Playhouse

Playhouse

DUBLIN (IE) - Liberty Hall, Dublin city's tallest and most iconic building, was transformed for a period last winter into a giant screen called Playhouse, which showed animations designed by the public.  Nightly, the city skyline was animated with an accompanying sound track broadcast by a temporary radio station.  Playhouse was very popular with Dubliners, in particular taxi drivers, and brought fresh life and new eyes to an unloved edifice.

The screen was a giant canvas formed from 330 windows on the south and east facades of the building.  Each window was lined with extra bright LEDs, which formed a single pixel of colour. They were connected to a small control box, which used the building's existing cable network. A low energy, low-tech installation supported by sophisticated programming.

Playhouse coincided with the announcement of plans to demolish Liberty Hall and build a twenty-storey tower in its place. The planning application of February 2010 describes the existing building as 'unfit for purpose', functionally inadequate and inefficient. The planning application, as yet undecided, has met with resistance from those who consider it an important landmark. Whatever the outcome, Playhouse has changed perceptions and cast Liberty Hall in a new light.

Watch a music video made by electronic recording artist Underworld in collaboration with the Playhouse project.