Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown local authority archives

Designing archives space 7/4/2010

Briefing presentation

The archives at present• Shared facilities within

the town hall of the local authority

• Storage and preservation capabilities fall short of the expectations of best practice and BS5454

• Negligible public impact and unsatisfactory reader services

Principle issues undermining the performance of the archives • Poor storage facilities, including no environmental

control, lack of space and security• No document reception area• Adapted office space resulting in inefficient and

cumbersome work flows• Converted reader facilities with unsatisfactory scope for

invigilation, volume of users and public appeal• Lack of financial and human resources • Little or no public impact

Core ideals• Sound preservation

management mediated by the need promote archives through more open access and advocacy

• Marriage of utility, functionality and aesthetic appeal yet subservient to exacting preservation needs

• Public impact, reflecting the role and nature of an archives

Proposed site

Pros and cons• Free site, reducing costs• High quality public

transport links• At the centre of the

community

• Dangerously close to the coast

• Potential for atmospheric pollution

Thermal mass/inertia

Constructing an archives with high thermal inertia is an achievable expectation, given appropriate budgeting for high quality materials and the location of the archives

Flexibility in design• Work spaces and strong

rooms should contain the scope for future adaptation

• Desired elements in this instance would include the ability to convert a room to a conservation lab, a strong room to a faraday chamber and eventually install mobile shelving to prolong the use of the archives

Architectural precedents

• Dún Laoghaire is going through a period of sustained development, where many major award winning architectural projects. These have reflected on the nature and history of the region with recurring maritime themes

Dún Laoghaire library and cultural centre

• Previous experience in the local authority relating to the, tendering, design and development of cultural institutions

Successful design• Cork architectural firm Cotter

and Naessens chosen to design Library for the local authority

• Cost 35 million euro• With proposed dedicated

facilities will become the largest local authority library in Ireland

• 7,000 sq meters over ten times the area of Cork city archives

• No specific archival facilities mentioned to date

Reading room• Can an efficient, security

conscious reading room be designed that provides comprehensive invigilation without the archives service appearing needlessly exclusive

Utility versus functionality • Explore the potential of

gaining as much utility and functionality

• Motivation for conference and exhibition areas, can these be shared in a fluid space?

External security• Desire for low impact yet

visible security measures which are decorative in nature

• Reflecting on the need to protect archives with security ‘layers’ including an external perimeter (BS 5454: 2000 s. 4. 3.)

• Mediates between guaranteeing sustained preservation and providing a public face of the archives

Genuine public impact• Will the finished product be

easily identified as being an archives?

• How will it reflect the mission statement and the purpose of the Ireland

• How does it acknowledge on the design trends in relation to local and national architecture i.e. critical regionalism

• Will the design reflect on the importance of archives in the region

Conclusions

• Archives have the potential to fulfil societal memory and expectations for public accountability

• As such the structures which house archives are essential in such processes

•

Thank you