Reimagining The Library: LEGO Project

The National Library of Ireland has recently (24 May 2022) unveiled a large-scale Lego model of its building on Kildare Street.

The model has been commissioned alongside the ongoing redevelopment of the main NLI building on Kildare Street. The first phase of the redevelopment programme ran from 2017 until 2019, moving 350,000 books, newspapers and periodicals from the Victorian ‘West Wing’ to newly-developed, safe book storage. The coming phase will redevelop the West Wing as six storeys of exhibition and public engagement space, and will ensure universal access for all visitors.

The model shows the current building and imagines how the National Library of Ireland might look when the project is complete. Over the last four years, Lego hobbyists David and Breda Fennell worked closely with staff at the National Library of Ireland to create a design that represents the main concepts of the soon-to-be redeveloped Library, and which facilitated creativity and some fun features. The model is one of the largest of its kind in Ireland: It measures 180cm x 168cm and stands at 60cms high.