A major extension to the Cork Institute of Technology has won the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) for de Blacam and Meagher, in association with Boyd Barrett, Murphy O'Connor.
The award was presented by the President, Mrs McAleese, at a ceremony in Cork, where she later unveiled a plaque to mark the restoration by the local Civic Trust of No. 50 Pope's Quay, a rare 1730 Queen Anne-style building.
The RIAI Gold Medal is the highest honour in Irish architecture and is awarded triennially for the design of a building of exceptional merit completed within a three-year period - in this case, during the years 1995-97.
The extension to the Cork Institute of Technology was built in two phases - the Library wing, completed in 1994, and the Information Technology wing, completed in 1997. It was selected as the winner by an RIAI jury.
The jury was impressed by its "powerful architectural expression", its "dramatic fusion of spatial and structural form", its "imaginative use of detail and subtle references to local masonry traditions" and the rational organisation of its planning.
"Although some finishes used in the early constructional phase appeared to have suffered from hard use, the jury felt that the architects had achieved remarkable results within the constraints of a tight Department of Education building budget."
Commendations were awarded to Mr Shane O'Toole and Mr Michael Kelly, for The Ark children's cultural centre in Dublin's Temple Bar area, and O'Donnell and Tuomey Architects for the National Photographic Archive and DIT School of Photography, also in Temple Bar.
Both buildings were designed under the umbrella of Group 91, the consortium of architectural practices that produced the 1991 framework plan for developing Temple Bar as Dublin's "cultural quarter" and later designed several of its major buildings.
The jury's citation noted that The Ark combines a sensitive restoration of the facade of a 1720s Presbyterian church in Eustace Street with a complex programme for a children's cultural centre housing a 150-seat theatre, gallery, studio and ancillary facilities.
Its rear facade is dominated by a folding stage which had become "an iconic symbol for the precinct", the jury said, adding that The Ark "contributed considerably to the urban coherence and civic success of Meeting House Square as the hub of Temple Bar".
The jury's citation for the National Photographic Archive and DIT School of Photography referred to the "complex and dynamic spatial relationships" of its interior and said the building "makes a powerful impact on its surroundings" in Meeting House Square.
Speaking about the awards, the RIAI's director, Mr John Graby, said the standard of projects considered for the Gold Medal was exceptional. "It is proof positive that Irish architects are among the most innovative and talented in Europe," he declared.
"The projects shortlisted for the Gold Medal award have all developed into focal points of the local community."
