The Bolands Mills project is as a striking example of how heritage, contemporary art, and advanced manufacturing can work in an urban setting. Working with Begley Hutton Brand Consultants and artist Sean Atmos, Graepels played a pivotal role in transforming a historic industrial site into a visually compelling landmark. Our task: translate the mill’s rich narrative into a large-scale public installation using precision-perforated steel panels.

Bolands Mills has been part of Dublin’s flour milling legacy for over 130 years, located along the River Liffey. While its industrial functions have long since ceased, its cultural imprint remains deeply embedded in the city’s identity. The core challenge of this project was to create a public structure that preserves and celebrates that legacy while speaking to today’s urban vibrancy.

Begley Hutton shaped the historical narrative, guiding Sean Atmos to weave together text and modern graphic motifs. Atmos, known for his dynamic visual language, infused the design with colour and energy, balancing reverence with modernity. The concept: fuse literal historic references with bold, contemporary art.

Graepels’ unique role was to bring that vision to life using our proprietary Alpha‑Perf perforating process. Over 15 custom panels, historic text—gleaned from “The Irish Builder” publications dating back over a century—was precisely milled into the steel. Each letter and motif was individually punched, transforming steel façades into legible, evocative scripts that narrate the mill’s historic ambiance!

Beyond text, the installation was about light, shadow, materiality, and presence. Stainless steel was selected for its resilience to Dublin’s waterside climate; an environmentally friendly powder coat ensured lasting vibrancy while protecting the surface. The perforations themselves serve multiple functions: they cast dynamic shadows, allow natural light to filter through, offer transparency, and create visual interaction between observer and structure.

Production demanded meticulous digital design and programming—every panel required exact-hole placement and pixel-level clarity to ensure the text reads clearly across diverse viewing angles. Following fabrication, every perforation was examined for precision, ensuring consistent edge definition and structural integrity. This was time consuming but necessary and an important element of the attention and detail we were committed to delivering.

We describe the project as “a story milled into steel”—and that tale was brought to life through artists, manufacturing and technical finesse. The perforated panels offer a unique interplay of past and present: historic inscriptions that glow and shift with the sun, set against dynamic visual motifs that echo Ireland’s cultural resurgence.

While Graepels led on panel manufacture, OMC coordinated with us on design alignment and managed installation frames on-site. Their careful integration of steel frames allowed seamless grounding of the panels into the built environment, ensuring cohesion and structural reliability.

This project overcame several complexities: aligning text to large façades, balancing perforation density with structural strength, and coordinating with public planners and contractors. Yet through procedural excellence—a three-month production cycle, digital precision, and multi-phase quality checks—Graepels delivered on time and to exacting specifications.

The result is more than screening—it’s public art. The panels serve as cultural fixtures within Dublin’s cityscape, inviting passersby to stop, read, reflect, and connect. They transform static architecture into narrative experiences, merging industrial heritage with artistic vibrancy.

By harnessing our Alpha‑Perf technology to fuse storytelling and visual art within stainless steel, Graepels has elevated perforation from a functional process into a medium for cultural preservation. The Bolands Mills screens are a testament to how precision fabrication, creative collaboration, and innovative design practices can reanimate historic sites and shape a richer urban identity.

The Bolands Mills project is a powerful example of how steel can be transformed from a functional material into a vehicle for storytelling, place-making, and cultural renewal. Through the use of Graepels’ innovative Alpha-Perf —an advanced perforation process that forms readable text and imagery directly from steel—this project elevates architectural cladding/screening into an expressive, narrative-driven installation.

Located at one of Dublin’s most historically significant industrial sites, the project honours the mill’s legacy by literally “milling the story into steel.” Each bespoke panel features historic text from 19th-century issues of The Irish Builder, telling the story of the original flour mills in the very fabric of the new development. These panels are not just decorative—they are immersive, light-permeable, and legible sculptural elements that connect the past to the present.

This project pushes the boundaries of traditional steel usage by combining heritage, design, and fabrication innovation. The precise punching of individual letters and motifs required advanced CNC programming and rigorous quality control to ensure readability, structural integrity, and design fidelity. The inclusion of vibrant contemporary artwork by artist Sean Atmos adds a second visual layer—juxtaposing industrial history with the energy of modern Irish design.

Material choice was equally thoughtful. Stainless steel was selected for its long-term resilience in a coastal city environment, and the panels were finished with an eco-friendly powder coating to enhance durability and environmental performance. The end result is not only robust and weather-resistant but also low-maintenance and sustainable—demonstrating steel’s continued relevance in high-performance architecture.

Collaboration was a cornerstone of the project’s success. Graepels worked hand-in-hand with branding consultants, artists, and the installation contractor (OMC) to ensure seamless delivery from concept to completion. The result is a high-quality architectural feature that enriches the urban environment, promotes public engagement, and tells a story unique to Ireland’s industrial and cultural identity.

The Bolands Mills panels go far beyond conventional screening—they demonstrate how perforated steel can serve as a meaningful storytelling medium. By blending precision manufacturing, material innovation, and visual design, this project stands as a testament to the potential of steel in artful, narrative-driven urban design.

For its technical excellence, cultural significance, and creative ambition, the Bolands Mills perforated screen project is a standout contender for the Irish Steel Awards.