Trinity College Dublin Library Competition

An international architecture competition that attracted two hundred and eighteen entriees from twenty-nine different countries. The jury comprised the Earl of Ross, Vice-chancellor of the University; Professor Franco Albini, of the Instituto Universitario di Architettura, Venice; Sir Hugh Maxwell Casson; Raymond McGrath; and K. De Witt Metcalf, former Drector of Harvard University Library. The competition was won by Paul Koralek, who received a prize of £1,500, and the building now the new Library (formerly Berkeley) opened in 1967. The second premium went to Alfred Mansfeld, who received £1,000, and the third placed design by Gene J. Festa and William H. Gardner received £750.

1961 – Commended design for new Library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: Malcolm Quantrill, Peter Faller, Howard Mason

Judged blind, design no. 179 was commended for its library planning. “The plan,

1961 – Commended entrant for Trinity College Dublin library

Architect: Vahit Erhan, Orhan Demiraslan, Huseyin Baban, Ugur Gundes

Turkish entrant, #201, which was commended in the competition to design a new library for Trinity College Dublin.

1961 – Competition entrant for new Library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: Sebastião Formosinho Sanchez, Antonio Cesar Ribeiro das Neves, Alberto Camacho Ribeiro

A joint entrant by a trio of Portuguese architects,

1961 – Design for a new library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: Barrie Dewhurst

Design #127 was commended and described as prsenting “a ‘square’ solution of excellent scale and proportions with an ingenious and not unsuccessful bridge link with the old Library.

1961 – Highly commended design for new Library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: Michael Brawne

Highly commended design, No.86, the jury felt it was “a solution that attracted the Jury for its horizontal lines,

1961 – Koralek’s winning design for Trinity College Library

Architect: Paul Koralek

The winning design, No.123, in the architectural competition to design a new library for Trinity College Dublin.

1961 – Second Premiated Design for new Library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: Alfred Mansfeld, Dani Havkin, J. Polatsek

Second placed entry by Haifa-based architects Alfred Mansfeld and Dani Havkin. According to the architects: “In order to achieve a harmonious relationship with the existing library and the museum building and to avoid architecturally awkward connections with these old buildings,

1961 – Third premiated design for Library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: Gene J. Festa & William H. Gardner

Designed in association with John Mesick, Thomas Ovington, and Lewis Zurlo.

1961 – Unbuilt design for new Library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: H.J. Nicolais

One of two highly commended designs in an architectural competition to design what would eventually become the Berkeley Library.

1967 – The Eavan Boland Library, Trinity College Dublin

Architect: Ahrends Burton Koralek

From opening to early 2023 named after Bishop George Berkeley (1687-1753), this building caused quite a stir when built inside Trinity’s grounds next to Burgh’s Library building.