Architecture students to renovate city church

A HISTORIC Limerick church is forging a new unity between students and the old city.

Architecture undergraduates at the University of Limerick (UL) have embarked on a renovation project to restore St Munchin’s Church on King’s Island.

The UL students have completed the first stage of work to restore the 1827 church.

“The church is being transformed as part of a project aimed at bringing the city of Limerick and the university,” said a spokesperson for UL.

“The renovated church building will be used as a place where city representatives and university faculty and students can meet. It will act as a forum, an exhibition space, a centre for UL Intelligence Unit’s urban think-tank, and a teaching venue for the university.”

Limerick Civic Trust agreed to give the School of Architecture at UL (SAUL) permission to transform the church.

Professor Merrit Bucholz of SAUL said: “The church represents a first step in establishing a place to bring the university and the city together to think through creatively the issues facing Limerick city.

“The city council, the university and the community will be able to use the church as a forum to discuss ideas, build knowledge, and celebrate the quality and the future of the city and its constituent communities.”

St Munchin’s Church was first renovated by Limerick Civic Trust in 1980 and was previously used by the Island Theatre Company who vacated the premises earlier this year. Limerick Civic Trust has a long-term lease on the church and director, Denis Leonard, said they are delighted UL students have moved in.

“We were exceptionally keen to get architecture students into Limerick city and into the church which really is a beautiful building,” Mr Leonard said.

“We think it’s particularly great for the area and it will help the regeneration of the city to have such a prestigious section of the university in situ at the church.”

The first stage of the renovation involves changes that include a blend of architectural redesign and interior design. The design-build project has been put together by Professor Bucholz, and run by David Lewis, director of the design build programme at Parsons School of Design in New York.

The project by fourth year students in SAUL is part of a design studio theme on public space.