The new medical education building belonging to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, designed by Henry J Lyons, fought off tough competition from a shortlist of 32 projects to take the top prize at the RIAI Irish Architecture Awards for 2018.
This is the second Public Choice win for Henry J Lyons and architect Peter McGovern, who also took the prestigious prize in 2010 for the new Criminal Courts of Justice.
The ten-storey, 10,000 sq m building (pictured) incorporates four basement levels due to planning height restrictions in Dublin’s historic city centre. The brief covered a complex programme of spaces on a compact urban site, including technically advanced simulated environments for clinical and surgical training, a new library, auditorium and sports facility.
The building provides medical students, surgical trainees and staff with modern facilities, and supports the diverse demands of healthcare education while also encouraging social interaction.
Scoil Phádraig, a primary school in Westport designed by SJK Architects, took second place. The design of the 16-classroom, 2,400 sq m building creates a new public space and link to a pedestrian and cycle greenway. Each of the 16 classrooms is a distinctive colour, while coloured window frames relate to the stained glass windows in the next-door church. Coloured paving leads children from town street to school entrance and coloured ceiling panels guide them along the circulation to their classrooms. A tiered amphitheatre provides a playful outdoor classroom.
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Third prize went to One Microsoft Place, the tech giant’s Dublin campus in Leopardstown, designed by RKD Architects. The design sought to unify the company’s diverse workforce in one place, while also reflecting the capital’s intimate neighbourhoods, within the broad scale of its mountains, peaks and valleys. The judges said that the project “above all delivers the complex technical and operational needs of fourth generation environments”.
RIAI president David Browne said: “The winning project demonstrates the importance of investing in our educational sector and architects’ ability to deliver outstanding buildings in complex urban settings. This is the tenth year that members of the public have had an opportunity to vote on their favourite architectural project and the high number of votes cast demonstrates how passionate we as a nation are about the environments in which we live, work and relax.
“The shortlist was made up of exceptional projects including residential homes, commercial spaces, schools, healthcare facilities, heritage locations and public spaces, and it’s encouraging that Irish people recognise the value that Irish architects add to all aspects of the built environment, supporting Ireland’s educational, economic and social infrastructure.”
2018 Category Winners
Best Commercial / Workplace
1WML Office and Mixed-Use Development, Dublin by MOLA Architecture
AND
Fallahogey Studio, Kilrea, Coleraine by McGarry Moon Architects
Best Conservation / Restoration
No 14 Henrietta Street, Tenement Museum Dublin by Shaffrey Architects
Best Culture or Public Building
National Gallery of Ireland, Refurbishment of Historic Wings, Dublin by Heneghen Peng Architects with Blackwood Associates Architects (Conservation Architect)
Best Educational Building
Scoil Phádraig, Westport, Co. Mayo by SJK Architects
AND
No 26 York Street, RCSI, Dublin, Henry J Lyons
Best Fit-Out
Meath County Council HQ, Co. Meath by Bucholz McEvoy Architects
AND
Triggerfish Cookshop, Co. Dublin by Darragh Breathnach
Best Health Building
Northwest Cancer Centre, Derry by O'Connell Mahon Architects with Isherwood and Ellis Architects
Best House
Vaulted House, Dublin by GKMP Architects
Best House Extension
St Catherine’s, Dublin by Ryan W. Kennihan Architects
Best Housing
Clancy Quay, Phase 2, Dublin by O’Mahony Pike Architects with Lindsay Conservation Architects
Best Public Place
Port Centre Precinct, Dublin by Darmody Architecture
AND
DLR Red Jetty, Co. Dublin by A2 Architects and Alan Meredith Studio
Best International
Thapar University Student Accommodation, India by McCullough Mulvin
Future Award
John Monahan, Noji Architects
Sustainability
The Mews, Co. Dublin by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Architects Department
Universal Design
Newry Leisure Centre, Newry by Kennedy FitzGerald Architects LLP
Special Jury Award
No 14 Henrietta Street, Tenement Museum Dublin by Shaffrey Architects
