Ireland's most influential Architect receives Lifetime Achievement Award
23.11.2010
Author: Sheila Carney
Sheila Carney is co-lead director of our London studio. She plays a pivotal role in expanding STW’s presence in the UK market.
Dr Ronnie Tallon has been awarded the inaugural James Gandon Medal, a lifetime achievement award, by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland
Dr Tallon’s designs are evident all over Ireland, from the Papal Cross in the Phoenix Park, Carroll’s Cigarette Factory in Dundalk; and the O’Reilly Hall, UCD to Spencer Dock Development and the Gate Theatre. Most Irish people will have worked, slept, ate, worshiped in or walked by one of his designs over their lifetime. “Dr Tallon’s impact on the landscape of Ireland is arguably greater than any other person’s of our time. Everywhere you look around Ireland, you can see evidence of his work,” said Paul Keogh, President, RIAI, at the awards ceremony.
Dr Tallon was nominated for the medal by RIAI president, Mr Paul Keogh. The nomination was unanimously passed by the council of the RIAI. The medal is the first life time achievement award that the RIAI have ever bestowed on an individual.
For part of the twentieth century, Dr Tallon and his practice were the only architects in Ireland to gain international recognition for the continuous excellence of their buildings. While Irish architecture has changed dramatically since the 1960s, Dr Tallon’s work still retains a special pre-eminence, not just for his landmark buildings of distinction, but for a large body of work of consistent and continuous quality, produced over a career spanning six decades.
Scott Tallon Walker, Dr Tallon’s practice, is one of the leading architectural firms in Europe and one of the few to have been awarded a prestigious Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Entrusted with important projects commissioned by both public institutions and large private companies, Dr Tallon and his practice has long been recognised for producing well-designed buildings of a consistent high quality
