Until the middle of the twentieth century, the ground upon which the Boland Library proudly stands today was a garden. The Old Library was the primary focus of student study. By the 1950s however, the college decided it was necessary to expand the library to accommodate both the growing student body and collection of books. Before its inception, the neoclassical styles, favoured in the previous two centuries, dominated Trinity’s Campus. The new library would prove to be a stark foray into uncompromising modernity. Brutalism had arrived in Ireland.  

Significantly for the project, an agreement was reached that the funds raised by Trinity would be matched by the Government, indicating the importance of the endeavour to expand Ireland’s oldest university. With this assurance, in 1960, Trinity launched a competition for potential designs for the new library. It was set to occupy a key position on campus, nestled between the Old Library and the Museum Building, from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries respectively. These structures epitomised their periods of construction, as well as Trinity’s expansion, meeting each new century with determination to remain at the forefront of innovation. Perhaps it is surprising for the contemporary student to imagine both collegiate and governmental support for the library; a radical departure from its surroundings. Yet, the new library was conceived to both complement the existing structures, and crucially to speak to the new chapter in Trinity’s history in the 20th century.  

Out of 218 submissions, entry no.123 was chosen, a resolutely modern design by the 28-year-old architect, Paul Koralek. Having graduated from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London in 1956, the Trinity Library Competition marked a landmark moment in his career. In his own words, the ‘Library really did change [his] life.’ 

Koralek was raised in wartime Britain, with his family leaving their native Austria following the Anschluss of 1938. This personal history of displacement may be reflected within his devotion to modernist architecture, particularly Brutalism, which epitomises urban reconstruction in the wake of the devastation of war. However, Brutalism is not simply an aesthetic, it presents a new way of construction, breaking from the past and questioning if we change the way we design, can society be changed with it? Drawing from both traditional associations and modern technology and design, Brutalism reflected the vibrant modernity of its era, and the intrinsic links between architecture and the political manifestations of the interest in the ‘welfare state’. Thus, it is a fitting medium for centres of education, a connection which Koralek understood. Despite his doubts about the quality of his entry, he took the leap and submitted his design. At this time, he was working in New York with the celebrated modernist Marcel Breuer who championed the International Style movement which preceded Brutalism, not yet knowing what would await him back across the Atlantic.  

Originally, the brief was confined to an extension onto the Old Library, yet the winning design reimagined the New Library as a separate building, aside from the basement level, preserving its historic facade and structure. However, Koralek had not previously visited the site and was faced with the limitation of site geography as well as inability to import precast concrete into Ireland. Nevertheless, this did not impede his creative vision. While he was forced to amend the original design, the completed structure is a paragon of mid-century brutalism, heralding a new age for Trinity and its students. 

The Boland Library’s exterior success may lie in its union of the familiarity of concrete with textural elements, sloped skylines and protruding windows, creating a dynamic structure which retains its contemporary atmosphere. While it is tempting to view the Boland Library as a building entirely divorced from its surroundings, rising with menace amid more traditionally beautiful structures, it can be argued it has an austere beauty of its own. The facade of the building is marked by curved windows, bronze frames, granite, and sheer overhanging concrete, innovatively moulded with the texture of wood grain, harmonising the old and new.  

With a focus on functionality, echoing the ethos of the library itself, Koralek created a light filled interior area, while also including a variety of spaces to suit the individual needs of students, preventing banal uniformity of a single open-planned hall. By connecting both upper stories through a mezzanine, the Boland Library fosters a sense of unity between students while also ensuring the prevailing atmosphere of tranquillity and seclusion through use of pillars and plinths to mark out separate areas. Remarkably, many of the original interior features remain intact despite the high volume of students which pass through the library’s doors every term, a testament to the success of the project. These include the desks, flooring, and shelves, as well as the idiosyncratic lettered signs upon the tiled walls, reading ‘silence is requested.’  

Moreover, the completion of the Boland Library allowed for the creation of Fellows’ Square, a beloved spot of relaxation and socialisation on campus. It also saw the creation of a concrete entrance plaza, synthesising the building with its surroundings through the transitional space which remains a focus of activity, particularly in the near constant rain, where students find shelter beneath the overhanging second floor.  

Koralek’s association with Trinity did not end with the Boland Library. In 1969, he was appointed the chief architect on the college’s latest feat of innovation, the Arts Block, another integral part of the fabric of Trinity life – for fashion obsessed arts students at least. The later addition of the Lecky to connect the new Arts Block with the existing library, as well as the Ussher, also spoke to a further commitment to the evolution of Trinity both as a campus and an institution. While these extensions transformed Koralek’s original design, ultimately, they complement his vision of providing students a myriad of places to study, each with their own distinct atmosphere. Moreover, his work on the Arts Block further integrated the Boland Library with the prevailing architectural style around Fellow’s Square.  

Today, the Boland Library sits at the very heart of Trinity’s campus, both literally and figuratively, standing as a testament to innovation, collaboration, and the globalist perspective which guides Trinity through the 21st century. Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Boland Library, Koralek said, ‘It’s a great privilege as an architect to be allowed to put a building on this planet of ours, to occupy a certain amount of space on it.’ Five years on from his death, the Boland Library is a monument to his creativity, humanist spirit, and pioneering vision, using architecture as a means towards the nurturing and supporting of students for over sixty years.