Architecture in our Cities and Towns

The changes that have occurred in Irish society in the past decade have been profound.

This has inevitably manifested itself in the built environment. Not since the end of the ‘golden age’ of the 18th century - when the formation of the city’s Georgian squares and streets with their urban terraces to the south of the River Liffey and Gandon’s masterpieces, the Custom House and the Four Courts, on the north of the river, formed a prototypical model of urban classicism - has Dublin witnessed such an intense period of urban expansion and development.

The growth and redevelopment has not been restricted to our capital city.
The economic boom has permeated to most of our cities and towns. The recent spate of building local authority headquarters, reflecting both the symbolic heart of communities and the role of providing a service to the community, is indicative of this trend.

However, while there have been many successes in the past decade, there is much recent development which is of poor quality. Also suburban sprawl and badly landscaped, mean spirited housing estates are a legacy of the era.

Our Regional Awards system was commenced in 1990 to bring a greater
consciousness of the value which quality in architecture can contribute to every community. The continuing growth of entry levels is indicative of the importance with which the Award system is held by our members. In addition, the fact that the Awards Exhibition is now displayed in 20 venues throughout the country is an indication of the widening scope of its impact on Irish society and culture.

European Urbanism
The prosperity of the Irish economy in the 1990s has reflected itself in the revival of the centre of the nation’s capital. Having been traditionally a services and administration centre, Dublin is now the focus of a high-tech, post-industrial economy.

The development of financial services, computer technology and communications together with a scheme of tax incentives directed towards
urban renewal have been prime factors in the metamorphosis of the inner
city area.

The effects of the economic boom are also particularly evident in Galway
and Limerick. Cork has not yet witnessed the same level of redevelopment
although this is likely to change with the recent publication of its Docks
Development Plan and its designation as European City of Culture for 2005.

Irish cities and towns were fortunate to miss out on the radical changes
made to the urban fabric of most European cities - both as a result of the Second World War and the modernist aftermath, when renewal was equated with removal.

The fabric of our city centres remained intact throughout the economic
boom of the 1960s, despite blight caused by road widening plans and the
changes brought about by generally mediocre office development.

By the time renewal of our cities and towns commenced in the early 90s,
there had been a general reaction in Europe against modernist architecture and urban planning that failed to take account of urban grain and context. New methods of urban renewal, based on principles of appropriate intervention, had taken root with many Irish designers.

The guiding principles of European Urbanism - with a clear definition between public streets, squares and parks on the one hand and private property on the other - are now in the ascendant among Irish architects, urban designers and planners.

New architecture must relate to the city or town, to the historical and urban
planning context and to architectural tradition in order to reinforce their identity.

Architectural progress evolves from the continued development of tradition,
typologies and technologies. Recent renewal in Irish cities and towns, and in
particular in RIAI award-winning schemes, has been generally faithful to these
principles.

However, in the suburban areas of all of our cities and towns there are areas
where little thought appears to have been given to concepts such as urbanism
and place-making. This is a problem we share with our partners in the European Union; it is a problem on which I hope to lay particular emphasis during my term of office as President.

Recent Developments
The change from the decaying image of our cities and towns to the fashionable urban centres of one of the European Union’s economic success stories has been both rapid and remarkable.

The Temple Bar Framework plan and the Dublin Docklands Authority Masterplan have been the catalysts for the preparation of a series of Integrated Area Plans including those for O’Connell Street, the North-
East Inner City, the HARP Area, and the Coombe by Dublin City Council.

Recent initiatives, including the Heuston Gateway Regeneration Strategy and the Markets Area Strategy, present even more interesting prospects for sustainable regeneration.

In Cork the Historic Area Action Plan has achieved some success and the Docklands Development Strategy sets out a vision for a new urban quarter. Similar initiatives are being taken in other Irish cities and towns.

The success in winning international urbanism awards - the UIA Abercrombie Award for the Temple Bar Framework Plan; the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards for Urban Regeneration for both Temple Bar West End and IFSC Phase II - is a clear indicator that Irish architects, urban designers and
commissioning bodies are capable of competing with the best internationally,
particularly in the quality of their new urban interventions.

The New Millennium
In the early years of the 21st century, in an era of unprecedented economic
growth and with our cities and towns evolving and developing at an ever
increasing rate, it is an appropriate time to reflect on what has been achieved in recent years and on future directions.

It is estimated that up to 65,000 new homes will be built in Ireland each year
until 2010 to meet with anticipated demand. While some will be built on brown
field sites, the majority will be built on the edges of our towns and cities. This is a significant amount of development by international standards. It presents an opportunity for Irish architects, urban designers and planners to design
prototypes of successful sustainable communities as models for town extensions both in Ireland and internationally.

To prepare our members for this opportunity and to contribute to the
sharing of knowledge on urbanism and urban design concepts, the RIAI in
conjunction with the IPI and IEI will be organising a series of Urban Design
Seminars for architects, engineers and planners in the coming year.

Notwithstanding the optimism of forecasters, it is inevitable that this period
of economic advancement will moderate. Then future generations will have an
opportunity to reflect on the achievements of our era.

At this early stage of the millennium it is important that all of those involved in shaping our cities and towns - architects, urban designers, planners, and administrators and towns - maintain a commitment to the vision and objectives of our cities as models of sustainability as expressed in their urban design, architecture and quality of life.