Going Dutch

crawford_night_lge

Cork, the most voluptuous of Irish cities with its bow-fronted terraces and winding main thoroughfare, has gained a curvaceous addition. The design for the exhibitions wing at the Crawford municipal art gallery by Erick van Egeraat, a Rotterdam architect, is the most flamboyant newcomer Irish architecture has seen for years. It has also caused a stir among Irish architects, provoking a surprising degree of resistance along the way. Why should this be? One leading figure said: “It’s just not my cup of tea. It’s not in our way of thinking about architecture here. You couldn’t imagine doing that.” But it has happened.

The Sunday Times