The Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) is to present the EUmies Award Exhibition in the Printworks, Dublin Castle, from January 16 to February 14, 2024. This touring exhibition presents models, texts, videos, sketches and drawings of the 40 shortlisted works – among them the first Irish winner and the 13 Irish nominees for the 2024 award.
The exhibition features great examples of the best of European architecture, including innovative solutions in housing, workplaces, and urban regeneration. It shows that cities and countries across Europe are experiencing similar challenges, and some great solutions exists for these.
The EUmies Award is the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture and the highest honour for a building in Europe.
In 2022 the EUmies Award was awarded for the first time to an Irish practice, Grafton Architects, for Town House at Kingston University in London.
Healthier, sustainable and resilient environments for society
Sean Mahon, RIAI’s newly elected president said: “From urban green spaces to affordable housing and innovative designs, architecture can make a difference in creating healthier, sustainable and resilient environments for society.
"Architects are playing a key role in providing solutions to many of the challenges we face today both in Ireland and across all regions of the EU. This exhibition is one way of highlighting transformational architectural solutions, from the smallest scale to the large-scale planning of our towns and cities, and allows us to reconsider and challenge our current ways of thinking of what is possible and achievable.
"High -quality architecture is the essential foundation of our National Policy on Architecture and New European Bauhaus.
"The RIAI is delighted to support the EUmies Awards exhibition and to showcase to the public the contribution architects can make to our environment, our people and our future.”
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects said: “We are very proud to be the first Irish architectural practice to receive this highly prestigious European award. We believe this to be an endorsement of the rich Architectural Culture which exists in Ireland.”
Since 1988, the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe of Barcelona have been jointly responsible for this prestigious biennial award, which recognises and commends excellence in the field of architecture and draws attention to the important contribution of European professionals in the development of new ideas and technologies.
Ivan Blasi, director of programmes, Fundació Mies van der Rohe, said: “The exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to travel around Europe visiting its best architecture, highlighting the topics that are paramount today.
"Having Grafton Architects win the Prize and being able to present their work surrounded by a big group of excellent architecture in Dublin is a great honour for the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe. We are extremely grateful to the RIAI for nominating fantastic works for each cycle of the prize, the Irish nominators, and Grafton Architects and those who have made the exhibition possible.”
Programme of exhibition tours and lectures
Alongside the exhibition, there will be a programme of exhibition tours and lectures. Free public events will include the official opening talk by EUmies award-winners Grafton Architects on January 17 (5.30pm) and a talk by finalists Deadline Architekten on January 31 (5.30pm) on their innovative cultural and housing project Frizz23 in Berlin.
The exhibition will close with a lecture and panel discussion on Wednesday, February 14, in partnership with RIAI Women in Architecture.
All events are free of charge but booking is essential. The full programme and tickets will be available on the RIAI website: https://www.riai.ie/whats-on/news/riai-presents-the-eumies-award-exhibition-in-dublin