The new criminal courts complex in Dublin has won an Irish architecture public choice award after receiving 20 per cent of the more than 9,000 votes cast.
Designed by Henry J Lyons Architects, the Criminal Courts of Justice was voted Ireland’s favourite new building from a shortlist of 55.
The newly opened complex on Infirmary Road is among the most technologically advanced courts facilities in the world and also won the Best Accessible Project award.
The Athlone IT Engineering and Informatics Building won Best Educational Building while St Patrick’s Place, a mixed-use development in Cork, won the Best Sustainable Project award. The Criminal Courts of Justice also won the Best Accessible Project Award.
Eddie Conroy, chair of the judging panel, said the jury was pleased with the broad range of submissions received this year, despite the economic downturn.
“Domestic work, where the architect-client relationship is closest, was the most vigorous and innovative. Procurement regimes seemed to have a deadening effect on public projects particularly in the health and education sectors”.
RIAI director John Graby said: “It is gratifying that as the quality of the buildings produced every year continues to increase, so does public interest in good design, as we can see from the strong response to the Public Choice Award”.