It’s time to vote for Ireland’s favourite building or space

From a medieval holy island in Co Clare — complete with a monk’s cell — to a sleek centre for scholars of the present and the future, there’s no shortage of opportunity to venerate and learn as we select Ireland’s favourite building or space. 

The designs represent 12 counties across Ireland, alongside six projects by Irish architects internationally — from Okinawa to Ontario.

Squaring the Circle is one of 44 structures and spaces shortlisted for the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) 2026 Public Choice Awards.

Acclaimed architect Valerie Mulvin adored working on the monastic site in Lough Derg, Co Clare, where her practice McCullough Mulvin Architects, Dublin, created the Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience for Clare County Council in the repurposed old rectory. “In addition to conservation and energy upgrade, a brick-vaulted room like a monk’s cell completes the missing corner of the plan, a ‘found’ space, like those on the island,” says Valerie.

Voting closes on Monday, June 15, at 5pm, and we can choose from public architecture, including school and university sites, hospitals, social housing and passenger infrastructure, as well as eye-catching homes and the conservation of historical sites. “The Public Choice Award is unique in that it is the only architectural award in the country decided by public vote,” says RIAI president Fionnuala May.

Squaring the Circle, McCullough Mulvin Architects. Picture: Fionn McCann

“It is an opportunity for the public to reflect on how well-designed buildings and places can positively impact the quality of their daily lives by carefully considering the needs of our communities.”

Havelock, Scullion Architects. Picture: Peter Molloy

The RIAI received 174 entries across categories, including public use, urban design, conservation, adaptation and re-use, housing and sustainability. Five architectural research projects were also shortlisted for the RIAI Awards and will be recognised in the awards presentation on Thursday, June 18. 

Last year’s awards were tightly contested, with 14,000 votes cast by the public. “This year’s shortlist powerfully illustrates how architects shape the quality of everyday life, not just in individual buildings, but in the collective civic fabric of our country,” adds Ms May.

University of Limerick Student Centre, Cotter & Naessens Architects. Picture: Ste Murray

Besides Squaring the Circle, Co Clare, two other Munster buildings, both in Limerick, are shortlisted. The University of Limerick Student Centre by Cotter & Naessens Architects is conceived as a block from which rooms and spaces are carved, enclosed or open to the sky.

The centre was born of a vision for a place at the very heart of university life, transforming the student experience by providing social spaces, places for encounter and exchange, and a place on campus that students can call their own.

Bon Secours Hospital, Limerick, eddy A+U and HOK. Picture: Donal Murphy

Meanwhile, the biophilic, low-carbon design for the Bon Secours Hospital, Limerick, by Reddy A+U and HOK (Design Architect) features durable materials and aims to enhance wellbeing and wayfinding. Its sweeping curved form creates a distinctive silhouette, with two volumes separated by courtyards and linked by glazed bridges.

O-House, Lawrence and Long Architects. Picture: Bernadette Keating

In housing, we see an alternative to mews housing in Dublin’s O-House. This project, by Lawrence and Long Architects, wraps the living areas around a central garden, rather than to the front and rear.

The configuration prevents overlooking issues at three boundaries, while introducing additional daylight and ventilation into the plan through first-floor terraces and roof lights. 

The primary timber structure was prefabricated off-site using cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam elements.

O House. Picture: Bernadette Keating

The shortlist features education projects such as the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland’s new building on St Stephen’s Green and a state-of-the-art special educational needs school in Letterkenny, which display how exceptional architecture elevates the daily learning, health, and lives of citizens.

Quayside Water Sports Centre, Urban Agency Architects. Picture: Donal Murphy

The inclusion of Barretstown Medical Centre and other key medical sites demonstrates how smart design influences the delivery of critical healthcare services.

Bellevue Heights, REIR Studio. Picture: Peter Molloy

The conservation and reopening of the Magazine Fort in Dublin’s Phoenix Park shows how architects can transform once-inaccessible sites into vibrant and active public spaces.

Improving everyday lift is the aim of the exercise, according to the RIAI president. “From schools and educational buildings such as Project Connect at RCSI and the Special Educational Needs School in Letterkenny, to community and healthcare projects like the East Meath Civic Centre and Barretstown Medical Centre, these works demonstrate the lasting value of investing in quality design,” adds Ms May.

See Riai.ie/public-choice-award-poll to cast your vote and learn more about the shortlisted projects.