Taoiseach visits Ireland House Tokyo by Henry J Lyons
On his visit to Japan, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD received a tour of Ireland House Tokyo from the Ambassador of Ireland to Japan, HE Damien Cole and Architect Peter McGovern MRIAI, a Director with Henry J Lyons, and Maria Mulcahy MRIAI, Design Director, Henry J Lyons.
Ireland House Tokyo is the outcome of an open architectural design competition, administrated by the RIAI on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The competition was won by Henry J Lyons Architects in 2019, and the new building accommodates the Embassy and the official residence, as well as offices for a growing number of Irish state agencies. It also houses a performance space that can double as an exhibition area, a business/conference facility, as well as an interactive library and cultural resource.
At the competition stage, Ireland House Tokyo was conceived as a state-of-the-art platform to showcase Ireland’s cultural heritage, creativity and innovation through excellence in design. The competition brief sought a building that would be a physical and tangible expression of the partnership between Ireland and Japan:
It signals ambition and confidence in a relationship rooted in our common values and distinct but complementary perspectives. It will be place for muintearas and comhluadar; for meitheal and omotenashi/おもてなし. (The approximate translation is community and company; for teamwork and hospitality)”.
Operational during Ireland’s EXPO 2025 Osaka, the new Ireland House, Tokyo is expected to contribute substantially to raising Ireland’s profile more broadly in Japan.
Kathryn Meghen, Competition Registrar and RIAI CEO, said: “The RIAI was delighted to partner with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on this competition to design Ireland House in Tokyo and we welcome the investment by Government in architecture-led design. Architectural competitions are a demonstration of the profession’s commitment to innovation and I would like to commend all of the architects who submitted designs.
Pictured L-R: Maria Mulcahy MRIAI, Henry J Lyons; Peter McGovern MRIAI, Henry J Lyons; Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD; and Ambassador of Ireland to Japan, HE Damien Cole.
For more information visit ireland.ie/en/japan/case-study-ireland-house-tokyo/.