Three leading Irish architects share insights into designing across borders, from navigating different cultures to the opportunities that come with working on ambitious projects overseas …
Day two of Design Week Dublin closed with a lively conversation among three Irish architects with extensive experience working on some of the world’s most significant cultural, residential and public projects, formidably moderated by architect Amanda Bone.
Julia Loughnane, a director at David Chipperfield Architects, Ronan Dunphy, an Associate at Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and John McElgunn, Senior Director at RSHP, shared insights into the opportunities and challenges that come with working across borders, drawing on projects spanning Europe, the US and Asia.
For Julia, whose current work includes a new art museum in Slovenia and the restoration and conversion of Edinburgh’s historic Jenners building, working overseas demands an openness to place, history and context. She shared the need for architects to “work with what we have if we’re serious about the climate carbon challenge” and how architects need to be part of the conversation.
Ronan’s experience at Renzo Piano Building Workshop has taken him from Istanbul, to Paris, Italy and China, with a particular focus on museums and cultural projects. His international experience offered a fascinating insight into the collaborative nature of large-scale architecture, where teams, cultures and disciplines come together around a shared vision.
Meanwhile, John brought a valuable perspective from RSHP, with a portfolio that includes complex public and cultural buildings, from the British Museum and British Library to the Louvre’s conservation and storage facility in northern France. He highlighted just how much architecture is shaped by the practical realities of working internationally, navigating different regulations and construction cultures to understand how people use and experience buildings in different places.
Ultimately, their shared experiences reveal that working at the highest levels overseas is as much about listening, learning and adapting as it is about designing.
Some guests made a quick dash to the Gerard Byrne Gallery on Trinity Street to join interior architect Maria Fenlon, art specialist James O’Halloran, property expert Helena Hart and interior designer Deirdre Coleman for a conversation on the importance of art within considered interiors.
Photography: Fintan Clarke
For details of more Design Week Dublin events, in partnership with Range Rover, see designweekdublin.com
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