Dublin Corporation is to invest an estimated £1.5 million in the transformation of Smithfield - currently the scene of a monthly horse fair - into an "urban space of our time" as part of its HARP rejuvenation plan for the northwest inner city.
This follows a major architectural design competition which has been won by the Droghedabased architects, McGarry Ni Eanaigh, with a dramatic scheme which would place 12 "light masts" - each of them nearly 90 feet high - in the central space.
Each mast would be topped by a gas brazier, capable of flooding the space with reflected light from a pair of prismatic panels mounted two-thirds of the way up. Closer to ground level, the masts would have glass canopies with "normal" streetlamps.
The tall light masts would be visible from as far away as O'Connell Bridge, serving as "beacons" to attract people to Smithfield, and the central space would be reorganised to allow for the staging of major public events, such as rock concerts.
A "feature building" is planned for the southern end to store mechanical equipment and chairs for concerts. Although functioning as a shed, this would be designed as a "sculptural element" in the central space, according to the city architect, Mr Jim Barrett.
The winning scheme would also reorder the vast cobbled surface of Smithfield, inserting diagonal lines of granite paving to redefine it and creating a strong curve along the eastern side to delineate the residual area available for motorised traffic. Like many of the other entries, McGarry Ni Eanaigh's scheme provides for the creation of a large underground car park which, if built, would significantly increase the cost.
Turning this very run-down part of the city into a new civic space is the "flagship project" of Dublin Corporation's £12 million-plus urban regeneration initiative for the HARP area, which extends from the west side of O'Connell Street to Collins Barracks.
The international design competition, which was promoted by the corporation, attracted a total of 66 entries, including many from overseas. Cullen Payne Architects, in collaboration with Sergison Bates Architects, re ceived a high commendation.
The assessors' report characterised the standard of many entries as "poor", with a tendency towards clutter which would "undermine the power of the enclosing space".
What the assessors were looking for in particular was an understanding by the entrants of the "strictly non-architectural, but vitally important, issue of the social use and misuse of public space" - in other words, how it would be occupied and used in practice.
According to the assessors - who included the noted architect, Mr David Mackay, from Barcelona - the "simple strength" of McGarry Ni Eanaigh's concept for Smithfield could be realised to provide "a special place for the city in the 21st century".
The winning scheme has already been presented to local people, as the corporation was anxious to secure their full support before proceeding further.
Commendations were awarded to Bingham and Creed and to McCullough Mulvin Architects. Twelve other entries were recommended for inclusion in an exhibition, which opened this week at the Architecture Centre, 8 Merrion Square, Dublin.