Marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the IAA in 1976 by Edward McParland and Nihcolas Robinon, Pivot Points presents a selection of key objects from the IAA collections each of which stands as an exemplar of a particular moment, movement, or directional shift in the history of planning, development, design, urbanism, and the construction of the built environment across the island of Ireland. Each object is accompanied by a short text which describes and contextualises the particular item, situating it within the IAA collections, within the career of a particular architect, or within the context of its time and building type. Each object is also accompanied by a longer text commissioned from a relevant specialist. These contributors were each asked to respond to one of the individual pieces in its broader context, setting out and expanding on the particular moment or movement which the piece had been selected to represent.

1. Urban Planning I: Urban Estates

2. Building for Defence

3. Rural Planning I: Country Houses and Landscape

4. Rural Planning II: Towns

5. Building for Faith I: Church of Ireland

6. Urban Planning II: Wide Streets Commission

7. Building for Transport I: Canals

8. Building by Government I: Lunatic Asylums