Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Site Specific Commission Artform Visual Arts Materials & Fabrication €50,000 Location Ballynapark, County Wicklow Road Scheme Name N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Partners 2 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Contents Introduction 4 Dual carriageway and service area 5 Topography 6 Mapping Locations 7 Stages 1 & 2 12 Selection Panel & Criteria 13 Timeline, Contracts, Response 14 Form 16 3 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Wicklow County Council invites artists to submit a proposal for this two-stage site-specific commission process. Wicklow County Council is seeking a specific response to one of four specific north bound (towards Dublin) locations along this new stretch of roadway running from Rathnew to Arklow. This means that artists in developing their creative ideas, should take cognizance of the scale of the work proposed and the surroundings; the potential visual impact for the mobile viewer as well as durability and maintenance. Artists should clearly indicate the proposed scale of their work and whether it is intended for a specific site. A site visit will be arranged for shortlisted applicants in September. Artists are invited to consider all supplementary information, historical, archaeological and visual landscape in the preparation of their submission. Resource documents will available on: http://www.wicklow.ie/cent-art-commissions Please include with your submission supporting visual and written documentation indicating the scale of the work in relief to the surroundings. Further information on all submission requirements are below. If your proposal requires extensive site preparation and illumination provide outline details at stage 1. This will be further evaluated at Stage 2. Please note that proposals in bronze, brass or wood will not be considered. This is for security. Also note illumination will not be possible. 4 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme N11 Arklow to Rathnew dual carriageway and service area The contractor BAM Civil Ltd (BAM PPP & PGGM Infrastructure Cooperative) commenced work over 16 months ago and it will be completed by July 2015. The new road is expected to be open in late July 2015. This consists of 16.5km of new dual carriageway, along with associated link roads and junctions. It will connect the existing N11 Arklow Bypass with the existing N11 Rathnew/ Ashford Bypass creating motorway/ dual carriageway from Dublin to Gorey. It will also include the construction of a service area on the N11-Northbound, just north of Gorey, with direct access from N11-Southbound via an overpass. The N11 is a strategic link in the national road route network as part of the eastern road corridor between Dublin and Rosslare, and is also part of Euro-route E1. The existing N11 is characterised by a range of road types, road widths and qualities, which reflect the staged development of sections of the road over time. The existing N11 between Rathnew and Arklow is currently single carriageway with a narrow cross section, poor overtaking opportunities over the southern half. The route does not have a good road safety record, and there are numerous existing side road and private access junctions along its length. The existing Arklow Bypass to south is of a dual carriageway standard, and the Rathnew/ Ashford Bypass scheme to the north is also of dual carriageway standard. 5 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Wicklow Topography Wicklow is a coastal county in the southeast corner of Ireland. It has an area of 2025 square kilometres of diverse topography and 40km of coastline along the Irish Sea. The physical characteristics of the county have created two dramatically different environments, divided by a ridge of granite known as the Wicklow Mountains that extend south from Dublin Bay as far as Mount Brandon in Co. Kilkenny. The soils of the county have developed on glacial materials deposited by successive glaciations. Generally, the soils in the county are fertile except for the peaty podzols, notable in the central upland areas (Stout 1994). The lowland coastal plains with fertile glacial soils are on the east whilst the peaty podzols in the upland mountainous region of the northwest and southwest pose a more isolated terrain. The Ballinaskea to Ballinaclogh section of the N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement travels approximately south to north through relatively flat countryside in the southeast of County Wicklow. There are gentle hills in the area, for example, Ballymurrin and Ballinameesda Upper and Lower – but generally the landscape is below 120m. Drainage is provided by small rivers, such as Potter’s River, Three Mile Water River, Redcross River and the many streams and tributaries feeding into them. Much of the land through which the proposed route passes are grazing fields, and there are boggy areas in several places, such as Roscath, Ballinameesda Upper, Togher, Ballyclogh North, Scratenagh and Cranagh. Plantation Forestry exists in the townland of Ballinameesda Upper, mainly overlying the poorer land and pockets of mature woodland occur in Ballard Upper and Lower and Ballyrogan Lower. Traditionally this is an area consisting of good farmland and through the practices of farming the enclosed landscape has changed very little from 1838 (the first edition Ordnance Survey map). The majority of the land is under pasture with little tillage. A survey of the townland names of the region has revealed that they clearly reflect the topography and land use of this small area, particularly before the advent of intensive farming and land drainage schemes. The townland names echo a landscape of scrubby thickets, pasture, perhaps cultivated hazel and willow groves and one or two ploughed fields, punctuated with a few small churches and houses; a landscape that alternates between small rock-strewn hills and low marshy basins (Halcrow Barry Ltd. 2004). It was determined that none of the thirty townlands through this stretch of road passes relates directly to pre-Christian monuments. Skeletal animal remains were retrieved at the base of a localised peat deposit (c. 1.5m depth) in Ballynapark townland (Plate 1 and 2). This site was located in Dunganstown parish and Arklow Barony 80m west of the current N11; c. 10km north-east of Arklow. There has been thorough research conducted into the origin and condition of these animal remains as well as other archaeological artifacts found in the area. These studies have been conducted by the Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. These documents are available here: http://www.wicklow.ie/arts-office or from [email protected] The site was situated at ITM 727841, 682019 in a flat, low-lying field, which rises gently in the south-west corner at c.26m OD. 6 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme N11 Arklow to Rathnew dual carriageway and service area SBC - South Bound Carraigeway NBC - North Bound Carraigeway V - Vertical up/down H - Horizontal left/right North/West = NW North/East = NE South/East = SE Eg Ch 1+700 SBC/NBC 1V:2.5H Max NW Co ordinates of the centre line of the scheme, Eastings and then Northings in Irish National Grid. Ch 1700= E 327252.635, N178890.397 Ch 9200= E327363.577, N186178.442 Ch 10450= E326718.093, N187211.790 Ch 11400= E326315.989, N189005.929 7 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Potential Site 1 GPS: E 327252.635, N178890.397 Ch 1700= SBC- NBC 1V-2.5H Max N.W 8 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Potential Site 2 GPS: E 327363.577, N 186178.442 Ch 9200= SBC- NBC 1V-2.0H Max N.W 9 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Potential Site 3 GPS: E326718.093, N187211.790 Ch 10450= SBC- NBC 1V-2.0H Max N.E 10 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Potential Site 4 GPS: E326315.989, N189005.929 Ch 11400= SBC- NBC 1V-2.0H Max S.E 11 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Stage 1 1. Application Form: completed, clearly stating your chosen commission site and title. Submission Requirements 2. Curriculum Vitae: no more than two typed pages including two referees. 3. Supporting Information: Documentation can be in the form of (max. ten 35mm slides, audio tape/CD/DVD/USB, publications and photographs. Any other relevant material). 4. Concept Proposal: One to two typed A4 pages outlining ideas and approach. 5. Visual Materials: clearly describing the proposal such as drawings, plans, publications or visual materials that best express the concept and scale. 6. Proposal Support Material: Include a plan for the realisation of the project as well as a budget outline and materials. 7. Ensure: That material supplied is sufficiently comprehensive and clearly labeled. Stage 2 A shortlist of three – five applicants will be paid a fee of €300 to research and develop Selection proposals and provide a detailed budget. Shortlisted artists will be invited to meet with the Specialist Panel to articulate further their ideas and practice. 12 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Selection Panel The Selection Panel will have representatives of Wicklow County Council, NRA and an Independent Professional Artist. Selection Criteria • Artistic merit and uniqueness of proposal • Response to geographic, social and cultural context • Meaningful response to location • Ability to realise the commission • Experience of working on a large scale commission 13 Site Specific Commission N11 Rathnew to Arklow Road Improvement Scheme Timeline Stage 1 deadline 28th August 2015 at 12 noon Stage 2 deadline 30th October 2015 at 12 noon Conditions • All successful applications are subject to the availability of funds.