Together, Hallinan, Rowley and Kate Strain, as the Department of Ultimology consider the cultural, social and political rupture that the church’s demolition represents. In the drafting room visitors will be presented with Hallinan’s artwork, framing collated fragments of Rowley’s research on architecture and ultimology, including case studies of buildings and material from the Irish Architectural Archive and other sources.
Buildings End. But they do not expire. Their life cycle is not contingent on a ‘best-before’. Buildings are elastic and material. They can decompose. They are often forced to end. What do we do with ‘out of use’ and ‘out of time’ buildings that remain standing? How can we incorporate an awareness of the ‘architectural end of life’, right from the beginning?
The Department of Ultimology is a practice for looking closely at endings. In this temporary drafting room at the Irish Architectural Archive, we take the subject of architecture that is at risk of demolition or degradation to create a space of attention for this phenomenon. ‘Drafting’ here refers to a practice of gathering material and preparing a rough sketch, and we use this term as a gesture towards the creation of a future publication.
Church Demolition, Faolan Carey
