Information on the UCD Arts Block
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I’m looking for detailed architectural information on the UCD Arts and Administration blocks and the Belfield campus in general. In particular, I’m looking for information about the tricks utilised in the building and campus to control behaviour and prevent riots.
Does anyone know where I could find information for this? Archives, books or people?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Even having a walk around the belfield campus you can see the tricks- the lack of one major meeting place for demonstrations, the odd spacing of the steps around campus (prevents marches) the drive in restaurant (its been said that you could drive an armoured car up or down its staircases, or through the glass wall at the back) there is access tunnels around the arts block linking it to the admin block but they are not the sort of batman type of tunnels people expect, more along the lines of service ducts. Even the covered walkway running along the main axis of the site can be used as an escape route by running along the top.
None of these principals were applied to buildings built later on as Irish students are more interested in getting pissed than putting the world to rights. The Arts and Admin block happened to be designed around the time of the Student revolts in Paris and the UCD hierarchy were worried about this.
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Originally posted by No.42
I’d love to have a read of this – could you post any info you receive?
Yeah, I’ll probably post the article up on monkeybomb anyway but anything more, I’ll let you know.
Rory W: yeah, they’re the aspects of the campus I know about but I need more detail. A load of people still consider the Arts Block to be possibly the ugliest, worst designed buildings in the state. I couldn’t disagree more.
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That’s possible but the Arts block seems to fit the kind of philosophy that was applied to new campuses in the UK, the outskirts of Paris and elsewhere. But it’s a nice point and I’ll certainly check it out.
What I do know is that the Paris revolt occurred in 1968 but the UCD Gentle Revolution happened in 1969. The Administration and Arts block was built in 1971.
I’d assume that, since the design of the Arts block was opened up to a competition, which Wejchert won, he may have won because he incorporated these tricks into the building. I wouldn’t be surprised if the college administration hadn’t thought about it until he suggested it. But I’m only surmising.
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