Help crown Ireland’s favourite building in the RIAI Public Choice Award 2025
Voting is now closed and the results will be announced later this week.
The Public Choice Award is the only architectural award in Ireland decided by public vote. It invites people to recognise the buildings and places that enrich their everyday lives – from homes and schools to public spaces, community hubs, and vital infrastructure.
Now in its 36th year, the RIAI Architecture Awards celebrate excellence in Irish and international architecture. This year, 124 projects were submitted, with a total of 247 entries across 12 categories, as some projects compete for more than one award. Following a rigorous assessment process, 48 projects – including 21 in Dublin, 20 regionally and 6 internationally – have been shortlisted for the Public Choice Award.
Designing the everyday – Architecture that shapes lives
This year’s shortlist reflects the importance of architecture in shaping better futures. From the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant and Harcourt Terrace Educate Together National School (the outcome of an RIAI Architectural Design Competition) to housing projects in Dublin’s inner city and Inchicore, the shortlist includes essential infrastructure that supports health, education, inclusion, and sustainability. Other featured works, such as the Dún Laoghaire Baths, Athlone Greenway Bridge, and Monaghan Church Square show how even modest investments in quality public architecture can deliver long-term cultural and economic value.
In a time when public frustration around infrastructure delivery is growing, these projects provide a compelling counter-narrative, demonstrating how – when we invest in our infrastructure through thoughtful, well-executed design – it can enhance everyday life for communities.
RIAI President Sean Mahon said,
“We’re delighted to invite the public to take part in the Public Choice Award, a chance to celebrate the transformative power of architecture in communities across Ireland. The quality and ambition of this year’s entries highlight the vital role architects play in shaping a more inclusive, sustainable, and connected built environment.
This award is a powerful reminder that architecture creates places that support wellbeing, support communities, and improve how we live, work, and connect. These shortlisted projects offer an inspiring vision of what’s possible when design is done well, with purpose, and with people in mind.”
The shortlist also includes international works by Irish architects, such as the Sadler’s Wells East dance theatre on the former London Olympics site and the Jackson Library in Oxford and Westminster Coroner’s Court, also in London.
Voting is now closed. Visit the Public Choice Award to view the shortlisted projects.
RIAI Awards Jury 2025
Séamus Guidera MRIAI, Chair; Annie Fletcher, Director, IMMA, Distinguished Guest Juror; Carmel Brennan MRIAI; Nicci Brock MRIAI; Mark Costello MRIAI; Martin Liepmann MRIAI; Derbhile McDonagh MRIAI; Anna Meehan MRIAI; Sharon O’Gara MRIAI; Declan Scullion MRIAI
For all media enquiries, please contact: Katie McNamee, E: katie.mcnamee@redflag.global; M: +353 86 062 3973
The RIAI Awards 2025 are proudly supported by Gold Sponsors – Sika Ireland and VELUX.
