The Irish Examiner

Metamorph ... makes compelling, if exhausting, viewing. Exhausting because this event is huge. Compelling because of its size, global scope and magnetic attraction to leading architects everywhere. There is irony too This world olympics of contemporary architecture takes place in a unique and wondrous city with barely any room at all for post post-modern interventions ... The exhibitions in Metamorph show what can be done in the right hands by the right people. They hold out the possibility of continuing change Ireland is represented by the O'Donnell and Tuomey transformation of the old industrial school in Letterfrack, Co Galway into the furniture college. We feature, too, in the British Pavilion, where there is an exhibit on the Dublin Spire by Ian Ritchie, in the Italian Pavilion with Daniel Libeskind's design for the redevelopment of the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin and in the Arsenale exhibition area with the Heneghan Peng plan for the transformation of Carlisle Pier in Dun Laoghaire. The extremely positive reaction to the spire, even among those who expressed huge reservations about it when it was at planning stage, demonstrates that there is a wide appreciation throughout Ireland for an architecture that dares to be different. The built environment of Ireland in the 21st century will reap a reward if enough Irish architects, developers, planners, teachers and students make the important trip to this seminal exhibition in Venice.