This is the second in a two-part feature on the National Gallery of Ireland refurbishment. You can read the first article here. The provision of a close control environment for the protection of priceless artwork is difficult in a new, purpose-constructed building. But achieving it within dramatic historic spaces, such as that shown in Fig 1, represents an extreme engineering challenge. The National Gallery of Ireland building, and all spaces in it, are listed so there was a limited ...

The historic wings of the National Gallery of Ireland – the Dargan wing (1864) and the Milltown Wing (1901) – have long held works of fine art. But through 150 years of decay and alterations, the gallery had become disjointed and dysfunctional, no longer providing a frame to support and enhance the artwork within, nor to inspire new Irish creativity. The client’s brief for this project was: 1) to develop a coherent and accessible circulation system through the various layers of the ...

In Ireland, just one engineer in ten is female, according to Engineers Ireland. In the UK, according to the Women’s Engineering Society, less than 10 per cent of engineering professionals are women, which is the lowest figure in Europe. Latvia, Bulgaria and Cyprus are leading the way, with female engineers making up almost 30 per cent. As World War I began to fracture the map, the National Council of Women was created in the UK in 1914, with the aim of getting women into work as men ...

Ever since the Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic on May 27, 1937, it has been an iconic symbol on the American landscape. By 1870, people had realised the necessity of building a bridge spanning the Golden Gate Strait to connect the city of San Francisco with Marin County, California. However, it was another half-century before structural engineer Joseph Strauss submitted his bridge proposal. The plans evolved, and the final project was approved as a suspension bridge that ended up ...

[caption id="attachment_36085" align="alignright" width="300"] Malpasset arch dam failure in France in 1959 (421 people lost their lives)[/caption] Fortunately, few catastrophic failures have occurred in the UK and Ireland in recent history. Since 1925, there has been no loss of life due to dam disasters (Charles, 2011). However, there have been many failures involving the breaching of embankments, along with many near misses and other serious incidents (Wright, 1994). Globally, however, ...

Haulbowline Island, located in the centre of the second-largest natural harbour in the world, where the River Lee flows down to meet the sea, is a place of rich history. Tucked away in an unassuming corner of a disused building, a historical gem had being waiting rediscovery. In 2012, while passing the Seamanship Bay in the island’s Naval Base, Petty Officer/Engine Room Articifer (PO/ERA) Alan Duggan chanced upon an old collection of engineering parts and machinery during some renovation ...