Allihies Copper Mines Museum

the extension has been pretty much complete for the last five years but it was only finished internally in the last eighteen months. i’ve been looking at the building for the last 10 years when visiting Allihies and its great to see it complete. the design of the extension is pretty low-key but more importantly its in keeping with the original building and the surrounding farms, houses and outbuildings.

As you asked.

I think it’s an awfully mediocre piece of design that has been badly executed. How the committee (and I think it would have to have been designed by one), ever got away with constructing a public building with no disabled access to all the public areas using public money, I have no idea. Cramped and inadequate office space and a commercial kitchen that looks as if it was designed by a librarian

Apart from the total absence of originality or flare, the clichéd glass link between the building underlines the fact that this was conceived by people who seem not to have any understanding of three dimensional design. The obvious idea of copper detailing is even spoilt by appalling entrance door panels that look like they have been dragged by road from the local scrap yard.

The building conversion is only matched by the mundaneness of the museum display inside which has no sense, typography, design, editing or spell checking.

That’s just my personal opinion.

Oh, also you would think they would have a web site in this day and age.