Planning application lodged for extension of Cork theatre

University College Cork (UCC) has submitted a planning application for an extension of its Granary Theatre.

The application, lodged with Cork City Council, seeks permission for the demolition of the existing two-storey south entrance porch to the theatre and the construction of a two-storey extension to the south of the existing building located on Dyke Parade.

The extension, if given the go-ahead, would see an entrance foyer, store and accessible dressing room at ground floor level with a foyer, corridor and dressing rooms at first floor level with signage on the south elevation.

The application also seeks permission for other site works including the reconfiguration of the existing courtyard.

In the design statement accompanying the application, it states that the Granary Theatre was constructed in the mid-1990s and has played “a key role in the cultural development at UCC and in the wider city”.

“Theatres are now interdisciplinary species incorporating live performances of all kinds, such as theatre, music, and dance and digital media (AR/VR), digital visual design, fine art, makerspace practices.

“The Granary Theatre’s facilities need to be fully inclusive. The control room, dressing rooms, technical rooms and lighting gantries all need to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

“This is not the case at present and the proposed extension to the south of the building is designed to be accessible to all,” the statement continues.

A decision on the planning application is due in late July.