The many friends and well-wishers of the Project Arts Centre turned out in force yesterday for the opening of its new home by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. Crowds spilled out into the sunshine in front of the new glass, steel and concrete building on the site first occupied by the Project on East Essex Street, Dublin, 34 years ago.
The centre opened with an exhibition of international artists. Called Somewhere Near Vada, it takes over the entire building and shows off the flexibility of the exhibition and performance spaces.
The completion of the building at a cost of £3.5 million after two years' work represents the final phase of the development of the area by Temple Bar Properties. The artistic director, Ms Kathy McArdle, has a state-of-theart premises and an Arts Council grant of £500,000 at her disposal.
It remains to be seen whether the Project's new home can inspire the same loyalty and the same creativity as the rickety, leaky old building.