McCullough Mulvin Architects has been selected as the winner of the international competition for a new world-class performance and music education facility for West Cork Music in Bantry, Co. Cork.

West Cork Music is a non-profit arts organisation, founded in 1995, that presents three international festivals – the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, West Cork Literary Festival and Masters of Tradition. Renowned for their exceptional quality and unrivalled idyllic, remote setting, the festivals have grown over more than two decades to become important fixtures in the Irish cultural landscape. The new venue will provide a world-class facility and play a pivotal role in securing a future for music and literature in West Cork. It will also provide a dynamic, versatile community asset for convening local groups, artists and the delivery of music and literary education offerings.

McCullough Mulvin Architects has been appointed as the architect for the project, selected through a rigorous public procurement process, managed by Andrew P. Nugent & Associates over the last year. The international design team includes Charcoal Blue (Theatre & Acoustic Consultant), O’Connor Sutton Cronin (Structural and Civil Engineering), RPS (Mechanical and Electrical Engineering), Gross Max (Landscape Consultant), Aegis Safety (PSDP), Garland (Assigned Certifier), Michael Slattery Associates (Fire Safety & Disability Access Consultant), and Coakley O’Neill Town Planning (Planning Consultant).

“The opportunity to work with an arts organisation as celebrated as West Cork Music in developing this important new cultural and civic space in Bantry town is hugely exciting. We’re looking forward to delivering a project that is essentially of West Cork, respecting the grain of the town and generating a significant new public place while making a strong contribution to Ireland’s cultural infrastructure,” said Valerie Mulvin, Director, McCullough Mulvin Architects.

“We were delighted by the enthusiasm from the design community for this project. The quality of submissions and the teams behind them were extremely impressive. They confirmed our belief in the need for a purpose-built Music Centre that will complement the many local spaces our Festivals have been privileged to use over the last two decades. We’re thrilled to go on this journey with McCullough Mulvin Architects to bring our dream to life,” said Francis Humphrys, CEO, West Cork Music.