Mimetic House, Dominic Stevens, 2007.  (Photo: Ros Kavanagh).

Responsibility for developing the artform of architecture in Ireland

The strategic context for the Arts Council’s support of architecture and all other artforms and areas of arts practice is set out in Making Great Art Work: Arts Council Strategy (2016 –2025) (PDF, 3.29 MB). It describes how we will lead the development of the arts in Ireland to 2025. Our strategy has five priority areas: the artist; public engagement; investment strategy; spatial and demographic planning; and developing capacity.

The Arts Council has primary responsibility for developing the artform of architecture in Ireland. We fulfil this responsibility by supporting the creative development of architects and the public's engagement with architecture. We are not concerned with the architect-client relationship in architecture.

The Arts Council's role in architecture is a distinct one. We share an interest in, and responsibility for, architecture with other agents of the State including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (which has responsibility for devising and implementing the National Policy on Architecture), the Office of Public Works, the Heritage Council as well as local authorities and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, the professional body for architects.  Architecture is also influenced and affected by other legislative and national policy considerations such as Project Ireland 2040 and, in a European context, it is subject to compliance with EU directives and is central to the New European Bauhaus movement.¹

Our architecture policy, Championing Architecture, can be viewed here.

¹ The New European Bauhaus movement is a European Commission initiative to design future ways of living. It is creative and interdisciplinary, situated between art, culture, social inclusion, science and technology. It is intended to be a driving force to bring the European Green Deal to life in an attractive, innovative and human-centred way and is based on sustainability, inclusiveness and aesthetics.