A planning application for refurbishment works and new extension at the National Library of Ireland (NLI) in Dublin was submitted last month to Dublin City Council (DCC). If approved, the project will ultimately result in the conservation, refurbishment and adaptation of the West Wing of the building into a new publicly accessible cultural space.
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| Proposed development at NLI is outlined in red |
These new public areas will be housed over six levels and 1,600 square metres, providing new exhibition and event spaces, a bespoke learning centre, a café, and other retail/public facilities. Access to this extension will be via the rear courtyard. The proposed development is expected to result in a 35% increase of visitors (to 83,000 annually) to the NLI.
The West Wing, built during the Victorian era, was formerly a storage area for 350,000 books, newspapers and periodicals. Its refurbishment will have a strong focus on sustainability and sensitivity to its architectural heritage.
You can review the applications and make observations on the online DCC planning portal here.
If approved, works are expected to take about 18 months.