RPFOLEADRNETVSHEAELPOOPPLRDMOLEVINEBTDRARY Dublin City Council has granted planning permission for the conservation and redevelopment plans for the Old Library. This follows last month’s historic unveiling of the new Book of Kells Treasury and display which forms the first component of these redevelopment plans. The Old Library is one of Ireland’s iconic treasures and its precious collections, spanning millennia, have been in the care of the Library of Trinity for over 400 years. But it now faces significant conservation and environmental challenges. External pollution and dust accumulation are taking their toll on the collections and the fabric of the Old Library building. There is a need to modernise environmental control and fire protection measures. Recent fires in similar heritage sites across the globe provide stark warnings. This ambitious redevelopment project will draw on the best 21st-century design and technology to safeguard the Old Library building and conserve its precious collections for future generations. It includes urgent structural and environmental upgrades; and the redevelopment of facilities in line with the best library and museum experiences around the world. The award-winning architects Heneghan Peng who successfully conserved and revitalised the National Gallery of Ireland are leading a world-class design team in this transformative development. Central to the redevelopment plans will be the conservation and protection of the 18th century building, and its precious manuscripts and research collections. It will include the development of a new state-of-the art Research Collections Study Centre for students and scholars both nationally and the world over. It will also re-envision the Library’s treasures with a one-of-a-kind immersive exhibition. Continue reading.
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