The project involved the adaption of the East, West and South Ranges of the historic Royal Hospital at Kilmainham in Dublin. The North Range which houses the Great Hall, Masters Quarters and Chapel was not part of the project. The three ranges in question consist of repetitive rooms at each level individually accessed by colonnade at ground floor and by corridor at upper levels.

 

A new Entrance Hall was located in the centre of the South Range, axially related to the Great Hall in the North Range. By it’s position it maintains the inherent balance of the overall architectural composition. The new hall contains a steel and glass staircase in a double height volume and, by it’s form and location, makes public the connection to the first floor where the main collections are housed. The first floor rooms combined with what were corridors but are now long galleries were ideally suited to the new use with only minor modification.

 

The Courtyard was changed from grass to a rolled gravel surface with stone markings indicating the new Entrance Hall. It is now the first ‘room’ of the museum, to be used for sculpture, installations, performance of special events.