Architecture – Cork 2005

The designation of Cork as European capital of Culture for 2005 is an opportunity for the city and its citizens to respond to the occasion with a programme of events which harnesses the creative resources of the city.

On the western edge of Europe, nestled among its surrounding hills, Cork is well described by its motto Statio Bene Fida Carinis safe harbour for ships. The city has always, in addition to its maritime, merchant and commercial tradition, had a tradition of artistic and cultural life.

The Capital of Culture designation represents a rare opportunity for an Irish city. The programme and calendar of events for the year has a full range including art, literature, music, theatre, film, sport, visual art sculpture, craft and not least, architecture.

The architectural events include the hosting of ‘Eighteen Turns’ designed by Daniel Libeskind. Eighteen Turns was originally commissioned by The Serpentine Gallery, London in 2001 as part of its commitment to showcasing contemporary architecture and was sited in Kensington Gardens.

Cork 2005 will display this work in an area of the city that is undergoing urban regeneration. It will become an active space and host to a number of Cork 2005 cultural programmes.

The organisers will also host an exhibition and symposium entitled New Trends in Architecture in Europe and Asia Pacific. It brings together architects from Europe, Japan and the Asia Pacific region to demonstrate new thinking and trends in architecture and to debate and discuss the issues facing architects and the people who inhabit their creations in the urbanised world in the 21st century. This exhibition is being initiated in Tokyo and will travel from Cork to Australia, Spain and China.

The Irish Architectural Archive plans to host an exhibition of drawings by Cork architects at Fota House. The RIAI is currently involved in detailed negotiations with to organise three architectural competitions in Cork during 2005; Urban Design/Kyls Quary; Competition for Artbox/Mobile Exhibition; Ideas for Competition for Young Architects for the 21st Century Library. It is also planned to hold The National Housing Conference, organised jointly by the DOEHLG and the RIAI, in Cork at the end of April/beginning May.

In a united Europe cultures, regions and cities will take on a greater significance as that of the nation state recedes. Against this background Cork has the potential to seize the opportunity offered by its designation as European Capital of Culture 2005. Through its year-long programme in such cultural areas as literature, music, theatre, dance, political discourse, migration and community, it can express its particular vision of what Europe might become.

Cork, as a maritime city, was one of Ireland’s major gateways to the world when most international traffic was by sea. This was one of Cork’s traditional strengths. The maritime links grew the capital of Gaelic Munster into a significant centre of trade and commerce. Each layer of maritime links has become embedded in the fabric and culture of the city. Vikings brought their craft-guilds and coinage. The English brought their language, Dutch merchants their trade and banking skills, French Huguenots, their silverwork and sail-making and the Jewish community, its literary contribution to created a multi-faceted city.

Like many other Irish cities, in the post independence period, Cork became an inward looking city, with an apparent emphasis on protecting local interests. To some extent this impacted negatively on Cork’s ability to benefit from the opportunities presented by the Celtic Tiger economy when it arrived. However, in recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in outlook. Once again, Cork continues to host and develop inward migrations: one regularly hears Italian , Polish, French, German and African – and even Dublin – accents on its streets. The city has begun to embrace a more outward and global outlook with enthusiasm.

The urban design plan for upgrading Patrick Street by Beth Gali, the Glucksmann Gallery by O’Donnell and Twomey, the Vision Centre by Derek Tynan, the new School of Music and the Lapp’s Quay mixed use development by Scott Tallon Walker are all symbols of a more confident and vibrant city.

Cork firms are engaging in alliances to broaden the scope of their skill and knowledge basis and producing buildings to very high standards including the UCC Student Centre, Ballincollig Town Centre and the Nursing School at UCC. Smaller firms are producing work of national significance and winning Irish Architecture Awards including McGee Creedon for their [insert] Apartments and Margaret Quinlan for the Main Guard.

When we look at the very significant achievements of recent European cities of culture including Graz, Glasgow, Lille and Genoa, however there is also a sense of a lost opportunity. While Cork is undoubtedly proud to be hosting this designation on behalf of Europe, there is much more that could be done in sending a message about Cork’s view of European urbanism.

This is undoubtedly the greatest civic event for the city since the Great Cork Exhibitions of 1902 and 1903.

However, based on the current programme, there would appear to be no plans for permanent structures which celebrate the event. Like the other European cities to which I have referred, Liverpool, designated capital for 2008, is already planning a series of architectural and urban design interventions to mark its contribution to the event.

However, in this regard Cork differs very little from Dublin in 1991 when it held the title. During its year as Capital of Culture very few civic improvements were evident. However, the year in the European limelight contributed to a debate about the future vision of the city, which led to the successful regeneration of subsequent years which continues to this day and here are debates about whether their extensive programme is enough.

The Cork Docklands Development Strategy contains the seeds of such a vision for Cork. The concept of a new urban quarter at the heart of the city that will act as a catalyst for regeneration through high quality, contemporary design and a vibrant mix of uses has succeeded in other European cities such as Hamburg, London, Bristol and Rotterdam and Dublin. The proposed Masterplan offers an incremental strategy to deliver positive change to Cork’s Docklands over a phased period of 20-25 years. The Docklands Development Strategy provides for the city’s new residential and commercial needs as outlined in the Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP) and anticipates the growth envisaged in the National Spatial Strategy.

The RIAI, together with the IPI and IEI have indicated their support for the National Spatial Strategy and for the concept of decentralisation. While decentralisation offers an excellent opportunity to begin the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy international experience would suggest that it is questionable whether the decision to disperse staff to the 53 separate locations proposed is compatible with the Strategy.

Currently, Dublin is our only city of international significance which can compete with cities such as Boston or San Francisco in the USA and Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen and London in Europe.

However, a polycentric urban arc consisting of Cork, Limerick and Galway has the potential to create an alternate urban network of international significance to act as a counterbalance to Dublin.

A revised decentralisation programme centred on this urban arc has the potential to provide for a more even distribution of population and economic growth to prevent Dublin from expanding disproportionately. The renewal of Cork’s Docklands has the potential to be a central part of such a vision.

Let us hope that the architects, planners, administrators, politicians and citizens and all those with an interest in Cork’s built environment, in a similar spirit, seize the opportunity presented by its year as Capital of Culture to create a long term vision for a wonderful city.