Festival to celebrate best of Irish architecture

MANY thousands will flock to Dungarvan in Co Waterford for the Féile na nDéise traditional music festival and to Kilkenny for the Rhythm and Roots festival this Bank Holiday Weekend.

But Waterford city is hoping those with an interest in architecture will revel in its festival.

The John Roberts Waterford Festival of architecture runs from Friday to Sunday and celebrates the best of Irish architecture, environment and heritage.

Now in its sixth year, it is gaining a reputation as a festival with a difference, relevant to anyone who chooses to consider the space, history, preservation and alteration of the architecture of modern Ireland.

This year’s festival investigates the unique demands of the architectural design of cultural spaces.

Two internationally-acclaimed architects, Paul Vincent of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Paris, and Donald Schmitt of Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated, Toronto, will deliver public lectures on the theme The Architecture of Performance Spaces. The lectures, which are sponsored by Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and William J Ryan (Campile) Ltd, will take place at WIT at 2pm on Friday.

The keynote address is a special lecture entitled Irish Gardens in History by Paddy Bowe which takes place at 8.15pm in Waterford City Hall on Friday.

Further information at www.johnrobertswaterford.ie