The Iveagh Markets Art Centre
Upon conducting research for my written dissertation on contemporary urban dereliction in Ireland, using Cork City as a case study I realised the scope of the dereliction crisis facing Ireland. The Iveagh Markets, Dublin are an incredible example of our neglect for our surroundings.
Within 12 months during 2021, Mr O’Connor and Ms Sherry, coordinators of ANOIS, identified more than 340 derelict properties all within a 2km distance of Cork city centre. Meanwhile, just 95 properties were registered on Cork County Council’s Derelict Sites Register.’ In a 2016 study by William Brady, Jonathan Hall, Brendan O’Sullivan as part of the UCC Centre for Planning, Education and Research discovered that there are 43 protected structures residing just on North Main Street itself; making up a total of 8.9% of the overall City Centre. As well as Cork, Dublin is facing a major dereliction crisis. Focusing on dereliction in Ireland as a whole , there is no up to date number of derelict sites in Ireland as not every building is registered or unavailable. Statistics range from source to source so I can only work with estimates. The CSO suggested the figure of vacant building at over 180,000 back in 2016 while the GeoView Directory by An Post from 2020 suggests there were more than 92,000 vacant addresses across Ireland.
The Iveagh Markets have been a huge eyesore and source of controversy with its deteriorating façade. This project involves bringing the Iveagh Markets back to life with respect to its historical status and nature as well as keeping the arts and crafts market of Ireland alive; to bring that buzzing atmosphere back! The Iveagh Markets Art Centre consists of exhibition spaces for the community, workshop spaces as well as private studios for rental, art supply stores, an immersive experience in an added basement floor in order to pay homage to the reclaimed nature that took over the derelict Iveagh Markets, and most importantly; residency programmes. The space accommodates 11 bedrooms with ensuites to allow artists fully immerse themselves in the world of art.