Architecture debate tackles sizeable issues as Dublin houses open doors

SIZE DOES matter, but so does context and quality. So concluded panelists at last night’s Open Debate, organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation.

The debate, sponsored by The Irish Times, was themed “Does Size Matter?”. It marked the start of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s fourth annual Open House Dublin weekend where more than 100 public and private buildings will open their doors to the public.

Chaired by broadcaster and historian John Bowman, the event attracted a large crowd to the new Aviva Stadium at Lansdowne Road.

Speaking at the event, architect Alan Mee said architects were faced with the challenge of “working on projects of all scales simultaneously, from a desk to a town”. He called for the education of architecture students to reflect this challenge.

Irish Times environment editor Frank McDonald talked about “the incredible explosion of Dublin in the past 20 years”. Describing a commuter belt that extends 100km, he said “there are now bits of Dublin in Portlaoise, Longford and Cavan”.

McDonald said “the strategic planning guidelines for Dublin in 1999 were about consolidating the city but that’s not what happened”. He said that “the argument for making the city more compact was later seized on quite cynically by developers to create high rise”.

Panelist Pauline Byrne, strategic planning manager with Treasury Holdings, called for education in the area of civic pride to be increased: “The private realm dominates in this country, civic spaces and things in the public realm are seen as leftover.

“Civic pride needs to be part of our education,” she said.

Fellow panelist Seán Love, executive director of creative writing centre Fighting Words, called for more emphasis on subjects such as music, art and creative writing. Mr Love said: “Education is not just about producing workers . . . the planning and architecture of the type of country we want to live in needs to be prioritised.”

Buildings open to the public as part of the Open House event include the Commissioners of Irish Lights building, Dún Laoghaire, the Central Bank of Ireland and Number 31 Leeson Close, former home of architect Sam Stephenson.

There will be a number of guided walks including Bridging the Liffey, a tour focusing on Dublin’s new bridges. Other events include Dublin Docklands by water; a tour of Summer Row Community Garden, a new inner-city allotment; and Liffeylands Cycle, a cycling tour of historical sites.

Details of the Open House festival are available at architecturefoundation.ie.

A separate Open House programme will take place in Galway from October 15th-17th