An exhibition opening in Kilkenny today will provide a window on the past and, it is hoped, the future appearance of the city.
"Conserving Kilkenny's Windows" aims to highlight the potential of timber windows and discourage the trend towards replacing them, particularly in historic buildings, with the PVC variety.
Mr Michael Starrett, chief executive of the Heritage Council, which is based in Kilkenny, said the traditional timber sash window had been an integral part of the city's architectural heritage since the 1700s, "yet recent years have seen a marked shift towards PVC".
It is not, of course, a uniquely Kilkenny phenomenon, but perhaps its effects are more keenly felt in a city which prides itself on its rich architectural heritage.
The exhibition will have two elements, one drawing on the national experience and the other dealing with the situation in Kilkenny.
The project grew out of a successful exhibition organised last year by the Dublin Civic Trust, which has since been shown at various centres throughout the State.
Ms Mary Hanna, architectural officer with the Heritage Council, said the exhibition highlighted the fact that modern windows did not look right in historic buildings. There were other issues as well, such as the fact that older buildings had to be allowed to "breathe" and let moisture escape, and were not designed for windows which sealed everything in.
"People say that modern windows last for ever, but I look at 200-year-old timber windows and think, `Well, they haven't done badly'. They got a bad name in the 1970s, but the timber being used then was not of the right quality. That has been addressed, and the timber windows you get now are very good."
The exhibition will be opened at 1 p.m. at 29 James's Street (formerly Wigoders) by the Mayor of Kilkenny, Mr Tony Patterson.
