Kinsale Library

Originally one of a pair, the James O'Neill memorial building AKA the Old Mill is a protected structure built sometime between 1840 and 1880 within Kinsale's ACA and a Zone of Archaeological Potential. Badly damaged by fire on two separate occasions, the building's original roof, apexes and internal floors were all lost when the building was acquired by Cork County Council in the 1980s. Following consolidation works carried out by the Council, the building had been in occasional use as an unserviced black box exhibition space from 2007 onwards. Its transformation into a public library and exhibition space for the town was a longstanding objective of Cork County Council's Development Plan.

As one long space without intermediate floors the existing volume was pleasing, accessible and democratic but the brief required more than double the floor area for operational needs. As a former warehouse, the original opes were small and intended more for ventilation (drying grain) than bringing in light or affording views. The primary architectural response involves the removal of the existing unoriginal roof and the introduction of a new free hanging, timber ossature that subdivides the space over three split levels. This new structure is fixed to a pre-existing concrete ring beam and ties the two, 30m long flanking walls back together. Equally, it makes a new roof, holds all the 2nd floor shelving within its depth and reaches around a triple height void as it drops to a new polished concrete plinth in the ground floor foyer. A small brick clad extension on the western flank provides for a librarian’s office, plant room and universal access to all levels. While the extension is retaining at ground, at first floor it opens to a neighboring community for the elderly whose gifted Right of Way unlocks the plan.

This project involves the reactivation and alteration of the extant masonry shell of an existing industrial building dating from the 19th century. The approach to the existing masonry shell is sympathetic to its origins and materiality with stonework being repointed in lime mortar and white-washed externally while a lime plastered, cork board lining is added to the interior. The treatment of the existing walls improves the thermal performance of this element of the envelope without over stressing the original fabric. The new internal lining ensures thermal comfort, while mitigating humidity and also providing sound absorption. The new elements, including the new roof to the existing and the extension are designed to NZEB standards. New structural elements incorporated into the existing building are almost entirely composed of mass timber – Cross Laminated Timber floor panels, glulaminted timber beams and rafters and plywood sheeting as wall and ceiling linings. The new structure is primarily hung from an existing reinforced concrete ring beam reducing the requirements for excavations (in a Zone of Archaeological Potential) and also the requirements for concrete under-pinning to the existing structure. Mass timber is a Co2 reservoir and a zero-carbon alternative to concrete or steel.