TD 1
Dhiarmada/Busáras, the Carroll’s Factory in Dunda
lk, and the RTÉ TV and Radio Campus at Montrose near Donnybrook. The Lower Baggott Street development was constructed by G&T Crampton and was inspired by van der Rohe’s 1958 Seagram Building on New York’s Park Avenue. Robin Walker, one of the architectural partnership’s members, had studied under and taught with van der Rohe and would have had first-hand knowledge of the design aesthetics and the construction techniques required to make a large but visually restrained intervention into a site of an otherwise older and increasingly shabbier character. By the time of its competition, the whole development cost a total of £4.6 million Irish punts, and was the most expensive office development built in Ireland at the time. The elegant facades of the buildings contained so much Delta manganese bronze that it drove up the world price of the metal during the construction phase. The three buildings were designed to accommodate up to 2,000 Bank of Ireland back-office staff and functioned efficiently up until 2005, at which time a major review of staffing levels was undertaken, resulting in a relocating or a letting-go of many employees. The Bank of Ireland sold the property in 2006 and in 2007 Dublin City Council added the buildings to its list of protected structures, which preserved for the future the facades of the three blocks, as well as the open plaza in the front. In 2008, following widespread opposition from members of the cultural community, including the painters Louis le Brocquy, Patrick Scott and Sean Scully, as well as the poet Seamus Heaney, plans by the new owners for a radical overhaul of the entire site was refused by Dublin City Council. Seamus Heaney described the HQ complex as “one of Dublin’s finest 20th century buildings.” In explaining the Council’s decision to refuse permission, the Planning Officer stated that “The Bank of Ireland complex is a protected structure as it is one of the most important modernist buildings in Ireland. It is considered that the proposed development (will) have a significant undesirable impact on the integrity and character of the complex.” In 2012 the site was sold again and, following renovations overseen by Scott Tallon Walker, as carried out by John Paul Construction, it was officially named as Miesian Plaza. To contextualise the relevance of this important modernist development for Dublin, an exhibition that focuses on Mies van der Rohe’s world-renowned masterpiece of domestic design and construction can be seen at the Irish Architectural Archive on Merrion Square. Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czechia, was designed by van der Rohe for Greta and Fritz Tugendhat in 1929–1930. Its history is at least as fascinating as its cultural significance. Today, the Villa Tugendhat is considered the most important of van der Rohe’s pre-war work and his most authentic surviving building in Europe. It is a unique work of art in terms of design, layout, interior equipment, technical facilities and integration into the natural environment. For the first time in the history of architecture, a steel bearing structure was used in a private 38 Previous spread and top image: Villa Tugendhat Bottom image: Miesian Plaza In association with the Irish Architectural Archive, the Villa Tugendhat exhibition is presented by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ireland and the Villa Tugendhat in Brno. It runs from Thursday 22nd January to Friday 10th April 2026, Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, in the First Floor Rooms in the Irish Architectural Archive at 45 Merrion Square, Dublin D02 VY60. A one-day symposium on the Villa Tugendhat and the influence on Irish architectural practice by the works of Mies van der Rohe takes place in the Archive on Friday 23rd January 2026. Full details for registering can be had by contacting the Irish Architectural Archive by email at info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or by phone on (01) 663 3040. Holly Pereira mural in Belgrade www.irisharchitecturalarchive.ie www.tugendhat.eu/en house. The technical facilities of the villa were also quite exceptional for their time - air heating and cooling, and electric retractable windows. As well as its exterior, the architect designed the interior of the house. Rare and exotic materials were used throughout. Onyx was brought from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, and travertine from Italy. Exclusive exotic woods came from Southeast Asia (rosewood, zebrawood, macassar and ebony). In collaboration with the designer Lilly Reich, van der Rohe also worked on the Villa’s furniture, carpet and textile design. The tubular and strip steel chairs (Tugendhat, Barcelona, Brno and MR 20 types), samples of which are included in the exhibition, now belong among the design icons of the 20th century. During the years 2010 to 2012, the building and garden underwent thorough restoration and renovation, which brought it back to its original 1930 appearance. Since March 2012, the villa has been open to the public as a monument of modern architecture. Architectural purity, interconnection of interior and exterior, timeless technical equipment, noble and exotic materials and, above all, a high level of preservation are the main attributes that led to Villa Tugendhat being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. The exhibition in the IAA traces the history of the villa from its inception to the present day. Large-format photographs and accompanying text introduce visitors to the atmosphere of the Villa Tugendhat using details of the design, furniture, materials and well-known iconic parts of the house, such as the chrome column cladding in the interior or the vista through the broad windows into the villa garden.