The third Temple Bar home for one of the area's older institutions, the gallery hosts exhibitions by Irish and international photographers, as well as offering photographic processing facilities.

Could be confused with A box brownie camera, by a colour blind Colossus with a tenuous grip on reality.

Architect Group 91/O'Donnell & Tuomey.

Opened October 1995. Cost £750,000. Staff 5.

The architects designed the building to evoke a box brownie camera. The gallery is, indeed, compact, but has a fairly acrobatic decor which can be adjusted to present extra wall space and even turn its large front window into an outdoor movie screen.

As well as being, obviously, a fresh space offering opportunities for Irish photographers to exhibit, in its latest premises the new Gallery of Photography has expanded the services it provides.

Beneath the exhibition floors there are three dark rooms with colour "dry to dry" processing and a range of enlargers. Anyone who wants to take advantage of these facilities must be a member of the gallery (cost around £12.50) and have a basic knowledge of darkroom techniques. For those who do not know their way around, the gallery also organises courses for both adults and children.

Also available on site is a "digital darkroom" with a Macintosh computer, scanner and high quality printer.

About 150 people can use the building at one time, though most of these would obviously be in the gallery or the small book shop.

"The promotion of Irish photography is a huge part of the work we do, even if it's the bit that people don't know or don't see," says the gallery's director, Christine Redmond. "Our vision for the future is not just about Dublin, or Ireland it's about getting Irish photography on to the world platform."

(Best capuccino "The bar at the Irish Film Institute, Redmond)