Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council invited artists to submit proposals for a permanent public artwork, specifically a sculpture, for the grounds of the new homeless residential unit at Bentley Villias at the junction of Clarence Street & Georges Place in Dún Laoghaire.

This new residential unit is for crisis homelessness; the building will provide thirteen apartments and ancillary accommodation for the homeless. The ground floor will accommodate a Day Care Centre with small lounge and dining area and rooms for rough sleeping. The site is on a prominent corner in central Dún Laoghaire and will consist of a five-storey structure finished in a mixture of white rendered walls and pre-patinated copper cladding.

Sandra Bell was selected as the artist to create a piece of permanent sculpture, which will be sited close to the main entrance of the building. Sandra educated in Newry, Dundalk and at Glengara Park, Co. Dublin. She is a self-taught sculptor using the "Lost Wax Method" for bronze casting. There are many different influences in her sculpture - Celtic, Classical, African and yet all her pieces have a uniqueness. Her work is based on the human form, abstracting it to eliminate detail so that only the essential essence of the figure remains. Sandra has exhibited widely in Ireland and abroad and her work is included in numerous public and private collections.

Sandra's sculpture for Bentley Villas will be installed in October 2006.

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