New National Concert Hall to be built on Earlsfort Terrace

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Archiseek / Ireland / News / 2006 / April 18

National Concert Hall

The Irish Government has designated the Earlsfort Terrace site as the location of the new National Concert Hall, and is expected to finalise the purchase of the site from the UCD authorities, as soon as possible. Making the announcement, Minister O'Donoghue said: "The provision of a signature concert hall on a par with the leading halls in capital cities across Europe will enable the National Concert Hall to meet current and expanding market demand for musical entertainment and cultural events. This development will support the renewed focus by the Tourism Agencies on cultural tourism".

The procurement of a new National Concert Hall will be progressed on a Public Private Partnership basis, in accordance with the guidelines on public capital projects, subject to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Minister for Finance being satisfied with the outcome of an evaluation of the economic benefits of the project. The operation of the Concert Hall will be the responsibility of the National Concert Hall itself. The key elements of the outline development plan are:

A new Concert Hall incorporating a main auditorium with a seating capacity for 2,000 patrons and meeting the requirement for open disabled access;

The existing auditorium to be preserved for use as a rehearsal general purpose and technical recording/broadcast space;

A flexible smaller Hall with a seating capacity of 500, enabling smaller concerts to proceed simultaneously with performances in the main Concert Hall;

The proposal incorporates easy access for large articulated trucks transporting orchestral and concert equipment;

It is envisaged that the Earlsfort Terrace buildings would be re-united with the Iveagh Gardens facilitating increased public access. New public rooms, cafes and restaurants would over-look the Gardens and the city;

A 3-hall configuration is a feature of many modern concert halls worldwide;

Provision will be made in the multi-annual capital programme of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism for the costs involved.

The National Concert Hall within its limited space at Earlsfort Terrace is highly energetic and operates with a strong commercial market focus. Seat occupancy consistently exceeds 80% with patrons being turned away from many "house full" events. The new facility, incorporating a 2,000-seat auditorium when constructed, will enable the National Concert Hall to provide for public demand including the staging of key performances by top-class world artistes at reasonable ticket prices.

The historic site at Earlsfort Terrace comprising the entirety of the UCD complex is an ideal city centre location for a signature Concert Hall. In the context of the ever-increasing competition in tourism internationally, cultural tourism is a lucrative and developing product. The new Concert Hall will serve to attract such tourists in increasing numbers.

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