The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland has announced the winners of the 2021 RIAI Awards. The awards are given annually to acknowledge achievement in architecture and celebrate the quality of work carried out by RIAI members and the contribution registered architects make to the built environment. Projects submitted for the 2021 Awards were practically completed between 1 January and 31 December 2020.
Founded in 1839, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland supports and regulates the architectural profession and promotes the value that architecture brings to society for everyone’s benefit
Marking the 32nd year of the awards, the RIAI announced 17 Award Winners across all categories, including Adaption & Re-Use, Cultural or Public Buildings, Learning Environments, Wellbeing, Public Spaces, Workplace, Living, and International. The award winners include projects in Cork, Dublin, Donegal, Down, Leitrim, Limerick, Louth, Offaly, as well as Punjab, India.
The adaptation and reuse of our existing buildings – a sustainable response by architects to Climate Change – was particularly strong this year and the top award went to the transformation of the former anatomy school at University College Cork into a Student Hub by O’Donnell + Tuomey. An award for Conservation went to the sensitive restoration of the Swiss Cottage in Co. Leitrim, by Buckley Partnership Architects.
New student facilities got further recognition in this year’s awards with Student Civitas, Lee Point Student Accommodation, Cork sharing the top prize in the Living category, along with two outstanding private homes – House for a Gardener in Northern Ireland and Baltrasna House in Skerries, Co. Dublin.
Public projects amongst the winners include the renovation and retention of the original Garda Station building in Donegal Town by Rhatigan Architects which was a double award winner in both Cultural/Public Buildings and the Sustainability categories. A new extension to Scoil Uí Mhuirí in County Louth was given top prize in the Learning Environments category. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Architects Department’s COVID-19 response for placemaking from Blackrock to Sandycove and in Dundrum was a joint winner alongside King John’s Castle in Carlingford, Co. Louth in the Public Space Category.
The quality of Irish workplaces was recognised with two awards this year – North Dock by ABK Architects and Babel Academy of English by Stephen Mulhall, nineteeneighty studio for Fit-Out.
The award for Wellbeing was given to Healy Partner Architect’s The Padel Club in Limerick. The work of RIAI architects overseas was celebrated with McCullough Mulvin Architects' Learning Laboratory for Thapar University in Punjab, India – the winner in the International category.
A Special Award for Research through Practice was awarded to Ryan W Kennihan Architects for their work on Baltrasna House and Beach Road House. Finally, John McLaughlin Architects and Queen's University Belfast were awarded for their research in ‘Keeping it Modern’ addressing how to conserve the social and architectural ideals inherent in 20th century Modernism.
The RIAI Public Choice Award was announced earlier in the week with over 10,000 online votes being cast by members of the public. The winning submission was Field, Stonewall, House by Taylor McCarney Architects. The design for the house was conceived as a series of parallel field stone walls that fit seamlessly within the rural setting in the West of Ireland.
Ciaran O’Connor, RIAI President said: “The wide variety of projects included in this year’s shortlist demonstrates the diversity of great work being carried out by Irish architects across the country and further afield. Despite Covid-19 having an impact on construction projects delivered in the last 12 months, we received almost 150 entries for work complete in 2020 and the quality was exceptional. Architects are invaluable in how they enrich the communities we live in - our daily lives, our homes, schools and colleges, and the public spaces we enjoy. I would like to particularly congratulate the winner of our Public Choice award Taylor McCarney Architects for their exceptional design. Collaboration is at the heart of each of these projects so, we must also congratulate the clients and our colleagues on the design teams whose contribution is key in getting these results.”
Mícheál de Siún, MRIAI, Chair of the Jury, said: "It was a very exciting year to assess the awards with a very dedicated and engaged jury. The entries covered a very wide range of architectural programmes, themes and issues, and gave the jury a huge challenge as we assembled our shortlist. Across all categories there was strong awareness of issues of sustainability, recognising the importance of our existing building stock, while placemaking and the public realm also featured prominently. Housing, of course, was a huge category and it was encouraging to see so many innovative and creative solutions emanating from extraordinarily talented architects and, as always, public- and private-sector clients recognising the social, economic, and environmental benefits of good architecture."
The Jury members for the RIAI Irish Architecture Awards 2021 are:
Mícheál de Siún, MRIAI, deSuin Architecture, Chair; Paul Butler MRIAI, Butler Cammoranesi Architects; Isolde Dillon FRIAI; Marcus Donaghy MRIAI, Donaghy + Dimond Architects; Ronan Friel MRIAI, Pasparakis Friel – Architects; Jane Larmour, MRIAI, Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects; John Monahan, MRIAI, NOJI Architects; Siobhán Ní Éanaigh FRIAI McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects; Tom Sweetman, FRIAI, O'Mahony Pike Architects.
Winner: Student Hub, University College Cork
Architect: O'Donnell + Tuomey
Client: University College Cork
Winner: Swiss Cottage
Architect: Buckley Partnership Architects
Client: Private
Winner: Donegal Garda Station
Architect: Rhatigan Architects
Client: Office of Public Works
Winner: Thapar University Learning Laboratory
Architect: McCullough Mulvin Architects
Client: Thapar University
Winner: Scoil Uí Mhuirí, Dunleer
Architect: McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects
Client: Louth and Meath Education and Training Board
Winner: House for a Gardener
Architect: LiD Architecture
Client: Private
Winner: Baltrasna House
Architect: Ryan W Kennihan Architects
Client: Private
Winner: Student Civitas - Lee Point Student Accommodation
Architect: Scott Tallon Walker Architects
Client: BAM Property Ltd. and GSA (Global Student Accommodation)
Winner: C-19 Response Placemaking - Mobility - Liveability
Architect: DLR Architects, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Architects’ Department
Client: Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
Winner: King John's Castle, Carlingford
Architect: Howley Hayes / Office of Public Works
Client: Office of Public Works
Winner: Keeping it Modern
Architect: John McLaughlin Architects and Queen's University Belfast
Client: Getty Foundation
Winner: The Padel Club
Architect: Healy Partners Architects
Client: Private
Winner: Fit-out for Babel Academy of English
Architect: Stephen Mulhall, nineteeneighty studio
Client: Babel Academy of English
Winner: North Dock
Architect: ABK Architects
Client: Targeted Investment Opportunities (TIO)
Research through Practice
Winner: Ryan W Kennihan Architects for Baltrasna House and Beach Road House
Client: Private
Winner: Donegal Garda Station
Architect: Rhatigan Architects
Client: Office of Public Works
Winner: Field, Stonewall, House
Architect: Taylor McCarney Architects
Client: Private
The RIAI Building for All / Universal Design Award, in partnership with the CEUD, will be announced at the RIAI Conference on 4 November together with the RIAI Future Award and the RIAI Student Awards.
The Jury also selected a further 32 projects for ‘Exhibition’ which are featured on the RIAI website.
Highly Commended
Thomas Street
Architect: Lawrence and Long Architects
Client: Oakmount
Highly Commended
Georgian Townhouse on Merrion Square
Architect: Howley Hayes Architects
Client: Private
Commended
Dublin Bus Garage Broadstone
Architect: Iarnrod Eireann Architects
Client: Dublin Bus
Highly Commended
Butler Gallery
Architect: McCullough Mulvin Architects
Client: Kilkenny County Council
Highly Commended
Kingston University - Town House
Architect: Grafton Architects
Client: Kingston University
Highly Commended
Extension to Brairhill National School, Galway
Architect: Paul Dillon Architects
Client: Board of management, Briarhill national School
Highly Commended
Extension to Davis College, Mallow
Architect: Wilson Architecture
Client: Cork Education and Training Board (CETB)
Highly Commended
Coal Lane House
Architect: Graham O'Sullivan Architects
Client: Private
Highly Commended
House at Kimmage
Architect: Steve Larkin Architects
Client: Private
Highly Commended
House at Slyguff
Architect: Steve Larkin Architects
Client: Private
Highly Commended
Ropemaker Place
Architect: Henry J Lyons
Client: Marlet Property Group
Highly Commended
Ailesbury Refurbishment
Architect: Clancy Moore Architects
Client: Private
Highly Commended
Beach Road House
Architect: Ryan W Kennihan Architects
Client: Private
Highly Commended
Easton Lodge
Architect: Lawrence and Long Architects
Client: Private
Highly Commended
Smithfield House
Architect: Studio Anois
Client: Private
Commended
Field, Stonewall, House
Architect: Taylor McCarney Architects
Client: Private
Commended
Deanrock Housing Project
Architect: Cork City Council - City Architects Department
Client: Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage
Commended
Everogue Lane, Social Housing Scheme, Crossgar
Architect: Hall Black Douglas Architects
Client: Clanmill Housing Association
Commended
Highfield Park
Architect: DTA Architects
Client: GSA - Global Student Accommodation
Commended
Cliff House
Architect: Karen Brownlee Architects
Client: Private
Commended
Shandon House
Architect: Ryan W Kennihan Architects
Client: Private
Public Space
Commended
Tobar Place
Architect: NOJI Architects
Client: Sligo County Council’s Enterprise Development Unit
Highly Commended
70 St. Stephen’s Green
Architect: Wejchert Architects
Client: Irish Life Assurance plc
Highly Commended
Pembroke Square
Architect: Lafferty Architects
Client: Hammerson PLC
Commended
Tyndall National Institute Phase 3
Architect: Scott Tallon Walker Architects
Client: National University of Ireland, Cork
Highly Commended
Bray Primary Care Centre
Architect: Henry J Lyons
Client: Bray Primary Care DAC
Commended
Sligo Adult Mental Health Unit
Architects: Wejchert Architects
Client: Health Service Executive North West
Highly Commended
Irish Stock Exchange
Architect: Henry J Lyons
Client: Euronext (Irish Stock Exchange)
The RIAI Irish Architecture Awards 2020 include the following Award Categories:
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