Full Story
The Arts Council
The Arts Council has joined with the Office of Public Works to offer a major new award in architecture. The Kevin Kieran award will be one of Europe's largest awards for a young architect. It has been devised to celebrate the memory of the Council's first architecture consultant, and to promote design excellence in Ireland.

The Arts Council will provide 50,000 euro every two years, to assist an emerging and gifted graduate of architecture with the opportunity to travel and to undertake a piece of work - for example writing, drawing, research or photography that will further their artistic/creative ability. On completion of this work, the award winner will be engaged by the Office of Public Works to design and build a project from the OPW's portfolio.

Before his tragically early death in 1999, Kevin Kieran made an important contribution to the development of the Arts Council's architecture policy. In particular, he advocated support for the emerging and gifted architect to experience at first hand role models of architectural excellence around the world.

"Throughout its 50-year history, the Arts Council has always had a commitment to developing artistic excellence in architecture and have always concentrated on career formation as a means to achieve this," said Patricia Quinn, Director of the Arts Council. "Our focus today is to promote design excellence by offering awards to architects of significant promise to undertake projects of research, study and criticism. We are particularly pleased to be working with the Office of Public Works in providing support and encouragement for a new generation of architects through this award.

Further details about the Kevin Kieran Award are contained in the Arts Council publication "Awards 2002" or on their website.

The closing date for applications is 5.30pm on Friday, 19th April.