Temple Bar Development Programme 1991—2000
The success of the Temple Bar story is the unique integration of a capital development project with a people-centred events, marketing and cultural tourism programme, which supported the sustainability of the new cultural centres and local and international interest in the area. Today it has generated over 50 cultural and creative industries; over 300 small businesses; thousands of performances and artistic work annually; 3,000 people living in the area; a daily footfall of about 50,000; and annual turnover in excess of €600million.
The Temple Bar concept was the first of its kind, leveraging the area’s existing cultural assets to deliver 40+ mixed-use building projects, with multi-faceted economic, environmental, tourism and cultural benefits for the area, city and country. An integrated plan for cultural development, marketing and use of public spaces ensured the popularity and vibrancy of the area was created in parallel with the development programme from the outset in 1991 to 2000.
The innovative development programme to revitalise the 28 acre Temple Bar area in Dublin’s historical city centre was funded both publicly and privately, and required the procurement and management of 44 different design teams to deliver diverse projects including:
— Cultural centres (including the The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, Project Arts Centre, ArtHouse, Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, the Irish Film Centre and the National Photographic Archive).
— Ireland’s first purpose-built outdoor performance space and cinema, Meeting House Square.
— Ireland’s first environmentally sustainable building in an urban and mixed use setting, The Green Building.
— New homes for 2,000 people, including social and affordable housing.
Temple Bar has won many awards for architectural excellence, including 20 RIAI awards as well as urban regeneration tourism and environmental awards. Today the project is studied by experts worldwide as an example of a highly successful urban renewal project.
Image credit :
All images courtesy of Temple Bar Cultural Trust
4D Applications
- Concept
- Mapping
- Design Development
- Procurement
- Strategy
- Broker
- Implement
