DeValera Library & Súil Art Gallery: Three Art Forms in One Complex

The first thing that strikes you about this new arts complex is its soft, often curvilinear forms, accented by light-colored façades and large, towering windows. Commissioned by Clare County Council, Keith Williams Architects designed this cultural nexus in Ennis, Ireland, which adds the newly built DeValera Library & Súil Art Gallery, with total floor space of 2,300 m², to the existing Glór Theatre, which opened in 2001. Together, the three buildings take on a symbolic value as a triptych of the arts: literature, visual arts, and theater.

Punctuated by regular partitions and extensive glazing – in some cases, full height – the façades have already established the complex as a local community and architectural landmark. The library’s curved façade, interrupted almost centrally by an immense double-height window, especially draws the eye, offering a glimpse of the impressive sculptural staircasebetween the first and second floors inside. The interior of the library – with its collection of over 73,000 books – then offers views of Monastery Park and the city. The metalwork and glazing systems are bronze-colored, powder-coated aluminum, while Irish limestone paves the immediate surrounding area.

The impressive new main entrance interlinks the three structures along with a colonnaded portico. At night, the DeValera Library & Súil Art Gallery shines like a beacon.

The project demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. Using a combination of reinforced concrete, plain concrete, and a steel superstructure, the complex has achieved the nZEB standard. In addition, its ventilation is almost entirely natural.

“By placing the DeValera Library and the Súil Art Gallery immediately abutting Glór, a new cultural nexus has been created uniting the three primary colors of the arts – the visual, the literary, and performing arts – all in a single complex,” comments Keith Williams, founder and director of design at the eponymous studio.

“The opening represents a very important day in the long genesis of this project. I am very proud of the beautiful new public building that we have created offering outstanding facilities to the people of Ennis and the region. Our team in the studio has worked for over eight years on this project, so it is wonderful to see it finally realized.”