A new use for an old embassy building

Sir, – I would like to join with Niall Scott (Letters, May 22nd) in his support for Frank McDonald’s proposal that the soon-to-be defunct American embassy building in Dublin could be turned into a cultural centre (“Dublin’s iconic US embassy building is turning 60. Here’s why Washington should donate it to Ireland” (The Ticket, May 18th). Indeed, I would hope that there might be room in such a centre for the inclusion of an exhibition and record of modern Irish architecture and design. It so happens that many years ago my own father, Herbert Unger, a former assistant architect to Niall’s father, Michael Scott, in the 1940s and 50s, had proposed the purchase by the State of the Scott family home in Sandycove when it came up for sale, for the very purpose of establishing such an exhibition and museum there.

The references to both American and European influences on Irish designers could now be shown to even greater effect in the wonderful setting of the embassy building. – Yours, etc,

KLAUS UNGER,

Killiney,

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Co Dublin.