Dublin City Dance
The aim of this thesis project was to design a new dance school in the heart of Dublin City to act as Dublin’s epicentre of dance. The school would provide professional training, as well as amateur dance classes for those passionate about dance. No centre currently exists in Ireland that houses all the required facilities a dancer needs in one place and this project sought to imagine what a facility as such could look like. Ulster Bank on College Green was selected to facilitate this dance hub. This building was chosen due to its prime location within Dublin city, placing the centre for dance in the centre of Dublin. Notwithstanding the challenges posed due to its protected status, the neoclassical and contrasting modern elements provided inspiration for the design project and made for a compelling backdrop in which the new dance school could be situated.
The imagined spaces were designed with a keen focus on the user of the facilities, the dancer. Six dance studios of different sizes were inserted into the building, along with a new theatre, bar, café, offices, dressing rooms and retail space supplying the dancers with required clothing and footwear. Physiotherapy rooms and a sewing studio have also been included to tend to dance students’ needs. The concept of movement through dance was used as inspiration for the design. Lines and forms were taken from images and videos of dancing to create structures for the space, particularly for both the theatre and dance studios. Tones of pink and teal were applied throughout the interiors, with gold accents to compliment the colours.