The courthouse, a protected structure built in 1820, is to become part of Kilmainham Gaol Museum.
Its restoration and development will double the museum’s size and help ease pressure on demand from visitors.
Sited next to the gaol in Dublin’s south inner city, the courthouse will serve as the ticket purchase and collection point for visitors coming to the museum. The main courtroom will be fully restored using existing furniture, the majority of which dates from 1865. Other rooms will be used for a bookshop and cafe.
Outhouse buildings, formerly coach houses, will also be converted as part of the project, to provide new toilets for visitors. Other works will include building an internal mezzanine bridge to link the east and west wings, changes to the front railings outside to provide two new side gates, and realignment of the stone entrance to the front.
Dlight were commissioned by the OPW to come up with a bespoke Lighting concept for the Court Rooms. We looked at many different types of hanging pendants to highlight the strong lines within this high vaulted ceiling.
Through the process, we looked at the height as not being the restrictive issue but a way to really bring gallery to space, we found the best luminaire from Vibia. Two types of lights were designed into this space which was Wire flow & Slim. Both fittings were designed bespoke for this unique installation.
