For the closing event of Design Week Dublin 2026, Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey offered an illuminating look at the ideas, influences and craftsmanship behind their internationally acclaimed practice …
Internationally acclaimed architects Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey closed out the final day of Design Week Dublin, in partnership with Range Rover. The founders of O’Donnell + Tuomey, the Dublin practice they established in 1988, brought the week to a fitting finale as guests had an opportunity to hear directly from two of Ireland’s most influential architectural voices.
Sheila and John discussed recent work, and reflected on the principles that guide their work as well as an insight into their process, with the RIAI’s Dr Sandra Andrea O’Connell at Anantara The Marker Dublin.
Known for creating architecture of civic generosity and cultural richness, O’Donnell + Tuomey has delivered an impressive body of educational, cultural and public buildings across Ireland, the UK and Europe. The couple spoke in detail about some of their recent work including the V&A East Museum and Sadler’s Wells East in London’s East Bank cultural quarter as well as the rambling houses and hedge theatre in collaboration with Joseph Walsh. The work shows how they extend a practice that consistently considers architecture as something that belongs to and engages with its surroundings.
The conversation offered an insight into the thinking behind their work, from the relationship between buildings and their communities to the importance of landscape, materials and craftsmanship. Rather than treating architecture as an isolated object, their approach considers how people experience and inhabit a place, resulting in buildings that feel rooted in their setting while remaining distinctly contemporary.
Their contribution to architecture has been recognised internationally, most notably with the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, while in 2025 they received the RIAI Gandon Medal for Lifetime Achievement. Yet there was barely time to discuss awards, as the focus was firmly on the work itself and the ideas that have sustained their practice for more than three decades.
As the final event of Design Week Dublin, the conversation provided a thoughtful conclusion to a week of talks, debates and encounters across the design community, ending with a reminder of the lasting role architecture can play in shaping how we live, work and come together.
Photography: Conor Healy, Picture It Photography
For details of more Design Week Dublin events, in partnership with Range Rover, see designweekdublin.com.
