allan . curran . architects

The shed at Stranorlar

The shed at Stranorlar could be called a primitive building type, as it was built using local knowledge, building materials and labour, and was (is) very functional. Windows and doors are only where they need to be. At the same time, the shed has to do with ideas of growth and harvest, summer and winter, shelter and the order and routine of life that is dependent on nature. It is this spirit that Le Corbusier wanted to capture at Ronchamp. Perhaps the random nature of the windows, set in the frame of the heavy, solid walls, allowing light to penetrate the darkness inside, expresses this best.

It is interesting that the renowned Derry architect, Liam McCormick, was very influenced by the chapel at Ronchamp, and we can see the effect of this in his well- known chapels at Burt and Creeslough. Indeed, the windows to the side of the main door at Creeslough are very similar in shape to those at Ronchamp, and every bit as beautiful, albeit on a much smaller scale. At least we can be sure that Liam McCormick was aware of our local farm buildings when he sat down to design the chapel at Creeslough. Because of this, we can trace a circle from our simple farm building in Stranorlar through arguably the greatest building of the twentieth century, and back again to one of Donegal’s finest pieces of architecture, in Creeslough.