SPIRIT OF THE LIFFEY
I was commissioned by Cantrell and Crowley Architects based in Dublin.
John Rocques (1709–1762) a French Huguenot émigré was a surveyor and cartographer. In 1754 he came to Ireland and created an exact survey of the city, harbour, bay and environs of Dublin in 1756. He was responsible for city maps throughout Europe including Rome, Paris and London , ‘But we see in this Map, that Dublin is one of the finest and largest Cities of Europe, as well on Account of its Quays, which reach with Order and Regularity from one End of the Town to the other, as on Account of a great many grand Buildings in different parts on either Side; for instance Kildare house, the Barracks, Hospitals, Parliament-house, the College, and the Castle, which is the residence of the Lord Lieutenant, &c. and also on account of several spacious and magnificent Streets, the Gardens, Walks’ This exact survey of the city and suburbs of Dublin, was the most comprehensive and detailed mapping of any city in these islands before the establishment of the Ordnance Survey in the early-19th century.
This is such a gorgeous and significant map I decided to use it for the art glass work for Riverside Two and bring the River Liffey to life by using a large range of blue and green glass to sweep down through the map, reflecting the river flowing in front of this building. The river glass is made from layers of glass that have been fused together at temperatures of 730 Celsius in a large glass kiln. On each side of the river, handmade Uroboros Ming green glass, mirrors the iron oxide colour found in the float glass of the outer walls of the building. The Ming glass on either side of the river has John Rocque’s map printed onto waterslide decal and fired onto it at 720 Celsius and is backed with a layer of Bullseye opaque white glass to enable the map to be seen against the soft grey marble of the interior wall.
The glass River Liffey is lit up at night with a river shaped light box which gives it a powerful signature when seen during the hours of darkness.
The dimensions of the wall mounted glass work is 3352 mm high by 1219 mm wide and the glass work installed in the front of the desk is 914 mm high by 3352 mm wide.
