Destruction of landmarks is criticised by architect

Landmarks and landscapes are fast disappearing as a result of the unprecedented development unleashed by the booming economy, leaving "a kind of collective amnesia", according to the Irish Architectural Review.

The form and character of our towns and cities are being changed at an alarming rate, while the rural hinterland and villages around cities are being rapidly erased under a blanket of suburban sprawl, writes award-winning architect Mr Shane O'Toole.

His commentary on where Irish architecture stands today is in the first issue of the Review, published by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland with the catalogue of its 1999 Regional Awards, which were presented in Dublin last night.

"There is much to do, and quickly, if we are not to bequeath a legacy of bleak anonymity to our children," he said. And while the Government's official commitment to promoting good modern architecture was very welcome, it was not shared by the public.

This year, 24 projects received RIAI awards, ranging in scale from the refurbishment of the Gresham Hotel's entrance, by Arthur Gibney and Partners, to the restoration of the Parliament Buildings at Stormont, by Belfast-based Consarc Design Group.

The institute's president, Mr Eoin O Cofaigh, said the awards scheme had been restructured to reflect the wide range of projects being undertaken by architects in Ireland and its primary aim was to communicate quality architecture to the public.

Several of the 1999 awards have gone to refurbishment projects. Apart from Stormont and the Gresham Hotel, these include Heuston Station in Dublin (CIE Architects/Brian O'Halloran Associates) and the former Kodak building in Rathmines (Paul Keogh Architects).

Other Dublin awards went to the Dental Hospital (Ahrends Burton Koralek), No 25 Eustace Street (Arthur Gibney Awards) and two projects by Grafton Architects - a mews in Little Strand Street and a screening room in Fenian Street.

Public buildings also feature, such as the Gate Multiplex in Cork (Derek Tynan Architects), the Sacred Heart Oratory in Dun Laoghaire (OPW), Tallaght's Civic Theatre (South Dublin County Council) and Ranelagh Multi-Denominational School (O'Donnell and Tuomey).

Award-winning housing projects include the unique Hudson house in Navan (also by O'Donnell and Tuomey); a house at Killeenaran, Co Galway (Richard Murphy Architects), and a farmhouse extension in Co Limerick (Gerry Lombard Architects).

Other housing projects featured include a scheme for the National Building Agency at Wyattville Road, Ballybrack, designed by Peter Cully, and a house at Ballycommane, Co Cork (Tom Hegarty/O'Riordan Staehli Architects).

There are also some innovative industrial and commercial award winners including East Point in Dublin (Scott Tallon Walker), Tellabs in Galway (Michael Healy and Associates) and BIM's Regio nal Fisheries Centre in Cork (Michael Shanahan and Associates).

The RIAI Regional Awards exhibition, sponsored by Roadstone, opens today at the Architecture Centre, 8 Merrion Square, and moves to the Cork Vision Centre next Monday. Afterwards, it will travel to a number of venues throughout the country.