Dublin City Council Completes Refurbishment of 16 Eustace Street, Restoring Eight Artist Studios to the Cultural Heart of Temple Bar

Dublin City Council is pleased to announce the completion of refurbishment works at 16 Eustace Street, an 18th‑century townhouse in the centre of Temple Bar that has housed artists since the early 1980s. The restoration was finalised in December 2025, bringing eight high‑quality artist studios back into active use.

This achievement follows the successful renovation of the neighbouring 11 Eustace Street, completed in 2023, which delivered an additional six studios. Together, these historic buildings represent a significant investment in strengthening Dublin’s cultural infrastructure and supporting the city’s long‑established creative community.

Welcoming the project, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam said, "Celebrating Dublin means celebrating the people who give this city its colour, its edge, its stories, and our artists are at the very heart of that. Reopening 16 Eustace Street as high-quality studio space is more than the restoration of a beautiful historic building; it’s a statement of intent that creativity belongs in the centre of our capital, not pushed to the margins. By bringing eight studios back into active use, alongside the six delivered at 11 Eustace Street. Dublin City Council is investing in the everyday work of making, experimenting and imagining that keeps Dublin culturally alive. I’m proud to see this 18th-century townhouse carefully conserved and returned to the creative community, where it can once again support the next generation of work that will shape Dublin’s identity for years to come."

Originally acquired by Temple Bar Properties during the area’s regeneration in the 1990s, both buildings now fall under the remit of the Temple Bar Cultural Trust (TBCT) Project Team, part of Dublin City Council’s Culture, Community, Leisure & Area Services Department.

The refurbishment of both properties was overseen by the TBCT Project Team in collaboration with Arthur Gibney & Co. (Architecture) Ltd. As protected structures, the buildings required a careful, conservation‑led approach. Key architectural features—including original staircases, balustrades, and decorative cornices—were sensitively preserved. At the same time, the studios were upgraded to meet the needs of contemporary artistic practice.

Artists began moving into their new workspaces in early January, supported through TBCT's partnership with Independent Artist Studios Ltd., who will manage day‑to‑day studio administration.

ENDS