Watching the clock

WHAT is the collective term for a group of architects? "A jealousy of architects" was the kindest, most printable suggestion put forward at the Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI) awards this week - and that came from a paid up AAI member. Not that there was much carping on the night, with general agreement that this year's standard was high.

For the first time, the top prize was split between two buildings: the Ark (the children's cultural centre) and the Black Church Print Studios, both of which are in Temple Bar.

A delighted Shane O'Toole, who co designed the Ark with Michael Kelly, found the project particularly exciting not only because he got to work with the world famous architectural engineer Santiago Calatrava, who designed the massive Ark doors, but also because Shane's children Alice (10) and Tadg (5) acted as his special advisers on the job.

Derek Tynan picked up an embarrassment of awards and special mentions, one of which was for John Rocha's cool modern office and studio. He's currently at work on the plans for John's new shop in Grafton Street and says that they hope to be ready for business in August, just in time for autumn/winter stock.

One of the most interesting winners was David Hughes, a young architect who made a very striking, even glamorous, job out of the Dundalk Freight Depot - not a project that you would imagine had huge potential. But in David's hands it is now a gleaming metal building that looks like a cross between a railway carriage and an American diner.

There was much talk about the Clock in the Dock (or the Time in the Slime predictably the names are piling up) and the fact that it had to be taken out of the Liffey (to facilitate a boat race) almost immediately after, it had been unveiled, Twenty nine year old Grainne Hassett, who designed the Millennium Clock with her partner Vincent (Ducatez found the early rumours that the clock had been stolen highly amusing given that the thing weighs a massive six tonnes - making it unlikely that it will end up on someone's mantelpiece.