celtic connection

Officialy the dissent is about the split of resource funding. Much more interesting and relevant , for me and others, it is that the work being done in Ireland has a resonance in Scotland. I also think we are much more compatible in our outlook and influences.

Thanks Jack for such a positive response. Some ideas to get started on:

A joint award for excellence in architecture, seperated from the RIAI Medal Awards and Regional Awards and the RIAS Regeneration Awards for Scotland. Replacing the RIBA Awards and in particular the Stirling Prize.

A joint publication magazine of work being done in Ireland and Scotland.

Strucured exchanges between architects and students in Ireland and Scotland to our universities.

A joint Convention. Lisbon is preferable to Dundee.

A structured but seperate exchange of ideas and experience, perhaps as part of a convention, about issues of urban regeneration effecting northern European cities.

Collaboration on publications.

Why not, it will be a cultural exchange and a meeting of minds sharing a common interest: excellence in architecture. It would not dilute the necessary day to day running and practice information provided by either organisations. I am a fellow of the RIAS and know there may be resistance here too among members. Also, we have architects in Scotland who became architects because of the suffix RIBA after their name. No matter how irrelevant I think that is, it potentially highlights a difficulty in changing attitudes here as well as perhaps on the other side of the Irish Sea, but we can still be positive , like Jack and see what happens. As a “young” architect the work in London and consequently the interests of the RIBA has little relevance to me, or I would argue the majority of practices in Scotland.

Paul, I am reviewing responses to the idea of an Irish/ Scottish association, via the forum. So far it looks positive, I’m glad to say and if I can garner enough support from Ireland I will start officially raising the idea with the RIAS. We can communicate with architects in Scotland through Prospect, our national architecture magazine. And the national press ,I’m sure will also be interested. Unfortunately we do not have such a discussion forum web here so cannot gauge opinion as quickly. However it is a good opportunity and now is the time to grasp it, because of our difficulty with the RIBA. Thanks also for your offer of help it was greatly appreciated.

Paul, I am reviewing responses to the idea of an Irish/ Scottish association, via the forum. So far it looks positive, I’m glad to say and if I can garner enough support from Ireland I will start officially raising the idea with the RIAS. We can communicate with architects in Scotland through Prospect, our national architecture magazine. And the national press ,I’m sure will also be interested. Unfortunately we do not have such a discussion forum web here so cannot gauge opinion as quickly. However it is a good opportunity and now is the time to grasp it, because of our difficulty with the RIBA. Thanks also for your offer of help it was greatly appreciated.

Article from today’s BD 6 July:

“Celtic architects prepare to join forces”

“The four royal architectural institutions of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland have called for an architectural conference of the ” Celtic Fringe”. The idea, which would exclude England, is expected to be on the agenda at the twice yearly meeting of the UK’s architectural associations on July 19.

John Graby, director of the RIAI in Dublin, said he expected to see a conference within the next year. RIAS secretary Sebastian Tombs said the changing politics brought about by devolution increased the commonality between Celtic architects.

“It’s a question of our current position rather than common architectural traditions. We’ra all waking up to the reality of being closer to politics”, he said.

Frank McClaskey, head of the RSUA, which has achieved far stronger links with the RIAI following the Northern Ireland Piece Process said:” We’re very enthusiastic about it and think we should get together and do something about it. Many of us feel a lot of the architectural scene is London based. It’s an opportunity for us to wallow in our own good architecture”

Dublin appears to be the natural choice of venue for the first conference. But Graby said :” It’s something we’d be very interested in but it sounds horribly like we’d have to organise it. Nobody has crystalised what the concept should be”

The RSAW’s Mary Wren added “There’s a lot of goodwill to do something jointly but no one’s been quite brave enough to take it on.”

Well John, Seb, and Mary look no further but the title Celtic “Fringe” will have to go.