Ireland House, Tokyo, Japan

Irish Embassy, Ambassador’s Residence and State Agencies

Awarded Second Place

2 Stage Competition

Jury Citation:

“This design had an elegant sequence of spaces, clarity of structure, combined with a simple and subtle façade to the public park. The jury admired the location of the library, the options for people, business and cultural interaction. 

The design is an essay in the clear execution of a strong singular idea.”

Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects, in collaboration with Ostick and Williams Architects, have been awarded Second Place in the RIAI International Competition for the design of Ireland House, Tokyo, Japan, with the support of ARUP, Yamamoto Hori Architects, Tokyo and Currie and Brown, Tokyo.

Comprising three distinctive yet intertwined entities; the Irish Embassy in Japan, the Ambassador’s Residence and State Agencies, our proposal sought to capture the spirit of Ireland’s heritage and culture whilst celebrating aspects of shared cultural confluence.

Drawing together an international design team with which to collaborate, we found common ground in the design for a building which would represent Ireland in Japan, expressing what we saw as confluences in ideas about landscape, light, connectivity, and cultural narrative inspired by the simple organisation of a Georgian Townhouse on a square.

Our proposal transposes the inherent logic and qualities of the Irish Georgian Town House to this special site in Tokyo, seeking a strong sense of visual connection between people within Ireland House to the landscape of the city and to new pockets of landscape and light within the Embassy.

A simple and elegant organisation of social, and private spaces informs not only the urban proposition but also the interior life of the building. 

Stage 2 Competition Design Team:

Lead Architects - Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects in collaboration with Ostick & Williams Architects

Japan Architects: Yamamoto Hori Architects

Structure: ARUP

M&E: ARUP

QS: Currie & Brown

Stage 1 Competition Design Team:

Lead Architects - Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects in collaboration with Ostick & Williams Architects

Structure: O’Connor Sutton Cronin

M&E: IN2

QS: Linesight