The National Gallery of Ireland reopens to the public after a £9 million refurbishment, which took four years to complete and closed the gallery to the public for three months.
The building has been extensively refurbished with new lighting, air conditioning and security systems. The addition of new lifts will also improve public and wheelchair access.
The centrepiece of the restoration is the new atrium.
The gallery café also underwent a full renovation and a multimedia centre offers visitors additional ways to explore the gallery's holdings.
Director of the National Gallery Raymond Keaveney says that the renovations to the building offer a sequence of rooms and that accommodate the presentation of the collections. The refurbishment also allows twice as many artworks to be displayed.
There are now plans in place for a £12.5 million extension to the National Gallery.
An RTÉ News report by Derek Cunningham broadcast on 17 May 1996.
Coinciding with the reopening, RTÉ also broadcast a documentary 'State of Art' in which Brian Farrell takes a look behind the scenes at the National Gallery of Ireland at the work of restoration and preservation.
'State of the Art' was also broadcast on 17 May 1996.
