Work is to soon begin on an interpretative centre at the General Post Office in Dublin which will form the centrepiece of the Easter Rising centenary commemorations. 

Located in the courtyard of the building, which has been out of bounds to the public since the Easter Rising, the centre will be over 1,600 square metres and is expected to attract 300,000 visitors per year.  

One of the main construction elements will be a new podium which will form a large gallery area that will tell a chronological story of the uprising. A sculptured garden including a memorial to children killed during the Rising will also be built.

'We wanted to turn the whole building into active use,' said Architect Brian Kavanagh. 'There was a poor level of public engagement with the GPO.'

The interpretative centre is due to open on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016.