The Irish Times

Hugh Lane Gallery

Circulation, circulation, circulation was architect Des McMahon's mantra when it came to designing the new wing of the Hugh Lane Gallery on Dublin's Parnell Street. His aim was that visitors would have a clear path (or in this case three paths) through the gallery spaces to guard against the "two most common malaises in gallery experiences: the unsatisfactory post-exhibition feeling that one has missed something, or the equally unsatisfactory feeling of exhaustion from having felt obliged to see too much". The starting point is clear: the grand entrance hall to the existing Charlemont House, by William Chambers, has been cleared of exhibits and works as a generous orientation point from which you have a choice of three directions to go in. All of them take you to various parts of the old and new buildings and bring you back, via a different route, to the point at which you started. What is lacking at the moment is signage and museum maps to tell first-time visitors what you will find along each path.