A 13-member jury has been appointed to select a design for the new National Theatre site in Dublin Docklands.
The design specification for the new 24,000 square-metre Abbey Theatre includes space for three auditoriums, housing 1,000 seats, as well as several rehearsal spaces, shops, bars, restaurants and cafes.
The jury includes architects from Ireland, Britain and the Netherlands, and it is expected that the competition will be completed by the middle of 2008.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Séamus Brennan today said building, to be situated on George's Quay, would give the capital "an iconic and dynamic structure" to reflect Dublin's reputation as a global capital of culture and creativity.
Mr Brennan said a shortlist of submitted designs would be put on display ahead of a decision on a final design to give the public the opportunity to make known their views.
A Prior Information Notice containing the competition details has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The theatre is intended as the centrepiece of a collection of economic and social amenities in the Dublin Docklands, which will also include a new National Convention Centre, the Grand Canal Theatre, the Point Village and the U2 Tower.
