Kinnegad community library,education and training center.
The proposal takes inspiration from the disappearing culture of turf cutting in the Irish midlands – in the middle of the ‘lands’, represented by linear strips, traditional literary themes will be inserted, creating a ‘story telling’ space, a link from past to future.
The intention is to create an outdoor literary space with a simple, unifying, high quality surface finish, with rusted metalwork insets (as a reminder of the turf slanes and tools), where references to scripts, poetry or local stories are set into the paving surface and extend to the edges of the space, over the steps, walls and up the columns that surround the space.
The concept translates as a simple ground plane with a subtle and varied patchwork of stone paving of different grains, textures and tones, rusted metal insets and ‘cut-out’ areas of planting reminiscent of restored bogland. (e.g. low level herbaceous or ornamental grasses).
MATERIALS & PLANTING.
Planting scheme
Small clusters of silver birch trees will be used as vertical elements within the space, to compliment the stone paving and rusted metal insets.
The subtle transparency of these delicate native trees, their light canopies with small leaves, will soften the connection between existing and proposed, ‘past and future’.
The planting strips strengthen the ‘cut turf’ concept, representing this as the dynamic landscape it is, currently undergoing ecological restoration, providing a renewed purpose for the landscape, while not forgetting the cultural significance of past cultural practices on the land.
