Cavan

Imagine what it would be like to have free reign to utilise the power of creativity and imagination to re-design civic spaces within your town. Cavan Re-imagined is a project-based residency with Cavan County Council to bring about an awareness of the role of architecture in the re-imagining of civic space. It is often perceived that these opportunities are reserved for internationally celebrated 'super star' architects, such as Daniel Libeskind who was awarded the contract for the site of the World Trade Centre, or Irish architect Tom de Paor, who developed a strategic master plan of the A13 motorway in the UK and was then appointed to make a representation at the prestigious international arts fair, the Venice Biennale in 2000.

Major plans are afoot to make Cavan town a more attractive place to live, work and visit. This is reflected in recent documents devised by Cavan County Council, including the Cavan Town and Environs Integrated Framework Plan 2020. The vision for the IFP is"…to provide the framework for a unique and sustainable Cavan town, with a balanced range of functions, facilities and amenities, building on its present strengths of its people, enterprise and natural assets while meeting the needs of the whole community who live and work and visit the area." Cavan Re-imagined is a project devised by Cavan County Councils Arts Office in consultation with The Arts Council, Cavan County Councils Planning Department, Heritage Officer and the Cavan Town Engineer. The project aims to build upon the vision for Cavan town through a re-imagining of public spaces.

Cavan

Civic spaces are often thought of on purely functional terms and architects are appointed to design buildings and other areas within the urban environment so that people can go about their daily lives with ease. However, architects are also recognised as artists in their own right, yet it is unusual that architects have a client who challenges them to focus on exploring the full reign of creative ideas. Cavan Re-imagined is keen to engage an architect/artist who has big ideas for public spaces in Cavan town. The project-based residency will culminate in an exhibition of ideas rather than any physical construct. This grants the successful candidate the opportunity to demonstrate the full creative potential of architectural practice as an artform. The successful candidate will research the existing use of civic space and generate imaginative and innovative responses to the possible future design and function of civic space within Cavan town. This may focus on one space or a series of spaces, to be decided at briefing stage.

The appointed Architect will work in close partnership with the Arts Office and other key stakeholders in addressing this challenge, and in meeting the following objectives for the residency:

• research the existing use of civic space and generate imaginative and innovative responses to the possible future design and function of civic space within Cavan town. This may focus on one space or a series of spaces, to be decided at briefing stage;
• through a consultation process, seek to establish a greater understanding of the scope of architecture as an artform within the urban environment of Cavan town;
• devise an exhibition of work produced throughout the residency and accompanying catalogue, to articulate the process, concepts, and designs emerging out of the residency. This may include diaries, video, audio, sketches, models, computer-aided drawings, photographs as appropriate;
• document the creative process and participate in a critical review of the residency and make recommendations on the role of architecture and arts into urban design, and on its integration into corporate procedures;

For further information please contact: Rhonda Tidy, Arts Coordinator at Cavan County Council - rhonda@cavancoco.ie