Dublin City Council’s major city-centre redevelopment includes a new City Library and the creation of cultural spaces.
DUBLIN (Sept. 24, 2025) — Dublin City Council has announced the commencement of the construction tender process for the new Dublin City Library at Parnell Square, phase 1 of the larger Parnell Square Cultural Quarter. The works are aimed at creating a new cultural quarter around the Garden of Remembrance on the northside of the city. The project is funded by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) and by Dublin City Council.
Dublin City Council appointed AECOM and Hawkins\Brown as the design team in early 2023, with AECOM delivering project management, multidisciplinary engineering and cost consultancy services and Hawkins\Brown as the lead architect. The larger Parnell Square Cultural Quarter will see the construction of a new five-storey City Library and various cultural spaces in six restored Georgian houses connected to the site, with one set to be completely renovated, and the central plaza to be redeveloped to a new design. Phase 1 of the redevelopment involves the construction of the new City Library and the partial renovation of the surrounding Georgian buildings. The new images, provided by Hawkins\Brown, depict renderings of the final designs for the new City Library, including the atrium and children’s library, as well as exhibition and general collection spaces.
The Hugh Lane Gallery, founded in 1908 as the first known public gallery of modern art, will be connected to the library as part of the project – the two major attractions in the Parnell Quarter area – creating a unified destination. The connection will create a more integrated cultural block with direct connections between the Library, the Hugh Lane Gallery and the Georgian Terraces, enhancing the functionality and operational capacity of the cultural quarter while carrying out essential repairs and upgrades to the Georgian Terraces, improving visitor movement and flow through the new connected complex. Creating seamless connections between the various cultural and heritage spaces in Parnell Square North will also allow for an enhanced level of collaboration on programming, education and outreach programmes.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ray McAdam said: “This is a significant milestone in the delivery of a world-class public library for our city. The new City Library will be a vibrant hub for innovation, creativity, and lifelong learning — a welcoming space for all members of our community.”
Greg Flynn, head of project management & real estate solutions for Ireland at AECOM, said: “Dublin has long been known as a city of culture, and the establishment of a new cultural quarter through the Parnell Square project will help revitalise a historically significant part of the city. The new City Library will provide a bright, modernised space for reading and learning in the heart of the city, providing a much-needed resource for those living and studying in Ireland’s capital. AECOM is proud to work with Dublin City Council on this redevelopment effort, enabled by our wonderful local team in Ireland, and the breadth of expertise they bring to bear has provided the confidence and direction needed for a major redevelopment project of this kind.”
Adam Cossey, Partner and Civic, Community & Culture Lead at Hawkins\Brown, said: “The vision for the Dublin City Library is to serve as an icon of literature and learning, inspiring, exciting, welcoming, and open to all. It will be Dublin City’s new, open and inclusive venue, seamlessly connected to Hugh Lane Gallery and the wider public realm. The library will be at the heart of the capital’s literary life, connected to its local community and reaching out on a city, national and international level. It will be a versatile building and offer a range of spaces including a civic living room, maker space, teen and children’s library, lecture space, temporary areas for exhibitions and events. And its rooftop café will offer incredible views of Dublin.
“We are delighted to be involved in such an iconic and highly valued project for Dublin City being delivered by Hawkins\Brown Ireland.”
Parnell Square is a Georgian square situated at the northern end of O’Connell Street in Dublin. It is named after Charles Stewart Parnell, a 19th Century Irish nationalist politician and UK Member of Parliament. Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance, dedicated to those who died in the Irish quest for independence, was opened during the semicentennial of the Easter Rising in 1966 and is located along the northern side of the square.
Notes to editors
Images courtesy of Hawkins\Brown.
Image credit: Pixelflakes.
About AECOM
AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, we solve our clients’ complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2024. Learn more at aecom.com.
