Trinity’s golden ball, situated outside the Berkeley Library, underwent a huge cleaning and restoration project over the summer. Meanwhile work on the Rubrics is “drawing to a conclusion” but will not be entirely finished by the time students move in on Wednesday 1st October.
Trinity’s golden ball, situated outside the Berkeley Library, underwent a huge cleaning and restoration project over the summer. Meanwhile work on the Rubrics is “drawing to a conclusion” but will not be entirely finished by the time students move in on Wednesday 1st October.
The ‘Pomodoro Sphere within a Sphere’ is one of Trinity’s most infamous pieces of artwork. Created by sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, it is one of a large collection of similar spheres that are hosted in political, religious and educational centres around the world.
Trinity’s Pomodoro Sphere was a present to the college in 1982 from Mr Pomodoro himself. This summer, the ball was part of a full restoration project as both the internal and external parts were repaired. The first section of the project involved ‘engineering restructuring to repair the bearing in order to restore the movement function’ of the ball which spins when pushed. The second element restored the finish of the previously grimy globe.
While it is a familiar aspect of Trinity, there seem to be no definitive explanations as to what the ball means. Some explanations across the world include the idea that the internal ball represents earth while the larger ball denotes Christianity thus envoking the thought that religion is larger than the world. Others say the fractured sphere ‘reveals a complex inner sphere that represents the harsh difficulties of the modern world at the end of the second millenium’.
Still more say the internal machinery of cogs and gears are ‘akin to the complex interlocking systems of language or of organic bodies’. Similar balls are found in the Vatican Museums, the United Nations Headquarters, the University of California and the Guggenheim museum.
The restoration project saw the ball barricaded off and enclosed in a small hut for a number of months. Hall Conservation of England carried out the project while Mr. Agostino Ragusa – who was specially recommended to the college by Mr. Pomodoro himself – oversaw the restoration. The College could not reveal how much the project cost.
Simultaneously, the Rubrics building, situated in New Square, has undergone a major renovations project. Damaged brickwork, windows, roof tiles and reveals were repaired while the exterior was cleaned and repainted. The Accommodation Office is carrying out a concurrent project redecorating student rooms on the top floor.
This renovations project cost an estimated total of €750,000 – €800,000 and has been carried out over 3-4 months. Staff residents were not relocated and according to the Communications Office students do not normally occupy rooms during the long vacation.
Although the project is close to completion, the scaffolding will not begin to be removed until 2 days after students have moved into the residences. Work will then continue for a further two weeks after this date.
At the time of going to print, college commented ‘it is hoped that the rooms will be available for student occupancy by student residents from 1 October.’
