Hugh Wallace: Cork is an architectural tour de force
Hugh Wallace at the launch of the annual outdoor sculpture exhibition at The Montenotte Hotel.
Picture: Darragh Kane
Hugh Wallace brings every bit of his trademark positivity to Ireland’s newfound passion for indoor-outdoor living.
Asked if he thinks we can take inspiration from our Mediterranean counterparts when it comes to creating a chic and comfortable al-fresco lifestyle, the architect and TV presenter gives a resounding yes.
“I think Irish people have taken to it like a duck to water when it comes to using their gardens more,” says Hugh.
We start our conversation as Hugh is on holiday in Lake Garda so he is surveying Italian sun terraces as we speak as well as conjuring up patios by the Atlantic in his mind’s eye. “Even compared with 10 years ago, we are using our outdoor spaces more — and I think Covid had a lot to do with that,” says Hugh.
“During that first lockdown summer, someone was good to us — the weather was extraordinary.
“People were using their barbecues, and all of a sudden we wanted that extra room, that living space in the garden.”
And as well as the changes wrought by lockdowns, does he feel that we have brought what we have all seen on our travels into our own rooms outside?
“There’s that reality that we’ve completely changed — I think that when you go on holiday and you spend most of your time outside, you realise the importance of that outdoor space,” he says.
The idea of blending the inside with the outside has always been a passion for the architect.
“I think what’s really terrific for me is the idea of big doors and no threshold between the inside and the outside — no steps,” he says.
Days later, his summer odyssey sees the presenter of and tep ashore at one of his all-time favourite destinations — Cork.
Hugh is here to open the fifth annual summer-long garden sculpture exhibition at the Montenotte Hotel.
Built within the former 18th-century residence of a merchant prince, The Montenotte Hotel is billed as a “Garden of Eden” in the heart of Cork, nestled in stunning surroundings with unrivalled views of the city and harbour.
And its Victorian sunken gardens are now home to an exclusive collection of over 30 contemporary garden sculptures by 22 of Ireland’s leading artists including Mike Duhan, Stephanie Hess and Donnacha Cahill.
“Sculptures are a wonderful way to carry design from your home to your garden. Each one of these sculptures tells a story that will enhance any outdoor space, acting as a talking point,” says Hugh.
But can we replicate artwork on a smaller scale in our own backyards?
“Sculpture and artwork in the garden can be a focal point for us — and if they’re lit it’s even better. So when you’re in the house, it’s about creating a vista,” he says.
“So you can look out through a window and you have the garden and you’ve got this element of sculpture and that is like the focal point and it’s lit and it creates this drama but it also, if you like, to draw your eye into the garden and it’s inviting you out and that’s what I think is amazing.
“Of course, water features are wonderful also — but I think pieces of sculptures are just fascinating.”
As a showcase for what we can do with our own gardens, the exhibition is ideal.
“The Montenotte Hotel is a perfect backdrop because of the gardens and the views out over the Lee and then there are all those outdoor terrace areas. The hotel has a wonderful connection to the outdoors,” he says.
“And also there’s that terrific décor and the drama.”
Hugh is a longtime fan of Cork city and county. He is a past pupil of Midleton College, completing his education in his native Dublin. “I only went there for a year — but that one year in Midleton was amazing,” he says.
“You have to think back, it was in the late 60s. It was a very different time in our country My uncle Jim Smyth was the principal there. I loved Midleton, I thought it was an amazing college. So I’ve been going to Cork since then.”
As an architect, Hugh’s connections with Cork strengthened.
“When we started business in 1981 I started to go down to Cork with work and I just thought it was such a fun city,” he adds.
“I loved the restaurants but what really impressed me was how Cork was such a powerhouse of culture. Cork has always had that. It had Joan Denise Moriarty with the ballet, it has the Everyman Theatre and the Crawford Gallery is just fantastic.
“Cork promotes the best of the arts in Munster. Where I’m in Cork I always go to the Crawford, there’s always a different exhibition there.”
Cork's streetscape and architecture hold an enduring fascination for him.
“It’s an architectural tour de force,” he says.
“The interesting thing about Cork is that there are beautiful bow-shaped houses with their slate fronts — and of course the lovely streets,” he adds.
“From the big Victorian and Georgian villas on the hill to the Jacobean houses in the city, I love it all.”
Hugh recently featured one such villa, in Glenbrook, Passage West, on on RTÉ One.
And the architect and his husband Martin have taken on their own renovation this year, as they build on the site of a derelict house off Clanbrassil Street in Dublin city.
- Now in its fifth year, the annual outdoor sculpture exhibition in association with The Kildare Gallery returns to the lawns of The Montenotte Hotel, for a summer-long exhibition and celebration of Irish art and culture. The sculpture exhibition is open daily from 10am at The Montenotte Hotel. Visitors are welcome and are asked to register with the hotel reception to be directed to the exhibition. For more information see www.TheMontenotteHotel.com and www.TheKildareGallery.ie
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