Almost three years after a problem was discovered with four large “umbrellas” designed to provide a sheltered outdoor event space in Dublin’s Temple Bar, there is still no decision on their future.
The four structures were commissioned by the then Temple Bar Cultural Trust to provide shelter from the elements for concerts attended by up to 1,000 people and other public events such as farmers’ markets in Meeting House Square.
The umbrellas were commissioned by the trust after a public competition to mark the 20th anniversary of the urban regeneration of the area, and were installed in 2011.
Designed by Seán Harrington Architects, the white, retractable umbrella-like structures are made to overlap like petals. They are supported by four, 21m steel masts inspired by bulrushes reaching for the sky.
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The umbrellas were damaged during what the trust said was routine maintenance in May 2023 and have not been deployed since.
The trust’s parent body, Dublin City Council said “negotiations with the contractor in respect of repair and upgrade of the installation have been ongoing since [the 2023 incident]”.
The council said a “key element of the repair involved putting mitigation measures in place to stop the recurrence of the issue, which led to one of the arms being broken”.
However, it noted: “The contractor failed to provide us with comfort that the project could be carried out to agreed specifications and has now dropped out of negotiations.”
“There are no other contractors in the market sufficiently qualified to deal with the particular design elements involved with this installation. No decision has been made on the future of the umbrellas.”
A review of the situation is under way, the council said.
The umbrella project has not been without controversy, with some traders opposed to their installation on the basis that the poles were damaging to the groundwork in the venue, while the unfurled umbrellas blocked the view of the sky.
The project also came in at more than 30 per cent over budget. A report by Dublin City Council’s internal audit unit noted that the “rainscreen” was originally budgeted at €2 million, but ended up costing €2.7 million, The Irish Times reported in 2014.
Fáilte Ireland, which provided €1.54 million in funding subject to compliance with EU and national procurement procedures, was advised by consultants Davis Langton that the project had gone ahead “contrary to” Department of Finance guidelines, the report stated.
