Microlight Sculpture

Posted on 7. December 2022 | by admin

Microlight Sculpture

The Erich Kaestner House of Literature, Dresden

The octagonal prism of the micro light sculpture, a homage to the Danish poet Inger Christensen, symbolizes with its geometry the physical elements of nature: sky, earth, fire, water, wind, thunder, lake and mountain. Nuances of light and shadow, space and surface can be experienced. The multi-layered play with perspectives and the dissolution of boundaries sensitizes the viewer to an intense optical experience. The visual labyrinth of inner and outer world points to relations between micro and macro, to the polarity of unknowability and readability of art and the world. In the daylight, the object can be experienced multidimensionally in dialogue with the movement of the sun as a cast shadow, in the darkness with artificial light from the core: inside and outside, below and above are interchanged.

Mobility center Reitbahnstreet

Posted on 6. December 2022 | by admin

Mobility center Reitbahnstreet

“Future traffic development is an important topic for architects. That’s why the study of the mobility center for Dresden’s city center is not about a parking garage in the traditional sense, but rather about flexible architecture for an innovative, future-oriented mobility concept.” Ruairí O’Brien With the concept we are in line with the medium- to long-term mobility development, in which the use of the automobile is only one option among many alternatives. The central location in the city center and the proximity to the main train station enables different mobility approaches to be linked in an innovative mobility hub (electric mobility, bike & ride, park & ride, rental stations, charging stations, rentals, etc.) and thus sustainable concepts for the city Future. An innovative, adaptable and evolving architectural concept was developed to take into account the future development of the city and transport in the city. Transformability is a property that will be important for future architecture in general to demonstrate true sustainability. The future decline in motorized individual transport and the long-term development towards a car-free city are already conceptually integrated here and the conversion of the building to benefit other uses, such as living, working/office, trade/services, has already been planned in advance. A sensible solution should be found for the inner-city brownfield site at the back of Prager Straße, with which the existing backyard atmosphere can be improved through the urban development context of Prager Straße and other current problems in connection with the inner-city development of Dresden can be addressed – as a benefit for the city and in favor of less vacant wasteland.

Prefabricated Construction Museum “Concrete Timeline”, Dresden

Posted on 6. December 2022 | by admin

Prefabricated Construction Museum “Concrete Timeline”, Dresden

Museum project on wasteland revitalization, urban and building history

The wasteland in Dresden-Johannstadt was revitalized by Ruairi O’Brien from 2002-2005 through the creation of the Prefabricated Construction Museum “Concrete Timeline”. In the micro museum for prefabricated construction, the architect thematizes diverse time periods specific to the site and its history. Likewise, universal questions from the fields of housing, culture, architecture and urban planning, art and society, which also affect future developments, are presented.
For more information on the project, click here

MDR – Bridge, Leipzig

Posted on 5. December 2022 | by admin

Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, MDR site, Leipzig

Lighting concept for the new pedestrian bridge

The new pedestrian and bicycle bridge (KHP Leipzig / Kolb Ripke Architekten), with its restrained and elegant bridge construction, assumes an important connecting function in the development of the MDR area in Leipzig. With its simple, linear view reduced to the minimum, the bridge is integrated into the landscape in a restrained manner. This intention is supported by the discreet, calming, high-quality lighting with warm white light (color temperature 3000K).

Entry in the VOF procedure
Competition: 2015/16, 1st prize
Sponsor/Client: City of Leipzig

On The Road in The Light 2020, Potsdam

Posted on 1. December 2022 | by admin

On The Road in the Light 2020, Potsdam

Architectural lighting concept for Potsdam’s center “Soundless Music”

The images show excerpts from Ruairí O’Brien’s lighting composition for Potsdam On The Road In The Light 2020, including the Brandenburg State Parliament, St. Nicholas Church and the Potsdam Film Museum. “With an authentic concept, high-quality technology and a selective choice, you can achieve more in lighting design. To create poetic and exciting lighting atmospheres, you have to understand how time, space, materials, darkness and light can be brought together and how they can be set against each other.” Ruairí O’Brien

Euthanasia Information and Memorial Site, Berlin

Posted on 30. November 2022 | by admin

Euthanasia Information and Memorial Site, Berlin Tiergartenstrasse

Competition entry for the design competition Memorial and Information Site for the Victims of the National Socialist “Euthanasia” Murders at the site of the planning headquarters, Tiergartenstraße 4 in Berlin.

Based on the artistic core idea of creating a dialogue between the spatial expression for the commemoration of the victims, the sculptural “pool of tears” and the site of the perpetrators with the ground plan of the building Tiergartenstrasse 4, both a mental and emotional approach to the topic of “euthanasia” murders becomes possible.

Awarded by: City of Berlin, 2012

City Warehouse Jena with Hologram Façade

Posted on 29. November 2022 | by admin

City Warehouse Jena with Hologram Façade

Architecture-light-artwork

After years of vacancy, the historic post-and-beam building of the city warehouse in Jena was brought back to life through the step-by-step implementation of the city warehouse concept developed by Ruairí O’Brien. The identity-creating overall concept for the revitalization of the monument connects inside and outside and past, present and future and creates an attractive upgrade of the inner-city living space.

Hologram facade Jena

According to O’Brien’s design, the city warehouse at Jena’s market square presents itself with a hologram façade and new roof, integrated into the existing market ensemble in terms of urban development. After years of vacancy, the historic post-and-beam building was brought back to life through the gradual implementation of the city warehouse concept developed by Ruairí O’Brien. The identity-creating overall concept for the revitalization of the monument links the past, present and future of the city and creates an attractive upgrade of the inner-city living space. The hologram conveys a holistic message that breaks new ground in the living preservation of monuments.
Services: Lph. 1-8 HOAI
Awards: Recognition for the façade award of the city of Jena, recognition “architektourpreis” Chamber of Architects Thuringia.

Hologram façade- Built urban identity

The hologram façade embodies the essence of the city of Jena, it is a tribute to its spiritual and economic identity. The façade as an independent aluminum-steel-glass construction placed in front of the listed building depicting a spatial expression of the city storage concept. The identity-creating “eye” of the building highlights the historically significant structure inside with translucent to transparent effect and protects the valuable center of the monument. The hologram façade of the city warehouse forms a tailor-made connection between contemporary architecture and the historic structure.

Beirut Memorial

Posted on 28. November 2022 | by admin

Beirut Memorial “Pool of Remembrance”

Memorial for the victims of the gas explosion in 2020

International call to develop an architectural idea for a memorial in Beirut to mark the site of the tragic explosion in 2020.

“The need of people to face death, tragedies and losses has produced great art, music, poetry and architecture. Burial chambers, cemeteries, remembrance gardens and memorials reveal to us countless human stories. They reflect us, our time and our culture.
As part of the healing process, we must close the wounds and tend to the scars, to leave a mark for new beginnings. It’s very challenging to create a place where people can feel a transition, an access to spirituality or just to their own inner selves, a place where they can find peace, whether it’s through hope or acceptance.” Ruairí O’Brien, 2020

Design guide Bahnhofstrasse Berlin-Lichtenrade

Posted on 27. November 2022 | by admin

Design Primer Bahnhofstrasse Berlin-Lichtenrade

Design Guidelines for the Active Centre, the Bahnhofstrasse Shopping Street

The design guideline is intended to contribute to an increase in the quality of stay and to the valorisation of the special features, e.g. the urban qualities in the active centre area. The Design Primer can serve as an advisory tool, which is aimed in particular at property owners and tradespeople, in order to contribute to improving the design quality of the properties and consequently of the entire AZ area.

With the design primer, proposals for measures for a coordinated design of the façades were developed, which should serve the owners as a guideline for action in the redesign of their façades. For Bahnhofstraße and especially the ground floor zones, the retail location, possible ways were shown, for example, how façades with their structuring/design elements can fit into the built environment. The design primer uses exemplary illustrations to make the design aspects comprehensible and offers advice for conversions or an energetic refurbishment of the buildings.

Essential components:

Analysis of the situation on site: Brief description of the building history of the street and creation of a façade typology with examples of suitable façade designs and those in need of repair
Derivation of design recommendations for façades, especially the ground floor (structure, advertising, structuring elements, colouring)
Recommendations for the energetic renovation of façades and for implementation
Preparation of the design primer as a brochure.

Light Sculpture for the Schwerin Market Place

Posted on 24. November 2022 | by admin

Light Sculpture for the Schwerin Market Place

micro light sculpture 01

The micro light sculpture in Schwerin was the first in a series of light sculptures that architect and artist Ruairí O’ Brien purposefully developed using simple means, simple materials and simple construction as a tribute to the art of architecture, to the effect of light on people, space and time.

Light sculpture for the Schwerin market place, consisting of 3 equal, variably combinable modular parts, which in the present composition form a cube space and a focal point to the light theme with quiet action character. During the day it takes the function of a shadow caster, in the evening that of a light machine. In a subtle way, it reflects the chronology of the daily routine and the dramaturgy of life, ergonomically illustrating the relationship between micro and macro scale.