*Members of the Kilrush Town Team. Photograph: Natasha Barton
Kilrush will participate in the community-led architecture and design programme, ‘Reimagine’.
Six towns involved were confirmed by the Irish Architecture Foundation (IAF). The project aims to bring together communities, architects, designers and planners to develop projects which will enhance the local environment of the chosen locations around Ireland.
Creating a plan and vision for the public areas of Kilrush is the focus with a particular emphasis on Francis St and Market Square. IAF has been working with Kilrush Town Team and in the coming weeks will be engaging with the local community to hear their views.
Chairman of Kilrush Town Team, Charlie Glynn is confident the collaborative approach will help the West Clare town. “We’re delighted that Kilrush has been chosen to participate in Reimagine. The project is unique in that it allows Kilrush locals, architects, and designers, to work together to bring about positive changes to our civic spaces and we look forward to working with the IAF.”
Nathalie Weadick, Director of the IAF, said: “A key part of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Strategy is to enable citizens to contribute to and improve their built environment, and this lies at the very heart of Reimagine. No one knows more about Kilrush than the people who live there, and the overall aim of Reimagine is to enable local residents to bring about positive change to Kilrush through collaborative engagement with professionals in architecture, planning, and design.
The five other towns participating in Reimagine and their projects, are:
- Tallaght, Co. Dublin: this project, ‘Melt the Walls’ will focus on enhancing Chamber Square for the local residents with a temporary installation, connecting it with the surrounding cultural buildings;
- Mohill, Co. Leitrim: this project involves working with the community redeveloping a disused building as low-cost accommodation for people engaged in sports in the area;
- Loughrea, Co. Galway: this project will see the creation of an architectural installation along ‘The Walks’ in Loughrea;
- Kells, Co. Meath: This project will explore how empty buildings in the town can be repurposed for the use of the community; and
- Letterkenny, Co. Donegal: the aim of this project is to develop a pedestrian ‘cultural corridor’ to better link the existing cultural buildings in Letterkenny town.
