Wexford Opera House, Wexford, Ireland. Architect: Keith Williams Architects & Office of Public Works, 2008. View of cafe space s

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Wexford Opera Festival is as important culturally to Ireland as the Glyndebourne Festival is to England, consequently the building of the new 7,235sqm Festival Opera House by Keith Williams Architect and the Irish Government's (Office of Public Works architects department) was Ireland's most important arts project for many years. The new opera house has been constructed in the heart of the medieval maritime town, on the site of the Festival's former theatre. It contains the new main opera house (780 seats) completely lined in North American black walnut, full flytower and backstage and a transformable second space of 175 seats, together with rehearsal, production facilities, bars, cafe and foyer spaces. Close up, the new building has retained the extraordinary element of surprise and secrecy so characteristic of the old Theatre Royal, by re-integrating itself into the historic fabric of Wexford's medieval centre, behind reinstated terraced buildings.

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Size: 5080px × 3301px
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Photo credit: © Ros Kavanagh-VIEW / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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