Urban Sculpture Trail unveils its latest work in city centre

ISLAND City, Cork’s Urban Sculpture Trail has just unveiled its newest sculpture, Urban Mirror by plattenbaustudio, on Cornmarket Street.

The fourth sculpture to be unveiled, Urban Mirror is a large table designed to be used by the public, seating up to fifty people.

It has a yellow ball on top that provides an atmospheric glow when the sun sets, inspired by the zebra crossing lights.

Designed by architects Jennifer O’Donnell and Jonathan Janssens and fabricated by Sara Murphy and Frank Prendergast of Space Forms, it is made mainly of stainless steel, which the team chose for its durability and elegance.

Urban Mirror is part of a unique cultural trail of five contemporary sculptures popping up around Cork city this year, as part of a Cork City Council project 100% funded by Fáilte Ireland under the Urban Animation Scheme, with the aim of bringing art into the everyday life of the city.

Sentinels on Carey’s Lane, Boom Nouveau on Cook St, and The Face Cup on the corner of Princes St and Oliver Plunkett St were unveiled in recent months.

Jennifer O’Donnell, co-founder of plattenbaustudio, said: “We were really inspired by how people interact with everyday things and the cultural environment of Coal Quay.

“We spoke to people who both live and work in the area and what shone through is how invested they are in their community.

“Cornmarket Street, or Coal Quay as many still know it, is lively and the people are animated so we wanted to create a space for people to come together - we had the idea of an everyday table that we could elevate.”

She explained that the designers want people to use Urban Mirror as a place to come together with different height seats so that children and adults at one side children can easily sit on a low chair, and at the opposite end an adult can lean at counter height.

The rounded edges weave in and out so that small groups of people can create their own corners and it also allows wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies to fit comfortably at the table.

Ms O’Donnell added: “We see ourselves as architects in an art world. This is the largest public project that we’ve done to date and we are indebted to Cork City Council for the opportunity.”

The Irish architects, who are based in Berlin, have plans to exhibit a replica Urban Mirror in Cologne, which is one of Cork’s twinned cities, as part of the Ireland in Germany 2024 Initiative from Culture Ireland and the DFA.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, said: “I’m delighted to see Urban Mirror unveiled in the heart of the historic Cornmarket St where it will be an integral part of a bustling area – long established as a gathering space for locals, urban explorers and visitors.

“It’s a great example of how we can create art in everyday things and give people the opportunity to use art in their everyday lives, be it to sit and have a coffee, or take a rest, or play games.

“We are very grateful to Fáilte Ireland for their continued support in bringing art to life in our city.”

Michelle Carew, Arts Officer, Cork City Council, added: “We are delighted to see Island City – Cork City’s Urban Sculpture Trail grow with this fourth installation.

“It will be a focal point for local people, visitors, market traders and local businesses and will bring people together to savour this historic area of Cork City.

“We can’t wait to unveil the final sculpture on the trail next month which has been chosen from an open call process.”