Carlow Local Authorities are committed to the provision of high quality relevant services in an open and responsive manner.
Phone: 059 9170300

VISUAL

This €20 million development located in the grounds of Carlow College, on a site generously donated by the Trustees of the College is a joint project of the Carlow Local Authorities, made possible through the allocation of funding by the Local Authorities and a grant of €3.17 million by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism under the ACCESS Programme.

The VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and The George Bernard Shaw Theatre is a state of the art multi-disciplinary facility featuring an area of 3,130m². The centre comprises a 294-seater performing arts theatre, four principal gallery spaces ( main gallery, studio gallery, link gallery and digital gallery ) as well as theatre bar facilities, a full service restaurant and concession areas.

1. VISUAL ( external link )
2. George Bernard Shaw Theatre ( external link )

Architectural Awards

The VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and The George Bernard Shaw Theatre has won the ' Best Cultural Building ' in the RIAI Irish architecture awards 2010. The elegant sequence of interior spaces, particularly the luminous gallery, is both handsome and flexible. The external treatment is well proportioned and, while reserved, remains expressive in its urban setting.

• Architectural award for the VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and The George Bernard Shaw Theatre ( external link )

The VISUAL Centre under Construction

• Conceptual model of the completed centre ( jpg 172kb )
• An aerial view drawing of the completed centre ( jpg 114kb )
• A ground view drawing of the completed centre ( jpg 88kb )
• The centre under construction ( jpg 288kb )