Visual

Somewhere incredible we love from across the Ryanair network

CARLOW, IRELAND
It doesn’t exactly look like an octopus from the outside but on the inside it’s certainly laid out like one. VISUAL, or to give it its full name, VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, in Carlow, is a multi-million-euro arts centre opening on 26 September. Designed by London-based firm Terry Pawson Architects, the building is clad all in translucent glass, giving an introspective feel to the galleries during the day and a glowing presence at night when the glass is lit from behind for theatre openings. The different-sized, incredibly bright gallery spaces extend like tentacles in numerous directions from a central hub known as the Link gallery which also functions as the entrance to the centre. Look out for VISUAL and its program of exhibitions from Irish and international artists into 2010 and beyond as it plants Carlow firmly on the world’s cultural map. Bring it on!