In December 2017, the Irish Government acquired a site in central Tokyo from the Japanese Government for a new centre for Ireland’s presence in Japan. The vision for Ireland House, as this new building would be called, was to provide a platform for Ireland to develop an increased level of engagement with Japan, to raise Ireland’s profile, and to showcase Irish arts, cultural heritage, and business strengths to Japanese audiences. The realisation of this vision would be achieved through excellence in design and through the delivery of a landmark building.
A two-stage international competition for Ireland House was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland in January 2019. Competitors were asked to design a building to house an embassy, including the ambassador’s residence and embassy offices, additional offices for a number of state agencies, a business centre, a cultural venue and a meeting place. Beyond mere functionality, the competition brief stipulated that the building should stand as a physical and tangible expression of the partnership between Ireland and Japan. It should signal confidence in a relationship rooted in common values and distinct but complementary perspectives, and to be a beacon for the Irish community in Japan and those Japanese who share an affinity with the culture and heritage of Ireland.
The competition jury consisted of Anne Barrington, Irish Ambassador to Japan, 2014-2018 (Chair), Sou Fujimoto, Director, Sou Fujimoto Architects, Karen McEvoy MRIAI, Director, Bucholz McEvoy Architects, Ciaran O’Connor, FRIAI, State Architect and Principal Architect at the Office of Public Works, Raymund Ryan, Hon. Fellow RIAI, Irish architectural curator and critic, and Joseph Walsh, Irish furniture designer.
Sixty-seven entries were received for the first stage of the competition, with competitors submitting two A1 boards and a five-page report outlining their proposals. Entries were received from Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Five of the first stage entrants were selected to proceed to the second stage, requiring the submission of eight A1 boards and a twenty-page report. These were Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects with Ostick + Williams, Grafton Architects, Graeme Massie Architects, Hall McKnight Architects, and Henry J. Lyons Architects. Henry J. Lyons were adjudged the winners, while Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects with Ostick + Williams were placed second. The contract to deliver Ireland House was concluded in August 2020. Construction began in 2022 and the building is due to be fully operational in advance of Ireland’s EXPO 2025 Osaka Programme.
Presented to coincide with the impending opening of Ireland House Tokyo, and with the Kwaidan – Encounters with Lafcadio Hearn exhibition in Farmleigh Gallery, this exhibition includes all eight of the winning entry boards, together with four boards each from the other shortlisted entrants.
