Shane de Blácam Lecture

Shane De Blacam formed the architectural practice de Blacam and Meagher with John Meagher in 1976. De Blacam’s buildings are characterised by their simplicity and their celebration of local materials. Throughout his career, he has been concerned with creating spaces for people to come together, including the sensitively restored Abbeyleix Library in Laois and the elegant Samuel Beckett Theatre at Trinity College, Dublin. Before forming his practice with Meagher, de Blacam worked in London with the architects of the Barbican Centre, Chamberlain, Powell and Bon. He then travelled to America where he worked with Louis I. Khan for two years on the Mellon Centre for British Art and British Studies, Yale University, New Haven Connecticut.

Shane de Blacam was awarded the 2023 RA Architecture Prize. He will deliver a lecture with slides originally delivered at the Royal Academy London October 2023

To complete the line-up of the evening, architects Cian Deegan and Alice Casey from Taka Architects will be in Galway to present their work and join with our moderator Marko Milovanovic, for discussion.

Full line up for the evening;

4:00pm Public reception, presentation.

4:30pm Introduction, Marko Milovanovic

5:00 p.m Lecture Shane de Blacam.

Break

7:00 p.m Lecture by Cian Deegan and Alice Casey, TAKA Architects

7:30 pm - Round table discussion will follow with moderator Marko Milovanovic.

In partnership Arts in Action at the University of Galway

Biographies

Shane De Blacam was born Dublin 14th October 1945. B.Arch. (NUI) 1968, M. Arch. (PENN) 1970, MRIAI 1972, RIBA 1976, FRIAI 1986, HLFRSAI 1994. Grade 1 Conservation Architect 2003. Undergraduate School of Architecture University College Dublin 1963-68 Post graduate School of Architecture University of Pennsylvania USA 1969-70. Worked in London with Chamberlain, Powell and Bon, and Philadelphia with Louis I. Khan where Shane worked for two years on the Mellon Centre for British Art and British Studies Yale University New Haven Connecticut. 1972 returned to Ireland as first year master at the School of Architecture, University College Dublin. Commenced practice de Blacam and Meagher 1976. Shane worked in architectural partnership with John Meagher in Dublin for 45 years until John died, early 2021. They shared a friendship and close exchange of criticism and drawings and shared design responsibility for the work of de Blacam and Meagher, sometimes with others in the practice. Gold Medal and five silver medals for architecture and conservation including the Gandon Medal of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Europa Nostra Silver medal, member of AOSDANA an institution to honour achievement in art of the Government of Ireland, and the Royal Academy London Architecture Prize 2023.

TAKA

Alice Casey studied architecture in TU Dublin (DIT) graduating in 2003. after spending time gaining professional experience in London and Dublin, Alice co-founded TAKA in Dublin in 2007. Alice has taught architecture in UCD, Queen’s University Belfast, and TU Dublin – where she currently teaches in the masters in architecture and professional diploma in architectural practice courses. Alice holds a PhD by practice from RMIT, is an RIAI architect accredited in conservation at grade 3, and is registered with the architect’s registration board in the UK. Alice examines candidates for membership of the RIAI and has been a member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland since 2007. Cian Deegan studied architecture in TU Dublin (DIT) graduating in 2003. after spending time gaining professional experience in London (with Niall McLaughlin architects) and Dublin (with O’Donnell & Tuomey), Cian co-founded TAKA in Dublin in 2007. Cian has taught architecture in UCD, Queen’s University Belfast, and TU Dublin, where he is currently a lecturer. Cian holds a PhD by practice from RMIT and has been a member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland since 2007.

Marko Milovanovic has been selected as our Shane de Blacam Resident.

Marko is an architect, artist, journalist and founder of @freeschoolof and @mylomark. The educational platform Free School Of celebrates dialogue as a fundamental form of knowledge. Marko has interviewed artists, architects, curators, and scholars and written extensively on culture, politics and urban regeneration. He teaches at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Royal College of Art, and Oxford Brookes University.  

The Shane de Blacam Residency has been created in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts, London.  The project that will be showcased is "Temptation of Influence" by British architect, artist, and journalist Marko Milovanovic. It consists of a selection of video and audio recorded interviews, photographs, video documentation, and a visual and written essay on Influence within the Field of Architecture.  This multimedia project is a collection of video and audio artefacts documenting the architectural legacy and philosophy of architect Shane de Blacam. This conversational piece examines influence across generations and cultures, focusing on de Blacam’s work and his connections to his predecessors, such as Andrea Palladio and his mentor Louis Kahn, as well as his students, who are now prominent Irish and British architects.

Host or Publisher University of Galway Arts in Action