Visual Arts Centre in Carlow, Ireland

The Visual Centre for Contemporary Art and the George Bernard Shaw Theatre which was constructed by BAM Building, the wholly owned main building contracting division of BAM Contractors. Construction of the €18 million centre began in September 2007. BAM handed over this Terry Pawson designed project in July 2009. Works involved the construction of the 355 seat George Bernard Shaw Theatre, five separate gallery spaces with public and administrative support accommodation including a restaurant, kitchen, associated stores and workshop areas.

The main gallery provides unrivalled space for showing large scale contemporary art. There are also three white galleries and two smaller ones. The state of the art theatre also has a large rehearsal space, green room and dressing room facilities for performers. The theatre accommodates 355 people and the Visual café has a capacity of 70 plus.

The entire external envelope of Visual consists of a translucent glass façade making the building look opaque in the daytime but at night the building glows due to the diffused lighting in a metre deep cavity behind the façade. [Webiste: www.visualcarlow.ie Image Credit: Andrew Goss]