Piling is due to commence on the site of our International Rugby Experience in Limerick. The tight urban site is on the edge of a conservation area within the city’s Georgian Quarter and the challenge for us is to create a civic building that sits comfortably within the fine grain of the Georgian context. Once complete, the building will be a will be a new cultural institution and visitor experience to showcase the worldwide game of rugby.
Whilst visiting New Zealand as guest lecturer for the 2014 Futuna Lecture Series, Niall McLaughlin was interviewed by Kim Hill for the Saturday Morning Show on Radio New Zealand. During the 40 minute conversation they discussed ideas behind a range of the practice’s projects including a private house on Ireland’s west coast, the athletes’ housing scheme for the London Olympics and an apartment block for the Peabody Trust in Silvertown.
The conversation also drew in wider architectural themes, touching on contemporary attitudes to construction and sustainability, Modernism’s tendency towards introversion, and the increasing disconnect between abstract ideas and built form.
Niall concluded the conversation saying, “I do think that buildings should be embodiments of ideas, and people working with architects should be confident to say, ‘These are my ideas. What kind of buildings can you make out of them.’ ”
To listen to the full interview click here.