Google's European headquarters building in Dublin Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

THE IRISH ARM of US tech giant Google has lodged plans for a large public mural across seven storeys at its European HQ in Dublin that would incorporate interactive and virtual elements through Google’s own modern technology and AI tools.

In the planning application, Google Ireland Ltd is seeking planning permission for the 705 sqm ‘Urban Growth’ mural, at the northern elevation of South Bank House, Barrow Street in Dublin 4.

A planning report by John Spain & Associates states that the mural “will deliver an attractive and engaging public art installation to the area” and “also contribute positively to the overall vibrancy of the wider Boland’s Quay development”.

Architectural detail of the Irish headquarters building of the multinational Google Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Spain states that the proposal will provide an attractive replacement to the conventional exterior of the building but will also establish “a vibrant and collaborative element to the Google campus for the use of all”.

The mural is to be in place for 10 years and a maintenance plan has been submitted with the planning application.

Artist Sean Atmos has told the council that “with years of experience in painting some of the largest murals in Ireland, I believe this project will be the most substantial undertaking of its kind in the country to date”.

Sean Atmos mural called 'Mutual' in Ranelagh , Dublin. Sean Atmos on Instagram Sean Atmos on Instagram

At a pre-planning meeting with city planners on 8 January, Atmos and the applicant presented the proposal and Spain states that city planners were supportive of the mural design, its location that the mural would make a positive contribution to the streetscape.

Spain states that given the location of the mural on a building within the Google Campus and directly fronting Barrow Street, “the mural is visible to the public at all time”.

Google Ireland has lodged the plans after the applicant and artist undertook a series of community engagement meetings with members of the local community and wider interested parties prior to the final completion of the proposed mural design.

Artist, Sean Atmos has told the council that his mural “will play an important role in place-making for Bolands Mills, making a positive and inspiring contribution to the innovation and community cultivated within the urban environment today”

He said that the South Bank wall “stands at a point of direct contact between old and new, with its burgeoning community, contemporary developments, and beautifully restored historic buildings”.

The EU headquarters of Google on Barrow Street Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

In a design booklet lodged with the application, Atmos states that “the artwork will celebrate the character and iconic legacy of the area while simultaneously acting as a vibrant symbol of its growth”.

The mural will also have an augmented reality (AR) feature where viewers “can point their smartphones at the mural to see our bespoke, sensory friendly digital experience from our tranquil, seated space with plants and wild flowers”.

Some of the ideas that will be explored using AR involve displaying context behind the mural’s elements and animations that bring parts of the mural to life.

A plaque is to be placed on the wall explaining the mural with the proposed wording that “the artwork blends the industrial heritage of the Bolands Mills with the natural beauty of the Irishtown Nature Park, merging two distinct worlds in a harmonious, immersive art experience”.

A decision is due on the application in March.