Trinity’s architecture attracts tourists from all over the world on a daily basis. It is rare to walk through Front Square without encountering a camera fiend trying to find the perfect angle from which to photograph the Campanile. Surely attending a college with some of the most stunning historic buildings in the country would instill in its students a greater appreciation for architecture? Trinity Architecture Society (Arc Soc) argues that the daily magnificence is often underappreciated within the college community. Nonetheless, the current committee is doing its utmost to attract students to its events, by including elements which appeal to everyone.
Speaking with The University Times, the chair of Arc Soc, Robbie Doyle, remarked on some of the popular events the society has hosted over the last few weeks. October 21st saw the Open House festival kick off in Dublin. This well-established and highly popular festival is an annual, nationwide celebration of architecture run by the Irish Architecture Foundation. During the festival, certain private buildings, deemed to be of particular merit, are open to the public for touring. This year, the festival was a month-long event that alternated around Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Limerick each week. Trinity College took part in the Open House Dublin weekend under the trusting supervision of Arc Soc. The society was entirely responsible for organising which buildings were opened to the public and whether a formal tour was given or not. Selected buildings this year included the Douglas Hyde Gallery, the Berkeley Library, the Parson’s building and even the Provost’s House.
The event at Trinity was not restricted to the general public but, according to Doyle, it was also “marketed at students”. Doyle remarked “even though it is a city-wide thing, we felt it was a great opportunity for people in Trinity to get to see a building they never see or even take a tour of the Library”. Coincidentally, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Berkeley Library. As such, Arc Soc was fortunate enough to have a visit from the acclaimed Paul Koralek, the architect of the library, who came to speak in the College on the design of the building. Koralek, now in his 90s, attracted a large turn-out from both students and outsiders, according to Doyle. Naturally, the Provost’s House attracted interest from both students and tourists alike, as it was one of the few times that the house is open during the year. Doyle noted how the entry tickets are always a “hotly contested lottery”, as only 20 people are permitted entry, making it extremely popular.
In conjunction with this, Arc Soc organised a walking tour that took children from the general public around the campus. The tour occurred twice on Saturday, October 21st, and was co-hosted by DU Players who volunteered actors to take on the parts of various famous characters from Trinity’s history. The tour commenced at the Samuel Beckett Theatre and then continued around campus, stopping at several locations of interest. Characters from Trinity’s history included Oscar Wilde, Mary Robinson and Paneer Braun, “the cat of Irish myth”. One anecdote worthy of note is the tale of the “Tallest Man in History”, Robert Wadlow, who, although not a Trinity alumnus, was a dear friend of some Trinity students. As such, his bones were buried on campus before they were exhumed for display in the Anatomy building. Playing to their young audience, the hosts took a light-hearted twist on this story. Doyle jokes about how the committee decided to cast a “really short girl [to] play him because his bones had been stolen”. The event was a great hit, with several parents coming up afterwards to congratulate the committee on its success.
Although Arc Soc is known for its outreach, the society also hosts several events for student members only. There is a plan to tour around the newly restored National Gallery in the coming weeks. “We have a contact there”, Doyle said, “so hopefully we will be able to get a guided tour of the building”. Other possible visits include the fascinating Casino in Marino, which the author of this piece can vouch for. Finally, there are rumours of a visit to a house in Greystones that is allegedly designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, which the society would like to find out more about. As the story goes, Lloyd-Wright drew up the blueprints for a house that was never built. However, after his death, Marc Coleman bought the prints and built it himself from scratch.
This is surely a society worth investing some time in getting to know. Perhaps you never knew it existed, or perhaps you thought it belonged only to those from the upper echelons of society. By now I’m sure it’s clear that Arc Soc enthusiasts and serving committee members are merely people fascinated with stories and memories of past lives that they would dearly hate to have forgotten.
Correction: 23.02, November 15th, 2017
Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Koralek was in his 1990s. It has since been amended.
