LEADING ARCHITECTURAL
FIRM
APPOINTED FOR
CATHEDRAL RE-ORDERING
A
leading Dublin architectural firm has been appointed to prepare a design for the
re-ordering of the Sanctuary area of St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh.
The firm
of Professor Cathal O'Neill and Associates was chosen after advertisements were
posted in the journal of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland and a
series of interviews.
Professor O'Neill is the former head of the School of Architecture at University
College, Dublin, and has served on the Committee of Sacred Art and Architecture
for the Diocese of Dublin. Previously
he won widespread praise for his re-design of the Sanctuary of Dublin's
Pro-Cathedral.
The appointment of the firm comes following the completion of the main work on
the restoration of the fabric of the Cathedral of St. Colman which has been
ongoing for some years. The
Restoration Steering Committee and its Art and Architecture Advisory Committee
addressed what they felt was the challenging and sensitive question of
re-ordering the sanctuary to the requirements of liturgy, with its emphasis on
communal celebration.
The Art and Architecture Advisory Committee nominated a group to recommend the
appointment of the architect who would be entrusted with the task of submitting
designs and overseeing the liturgical re-ordering.
The members of the Sub-Committee were Monsignor Denis O' Callaghan,
Chairman; Ms. Mary Hanna, Architectural Officer Heritage Council; Mr. Peter Murray, Crawford Municipal Art
Gallery; Fr. Tomas O Caoimh, Heritage Council; and Mr. Alexander White,
Architect. Mr. Paul Arnold, a
Dublin Architect, was later co-opted to act on the panel to interview the
candidate firms which responded to the advertisement.
The brief issued to the architecture firms invited them to demonstrate their
conceptual approach to the re-ordering of the Cathedral, to set out the
conservation philosophy, and indicate the type and range of material which might
be envisaged for the project. In
their submissions, the architects were asked to take account of the cultural
significance of the Cathedral and contemporary liturgical requirements.
It was explained that a detailed design was not required at the initial
stage, and entrants were to concentrate on demonstrating their approach to the
project.
A number of firms were short listed and interviewed twice in order to provide
them with every opportunity of demonstrating a sensitive and practical approach
in keeping with the liturgical and heritage requirements of the project.
After an analysis and consideration of all the submissions received, the
sub-committee recommended Professor O'Neill, and at a meeting on October 25th
both the Art and Architecture Committee and the Cathedral Restoration Steering
Committee accepted the recommendation, and agreed to present it formally to the
Bishop, The Most Reverend John Magee.
Professor Cathal O'Neill is highly regarded in his profession. As Head of the School of Architecture in UCD, he had educated
a whole generation of architects. His
work in the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin is regarded as having been done with great
sensitivity in keeping with the requirements of a more communal liturgical
celebration.
Professor O'Neill himself acts as Chief Designer in the firm and is supported by
a highly qualified staff and a group of consultants which includes Mr. Alastair
Rowan, Professor of Art History at UCC, an internationally recognised
architectural historian.
On receipt of the preliminary designs, and after due consideration of these,
they will be put on display so that people from throughout the Diocese of
Cloyne, and especially from the Parish of Cobh, will be able to consider them
and give their observations.
- ENDS -
