Railway Works

The Railway Works Estate in Inchicore was built in 1846 by the Great Southern and Western Railway, an engineering centre and terraced houses for its workers.

The Residents Committee commissioned a piece for the electricity box at it's entrance which suffered from repeated graffiti. The design was to relate to the estate's proud history and deter future tagging. Virgin Media agreed and sponsored the materials.

During the process the shapes of the railway tracks became a strong design feature. High contrast and strong lines were employed to create a space with little clean canvas for taggers as it would interrupt legibility.

Using the idea of hiding letters in plain sight, a feature of tagging itself, the letters RAILWAY WORKS were made into a 3x4 grid. These letters then weaved across each other like the network of train lines that originate from the estate. To complete the piece, the two sides have train tracks running along them, paying homage to the history of the estate.

The work was well received by residents and workers alike. Children from the nearby Model School are often seen working out the words and pointing out letters to parents and grandparents.

& one year later = no tagging either