Irish Examiner Editorial

Interesting editorial in Examiner today (see below). I agree the private sector get away with building muck in this country – by and large.

“Architecture awards – Public sector projects lead the way

THE perception of dullness, widely associated with the public service, is well and truly scotched by the annual awards for excellence in European architecture.

Undoubtedly, the most striking aspect of the four Irish winners of Britain’s prestigious RIBA Awards, is that they are all commissioned by divisions of the public service here.

Unlike other EU states, a surprising lack of adventure characterise the private sector when it comes to designing new architectural projects. Generally speaking, it appears the liberal spirit of the Celtic Tiger era has not rubbed off on promoters of most new developments.

In contrast, the lion’s share of the 2007 crop of RIBA awards have been scooped by Irish public sector commissions. Of the 13 awards, four went to Ireland, compared with two each for Denmark and Germany, while France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium each won a single award.

The winning Irish projects include a primary school at Cherry Orchard in Dublin, plus three in Cork: the Environmental Research Institute at UCC, the CIT building, and the County Council’s new civic offices.

Normally in the headlines for negative reasons, it is refreshing to commend the public service on a positive note for a change. “