Opportunity
The Earl Building, Hampson House
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is undertaking fit out works at Hampson House, North Earl Street, Dublin 1 in 2024 and intends to commission permanent artworks under the Per Cent for Art (PCFA) Scheme. Visual artists with experience of creating permanent artworks are invited to apply for this commission. The deadline for Stage 1 submissions is 7 August 2024.
Project Overview
Hampson House project comprises the fit out of five floors of the recently constructed Earl Building, located on North Earl Street, Dublin 1, as an Out Patients Department for the Rotunda Hospital. The design team for the fit out works is led by O’Connell Mahon Architects and the key stakeholders are the Rotunda Hospital and the HSE.
The HSE is developing this project in order to provide the following enhanced services to ambulatory Rotunda patients: maternal and paediatric outpatient departments, perinatal mental health, colposcopy and medical social work facilities, all within close proximity to the main Rotunda campus.
Project Concept
Hampson House’s Public Art Working Group has determined that due to the nature of the site and the building’s end-users, the artwork(s) being commissioned will be of the visual, physical form, including but not limited to photographs, prints, paintings, wall murals, sculptures, glass and ceramics.
The overarching concept for the artwork is ‘Heartbeats of Dublin – Embracing every Journey’ encompassing the following themes, to:
- Inspire hope and comfort,
- Celebrate diversity and community,
- Foster connections between mother and child,
- Pay homage to Dublin’s Inner City and celebrate the landmarks in the local community.
The above concept is open to the artists’ interpretation but it is expected that the artwork(s) commissioned will be unique, site appropriate and reflective of the physical and social environment for which they are intended. The aim is that the artwork(s) will reflect the ethos and nature of the facility, and create a positive environment for the service users, staff and visitors.
The Commissioning Process
The selection process will take the form of a two stage open competition. Stage 1 is open to all interested professional artists/ collaboratives, at any stage in their career/ experience, interested in working on a commission that can reflect the considerations of the Public Art Working Group.
Selection will be based on the information submitted to establish the artist(s) competence to carry out the commission and suitability of their art practice to meet the project requirements. No designs or detailed proposals are required at Stage 1.
From the Stage 1 applications, a shortlist of artists will be chosen by the selection panel. The panel has the right to clarify any issue which may arise in the course of selection. A proposal development fee will be paid to those artists shortlisted.
A Stage 2 brief, together with necessary drawings, will be made available to the shortlisted artists to support the development of their proposals. A site visit will take place in August 2024, date to be confirmed.
The Selection Panel may:
- Decide on one or more artists’ works; or
- Reject any or all of the artworks submitted thus far; or
- Decide to invite an individual artist to re-submit or submit an artwork for the committee’s consideration.
The Public Art Working Group reserve the right not to proceed with any submissions received.
Budget
The total budget for this overall project is deemed to be circa €70,000. At the end of Stage 1, the Selection Panel will divide the budget between the shortlisted artists who will be invited to prepare proposals for various sites within the building.
How to apply: Stage 1 submission of portfolios
Artist(s) are invited to complete Stage 1: Artist(s) Expression of Interest Application Form.
Submit the form together with the required supporting documentation outlined in the form by email to rinawhyte@yahoo.com by Wednesday 7 August 2024 at 12 noon.
