Triskel Arts Centre in Cork city is to close its Tobin Street premises for the next ten months because the historic Christchurch building adjacent to Triskel is being restored into a performing venue, with 250 seats, which will be linked to the existing Triskel.
The restoration of Christchurch and the re-invention of the old Triskel is being led by Cork City Council in a unique and far-reaching partnership with Triskel. The architectural restoration and transformation is designed by Murray O’Laoire Architects, the people who designed the award-winning Thomond Park.
A total of €4 million has been secured by City Council, €2.18 million has come from the ERDF. According to Cork City Council, 67 people will be employed, directly and indirectly, in the renewal project. It’s a huge statement of confidence in the Arts in Cork and in Triskel at such a difficult time.
The new complex of Triskel and Christchurch will be an exciting centre of culture for Cork, a place that provides concerts, exhibitions, theatre and, performing arts, entertainment and activity for all ages in a beautifully restored historic building linked to Cork’s oldest arts centre. The new complex will also be a fantastic resource for artists to make new work, to rehearse, to research and to develop new product and new ideas for future presentation at home and abroad.
In the meantime Triskel has moved its gallery offsite to a disused ESB substation in Caroline Street, just off Patrick Street, in the city centre. The substation was originally used to convert DC electricity to AC, and consists of two usable floors.
The ground floor is a dark space, originally used as storage, with a low ceiling and pillars spaced almost evenly throughout the entire space with a wide loading bay onto the street. The upper floor, which is large and brightly lit, features a now non-functioning gantry used to move large machinery, a dark oak wooden floor, and very tall windows (approx 20 metres) at either end of the space.
Anna Boyle’s new solo show, Rotten yellow, is currently showing until the end of the month. Exhibitions planned for the coming months include shows by Shane Cullen, Qasim Riza Shaheen, Adham Faramawy, Cork Printmakers, and in the new year Samuel Walsh and Lorraine Neeson.
Tony Sheehan is the Director of Triskel.