ONE IRELAND

A graphic and architectural exploration into the complex border between Ireland and British controlled Northern Ireland

Spring 2019 / University of Cincinnati

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

Capstone Design Thesis

The borders where two or more nations meet have long been the catalysts for conflict, contempt, and containment. These artificial boundaries offer a fascinating philosophical insight into humanity's need to organize and segregate itself. Crossings through these borders are often necessary and can be celebratory or hostile, acting as a gateway for some, and the last line of defense for others.

The mission of this project is to select one of these borders somewhere in the world, graphically explore its defining characteristics, and ultimately design an appropriate piece of architecture to address a specific conflict associated with it. Culturally significant details relating the border's history, political status, and demographics should all be incorporated into a design driven by innovation, creativity, iconic identity, functionality, and either integrated harmony or purposeful disharmony, depending on the narrative that is desired to be told.

With these parameters in mind, the distinctive partition between Ireland and The United Kingdom's territory of Northern Ireland was chosen. The tense historic relationship between these two nations, the currently evolving and unique political dilemma of Brexit, and the uncertainty over Northern Ireland's status within the UK all make this a fascinating border to study and address.

All information presented reflects the current status of this border as of April, 2019

AN INTRO TO THE BRITISH ISLES

It is often common to hear "Great Britain", "The United Kingdom", and "England" all used interchangeably to describe the same place. However, all of these names refer to a couple distinctly different entities. Within the British Isles, the group of islands located off the northwest coast of the European mainland, exist two independent countries: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (usually referred to simply as the United Kingdom, or UK) and the Republic of Ireland (usually referred to as Ireland).

The UK is actually a country made up of of four semi-autonomous constituent countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Due to this structure, the UK is often called "a country of countries". Three of these four constituent countries are located within Great Britain, the largest island in the British Isles. The fourth, Northern Ireland, is separated from the other three and located on about 20 percent of the island of Ireland. The independent Republic of Ireland, in turn, constitutes the remaining 80 percent of the island. The map below visually illustrates all of these borders and labels.

1922

1968

1998

2016

2019

THE PARTITION OF IRELAND

HERE COMES TROUBLE

THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT

BREXIT THREATENS THE PEACE

DRAMA, DISORDER, AND DOUBT

After over 100 years of British rule, Ireland, with a mostly Catholic population, gains a bitterly desired independence from the rest of the mostly Protestant United Kingdom. However, six northern counties in Ireland, with a majority Protestant population loyal to the British Crown, choose to remain part of the UK. A border is drawn dividing Ireland in two.

A few decades after the division, long simmering political and religious tensions violently erupt in Northern Ireland. Nationalists, who want Northern Ireland to rejoin the rest of Ireland clash with Unionists, who want it to remain part of the UK. The two sides are bitterly opposed for 30 years during a period now known as "The Troubles".

A landmark political agreement between the British and Irish governments informally ends "The Troubles". Northern Irish citizens are permitted to choose UK citizenship, Irish citizenship, or both. Allowing this choice, along with economically integrating the two countries through an open border, has ushered in an era of stable, but fragile peace ever since.

The UK narrowly passes a referendum to leave the European Union. The move becomes known as "Brexit". However, most Northern Irish citizens vote to stay in the Union. Several possible trade, customs, and immigration issues immediately arise between the UK and Ireland, all of which could easily resurface tensions in Northern Ireland.

After 3 failed attempts to pass a Brexit plan through Parliament, and several deadline extensions from the EU, the outcome is still up in the air. There is little public confidence that the heavily divided UK government will be able to agree on an effective plan, leaving many to fear what the future of the country will look like, especially those in Northern Ireland.

THE TROUBLES

The partition of Ireland in 1922 planted a seed for future problems to arise on the island. Everyone seemed unhappy with the division, wanting either the whole island to remain part of the UK, or become an independent nation, but not both.

In the late 1960’s, this building tension burst into a full scale conflict. Nationalist paramilitary groups, such as the Irish Republic Army (IRA), clashed with unionist groups and the occupying British military. Car bombings, riots, and murders became part of everyday life in Northern Ireland. For 30 years, the region was practically plunged into civil war.

The Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and both countries integration into the EU, effectively ended The Troubles. An open border was established, economically and politically linking Ireland and Northern Ireland and ushering in a new era of peace, stability, and prosperity for both sides.

British soldiers stop a man carrying a baby at a barricade in Belfast, Northern Ireland - Aug 16th, 1969

THE EUROPEAN UNION

The European Union (EU) is a joint political and economic union between 28 European nations. The UK and Ireland have both been members since 1973. A centralized government consisting of an elected president, parliament, and legal system is based in Brussels, Belgium. There are no border walls or customs checkpoints between most member nations, allowing for the free movement of people and goods across the continent. Several nations also share a common EU currency, the Euro, managed by the European Central Bank.

While not a sovereign country, the EU is similar to the United States in function. Both systems are comprised of independently governed territories, which participate in a single central government made up of elected representatives from those territories.

BREXIT: A DISUNITED KINGDOM

The UK's 2016 referendum to leave the European Union marked the first time a member state ever voted on withdrawal. The push for the referendum was largely driven by right wing populist politicians, such as UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who want to enact more conservative and isolationist trade, border, and immigration policies independent from the EU. However, the UK was, and still is, incredibly divided on the matter.

The election, held on June 23, 2016, resulted in a narrow 52% in favor of withdrawal and 48% opposed. England, with a population five times the rest of the UK combined, essentially determined the outcome. Even if every one of the 5.1 million votes cast in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland supported remaining, that number would still be nearly three times smaller than the 15.2 million leave votes cast solely in England. With these numbers in mind, its easy to see why many in these three countries feel that England forced a major political change on them that they did not want.

On every side though, the one thing almost everyone wants to avoid is the reinstatement of a hard border in Ireland with customs checkpoints. This result would produce a social, economic, and transit barrier between Ireland and Northern Ireland, threatening to reestablish old divisions and reignite historic tensions that the open border has largely mitigated.

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party - May, 2016

Brexit protesters gather at the Northern Irish border - Mar, 2019

UNITING IRELAND

The 105 mile long M1/A1 Motorway is a vital cross-border connection, linking Dublin, the capitol and largest city in Ireland with a metro population of 1,215,000, and Belfast, the capitol and largest city of Northern Ireland with a metro population of 630,000. Due to this highway's status as both a physical and symbolic link, its crossing point along the border was chosen as the site for this project.

This major border crossing is currently an invisible junction with uninterrupted traffic flow, located about 10-15 minutes from the cities of Dundalk, Ireland and Newry, Northern Ireland. Surrounded by gentle rolling farmland, there is ample space and opportunity for the introduction of a unifying piece of architecture.

AN ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE

To generate a piece of architecture that best responds to the Irish border, a stance must be taken on its status regarding Brexit and the EU. This project holds the position that a free and open border should be retained, as any other option would be detrimental to all sides involved. Therefore, the best form of architecture is a dynamic, unifying monument that acknowledges the troubled past of the border with interior exhibition space, while also projecting openness and peace into the future with uninterrupted traffic flow.

The design matrix below was developed to illustrate key concepts. In the first row, three desired actions are applied to the border. Three architectural adjectives then describe how to achieve those actions. Finally, three nouns then identify what built form best fits those adjectives. A combination of these forms then generates the design. The diagram below then expresses the progression and implementation of this design into a physical structure.