can tell our principal hates it to. And it's not that great, my classroom is tiny and it the wall slants so it's nearly impossible to keep it straight and let me think.....

oh yeah
Posted by Student in sixth class... on 11/6/2008 10:34:00 AM

i forgot something we had ane extension done to our school last year, none of the students wanted it and now RMDS is in debt

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevent to this blog entry.

Please note: Land+Living is journal of modern design. We do not sell the products featured on this website nor do we provide design-related services. If you are interested in more information about a product or service mentioned on this website, please contact the manufacturer via the links provided. Thank you!