The Helix, Dublin
building
The Helix, formally The Helix Centre for the Performing Arts, is a multi-purpose venue located on the Dublin City University main campus in Glasnevin, Dublin. Officially opened by then President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, on 16 October 2002, the Helix contains a concert hall, theatre, studio theatre, exhibition space, artists-in-residence studios, and a green room and other support spaces, along with an in-site café.
History
Originally conceived as an aula maxima for the university, and also as the "North Dublin (Performing) Arts Centre," the Helix was built at a cost of €56.5 million between 1996 and mid-1998.
Design and features
The Helix was designed by the late Polish-born Dublin-based architect Andrzej Wejchert of A&D Wejchert & Partners Architects. It is a three-level building with elevations of contrasting glass and granite, and with an open void through which light spills from the roof. The 11,650 square metres of the building are built around a wide foyer with inclined columns and a helix-shaped stairway - the building was named for the helical structure that dominates the entrance.
The performance spaces include the main concert hall, "The O'Mahony Hall," main Helix theatre, "The Space" - a studio theatre, exhibition space, artists-in-residence studios, and a green room, while ancillary spaces include a café, box office, small shop, toilets and other amenities.
Performances and events
The Helix has been host to world-class performances ranging from Zach Bryan, the Russian State Philharmonic Orchestra, The St Petersburg Ballet, international theatre and world singers through to popular West End shows. Opera singers performing have included Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Lesley Garrett and Bryn Terfel. Rock musicians Van Morrison and Lou Reed have also played at the venue.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “The Helix, Dublin” is building. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Helix, Dublin and building, not as a finished interpretation.
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Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7739337. Authority coordinates are 53.386, -6.259. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2002, 1996 and 1998.
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This entry incorporates text from “The Helix, Dublin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.