Within St Luke's Crypt in Cork City - Seán Antóin will discuss den talamh, a project in Tramore Valley Park, Cork City shortlisted for the EUmies Awards 2026, and featured in casabella architectural magazine (issue 982, June 2026). The project brief was to create a meeting point for talks on the environment and on biodiversity within Tramore Valley Park. Conceptually, the building seeks to frame a view to Carroll’s Bog and draw the park visitor closer to observe and contemplate the beauty of this unique landscape within Cork city. The design for the EcoLab, is deliberately rudimentary. A hoggin floor offers groups a platform to congregate. Two end walls and four columns made of rammed earth enclose the space. The process of “compacting earth” albeit above ground, resonates with the recent history of the site use as a landfill, in creating a compacted landscape. An open timber framed roof reveals a traditional Irish hipped roof structure, while a reed thatched roof finish offers shelter. Finally, the plan of the building references the architecture of miniature temple. Thus, creating an agora for thoughts to be discussed and debated within the park landscape.
Biography
Seán Antóin Ó Muirí is Principal Architect at fuinneamh workshop. fuinneamh workshop is an award winning architecture and design studio based in Cork, Ireland. Established in 2009, the studio focuses on producing well designed and considered work that is appropriate both to the client’s brief and the site context. fuinneamh workshop has extensive experience working on historic area master plans, public buildings, art installations, conservation projects as well as a series of bespoke domestic houses. The work of the studio has been published and exhibited internationally.
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settle
The lecture takes place within ‘settle’ – a temporary installation designed and conceived by TRESTLE that proposes a new public interior for gathering and collective experience in the contemporary city. Inspired by the functionalism and adaptability of Irish vernacular furniture, the installation explores how an infrastructure of considered objects can formulate a new, albeit temporary, public interior. The installation can be recast and reformatted to host a variety of events and gatherings – in this way it acts as an extended invitation to the city. settle was the recipient of a 2026 Arts Council Architecture Project Award and runs in Cork City from 29 July – 8 August 2026 with a programme of events.
TRESTLE is a studio for architecture and research based between Ireland and London. The practice defines architecture as landscapes, cities, buildings, rooms and objects. TRESTLE was founded by Tom Cookson and Sarah Carroll in 2025.
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