Five winning projects across three Irish practices …
Now in its tenth year, the annual Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) is an international architecture award recognising design excellence, created to advance the appreciation and exposure of quality architectural design worldwide. With thousands of submissions from 72 countries this year, AMP winners represent the embodiment of global excellence in architecture, interior, landscape, product design and photography.
With no Irish winners in 2024, this year’s awards in LA saw Irish studios winning for five projects across three practices. Dublin-based Róisín Lafferty won for Montenotte Hotel’s Woodland Suites and Infinity House in hospitality and residential interiors, while Rain Ann Design and Third Mind Design in Blackrock, Dublin and Quinta do Lago, Portugal won in the same categories for their projects, Casa Rose and Grindstone Coffee. O’Donnell + Tuomey, also based in Dublin, were recognised with a Lifetime Achievement award.
O’Donnell + Tuomey won for their Sadler’s Wells project to create a new cultural quarter on Stratford Waterfront at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Working with Buro Happold, Charcoalblue and LDA Design, the Irish firm regenerated a former industrial brownfield site to provide a flexible dance theatre and studios. The building bookends a terrace of cultural buildings, with saw-tooth rooflines taking inspiration from local warehouses and factories. The venue features an L-shaped public ‘living room’ to foster creativity and community engagement, with access for the local community.
Róisín Lafferty’s Montenotte Woodland Suite Experience reimagines hospitality through nest-like forms cantilevered above the trees, overlooking Cork City and the River Lee. Completed in 2024 by Róisín Lafferty in collaboration with Henry J Lyons, natural tones and textures in nine suites mirror the woodland, while charred timber and sedum roofs embed sustainability. The result is a restorative retreat where luxury and nature co-exist in comfort.
Reimagined in 2019 by Róisín Lafferty and Dublin Design Studio, Infinity House unites 19th-century heritage with sculptural modernism on a 2.5-acre coastal site. Preserving the historic villa while adding a bold extension, a striking connector with a handcrafted stone staircase and curved marble staircase links old and new as sculptural focal points, blending architecture, interior and landscape. Balancing spaciousness with intimacy, the design emphasises flow and light while celebrating craftsmanship with floor-to-ceiling glazing showcasing panoramic sea views, merging the home beautifully with its natural surroundings.
Róisín Lafferty said of her wins; “We won best residential project in 2023 with The Farm, so it’s brilliant to win again. For me, the essence of design is always at the core of what we do. The concept and story is never compromised. From there, it’s about creating depth, detail and harnessing craftmanship to bring our vision to life. Infinity House is a project we worked on for many years, every detail considered and designed. It’s very special for us, so we’re delighted to see it appreciated internationally. It’s also a privilege to see our hospitality commercial work celebrated. Montenotte Woodland Suites were creatively led from the start. A truly unique luxury hotel offering set within the Irish landscape, this project was both challenging and rewarding. It’s wonderful to see more Irish designers recognised globally as the Irish design world is growing year on year. The talent and creativity in our country is abundant. Definitely cause for celebration!”.
Rain Ann Design’s Casa Rose transforms a 1970s detached Dublin house into a Mediterranean-inspired villa filled with light and sculptural detail. Designed by Max and Emily Fedorov with Drew Lyons who reconfigured the traditional three-bed house into a spacious four-bedroom home, featuring a double-height rear extension, sweeping arches, terracotta vaulted ceilings and limewashed curves. Materiality drives the transformation with travertine used as a consistent language from herringbone floors to carved sinks, bespoke lighting and tableware. Two-tone microcement completes the palette, earthy taupe wrapping islands, dining and bathroom walls while terracotta enriches ceilings, counters and wet areas with colour and depth.
Grindstone Coffee’s two Dublin venues, Boland Mills and Dublin Landings, were designed in parallel as a dual expression of one brand identity. Both began as bare shells and were transformed by Third Mind Design into vibrant hospitality spaces with terracotta microcement, green patina tiles, mirrored detailing and custom pendant lighting. Irish oak counters frame views of city and water, with versatile retail displays. Each venue balances industrial grit with crafted warmth, creating consistent yet distinct interiors that elevate independent coffee culture in Ireland.
Max Fedorov, owner and creative director at Rain Ann and Third Mind Design said of the news; “Myself and Emily, my wife and business partner, never set out expecting this kind of recognition, but it’s reassuring that our work resonates beyond our own context. It’s a milestone for Irish design worldwide. What’s encouraging is not just the number of awards, but the diversity of work. It suggests a growing confidence among Irish studios to develop their own voices rather than follow international trends, and to compete globally without diluting their identity. Seeing multiple independent studios recognised feels less like an exception and more like a shift in ambition. These are practices operating from Ireland, building work slowly and thoughtfully, and still holding their own alongside some of the most established names internationally who have won this year, such as Shigeru Ban, Zaha Hadid and many other greats. I studied Shigeru Ban’s work in college and based a lot of my thinking around his methodology and aesthetics, so receiving a design award in the same competition is a surreal moment.”
