CHICAGO, IL – Boole Library, the postgraduate research facility at University College Cork, Ireland, has received a 2008 International Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Built on the site of an ancient settlement the Library’s red sandstone exterior is a contemporary continuation of the settlement’s stone wall, while copper cladding and glass complete the façade. The design also responds to several massive specimen trees from the Victorian botanical garden that once occupied the site. The expanses of glass facing north offer views into the University’s Victorian quad, to the River Lee and the hills beyond. The addition brings the Library into conversation with the student-centered activities of Honan Square.
The addition and renovation creates a new postgraduate research facility while expanding and upgrading Ireland’s leading research institute. The Official Publications Center houses a designated European Documentation Centre for European Communities publications.
Shepley Bulfinch designed the Boole Library in association with Wilson Architecture of Ireland.
The awards were announced earlier this month, following the selection of the winning projects by a jury of American architects and educators under the auspices of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
In November the Chicago Athenaeum, together with the European Center for Architecture, Art Design, and Urban Studies, will present a special exhibition of all awarded buildings to the SESV Santa Verdiana in Florence, Italy. The exhibition will then travel to the European Center’s new Contemporary Art and Architecture Centre in Athens, Greece.
The International Architecture Awards are among the most distinguished building awards that honor new and cutting-edge design. The annual program, organized by the Chicago Athenaeum’s museum, also promoted international architecture and design to public audiences around the world.
