The Provost's House Stables – Trinity Irish Art Research Centre

The project comprises the refurbishment of the stables building adjoining the Provosts House to provide accomodation for the Trinity Irish Art Research Centre.

Design Team
Architects: O'Donnell and Tuomey
Conservation Architects: Paul Arnold and Associates
Quantity Surveyor: Brendan Merry and Partners
Civil and Structural Engineers: Horgan and Lynch
Services Engineers: Buro Happold
Project Managers: Director of Buildings Office Trinity College Dublin

Project Status
Planning permission has been secured. Construction is programmed to take place from August 2006 - June 2007.

The Provost’s House Stables are located in the southwest corner of the Trinity College campus. The existing c. 290m2 stable building was designed by Frederick Darley in 1841, and constructed in 1842-1844 as a stable and carriage building to serve the Provost’s House. The walled courtyard is accessed by gated entry from the entrance forecourt of the Provost’s House.

Three sides of the two-storey building are visible behind the boundary wall and railings to Nassau Street. These three elevations are treated as a Greek Revival pilastered blind screen granite wall, forming a continuous architectural composition.

The more utilitarian rendered north elevation faces the stable yard, with irregular window and door openings as required for grooms, haylofts, horses and carriages. Although the building has been out of use for a number of years, it survives substantially intact with only minor alterations to its original structural layout, materials and finishes, mainly as a result of the changeover from horses to cars.

The stables building is to be restored and converted into a Research Centre for Irish Art for staff and students associated with the History of Art Department, currently located in the Arts Block.

The new research and teaching facility will include a teaching/exhibition space, study area and ancillary services (kitchenette, platform lift, wcs and reception) at ground floor level and a reading/archive room and three offices at first floor level. It will fully accessible to wheelchair users.

The particular character of the buildings and yard is to be preserved through the protection and reinstatement of distinctive materials and details. Alterations to the fabric of the building have been carefully evaluated to provide for the functional brief and access and egress requirements, while maintaining the maximum amount of historic fabric.

The project is funded by private sponsors and due for completion in June 2007.

a) Alterations to the North Elevation Analysis and Design - The rooms in the existing building are dark because of the small windows and the provision of windows on the north facing elevation only. A design challenge was to look for ways to improve daylight without compromising the character of the building.

Analysis of the composition of the north elevation reveals three areas of fenestration grouped around three vertical axes. In order to increase the daylight to the upper floor, it is proposed to open up the single blind window and to fully glaze two existing hayloft door openings. These three openings form the basis of the rhythm of the original elevational design. One of the original sash windows (w10) has been replaced by an open louvre screen for ventilation of the hayloft. Given the requirement to maintain privacy to the Provost’s garden, the precedent of the existing timber louvres has been adapted to the design of the newly glazed openings. The central doorway to the ground floor stalls is proposed to be opened up in the same manner, to provide daylight for research student’s carrels.

Giving equal expression to these three upper, and one lower, floor openings will unify the elevational composition consistent with the original design. The timber louvres will be painted white to relate to the retained and restored sash windows and boarded doors.

It is proposed to reopen the former carriage door opening, where it has been infilled, with a smaller door to match the adjacent carriage door. In order to admit daylight to the classroom in the former carriage room, it is proposed to glaze one half of the two existing under arch openings and to rehang the two existing doors as external sliding shutters, one for each carriage door opening. Timber boarded screen walling, behind each sliding shutter in its open position, would allow for control of daylight to provide blackout conditions required for presentations in the classroom.

All new joinery elements, i.e. boarded screens, would be painted white consistent with the retained and restored boarded doors. The north elevation has been resurfaced in cementitious render. It is proposed to remove this inappropriate material and to reinstate lime render with a pale grey lime-wash finish.

b) Alterations to the Ground Floor Plan

The main entrance to the Stables will be at the Eastern end of the building, accessed by a new universal access path, and proximate to the proposed courtyard entrance through the existing outbuildings.

The west end stair is to be repaired, the carriage room is to be reinstated as a classroom, and the five stable stalls are to be refurbished for use as study carrels. The granite flagged floor and areas of brick flooring in the stalls are to be lifted and re-laid following damp proofing works. The floor is a fundamental element of the character of the building.

Demolition and new installations are necessary in order to accommodate the required sanitary services, M&E services, information technology and disabled access lift. It is proposed to concentrate the demolition in one location to minimise loss to the primary fabric. Two loose boxes, the adjacent chimney breast, and adjoining east stair are proposed to be removed to provide for a services block, platform lift and building regulations compliant stair. The new elements are tightly clustered to create minimum intrusion, with the existing chimney maintained overhead for reuse as a flue, to avoid new penetrations through the roof slated surface.

c) Alterations to the First Floor Plan

It is proposed to introduce two short runs of corridor to provide the south side of the plan to maximise daylight to the offices and reading room overlooking the stable yard. New partitions on this floor will be built in timber stud and boarded construction to minimise intrusion on the original structure. Floorboards and fireplaces are to be retained and existing doors to be reused wherever possible.

The existing West stair will be retained in its entirety. A WC, Belfast sink and adjacent partition wall will be removed from the uppermost mezzanine to provide access, via a new opening in the existing brick cross wall, to a new, freestanding 6-riser timber stair flight.

This additional flight will connect the existing staircase with the new South corridor.
The existing East stair is to be removed to allow the insertion of a new freestanding three-flight timber stair which will be building regulations compliant to provide for broader access. This stair will be located close to the reception/entrance. This will serve as the principal escape route in the case of fire.

d) Alterations to the Stable Yard It is proposed to reinstate the cobbled surface throughout the courtyard, with the addition of a granite paved path to provide wheelchair access. The existing fig tree is to be protected during the course of the works. A granite bench/planter and timber trellis is positioned to maintain privacy between the Provost’s kitchen and the classroom in the carriage room.

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