Stephen Wall

Stephen is an architect and PhD candidate, researching the New European Bauhaus and the low-carbon transition of towns in University College Dublin. Stephen’s academic interests include the social and policy implications of climate action in the built environment. With Foley Architects, Stephen worked on the Start Spreading the Mews project, which formed part of the IAF/ Housing Agency’s Housing Unlocked exhibition. Stephen has previously worked as an educator and illustrator and sits on the working group of UCD’s Centre for Irish Towns, where he coordinates the Talking Towns webinar series.

LinkedIn: Stephen Wall

May is the month of Bealtaine in Irish and marks the beginning of summer in the Gaelic calendar. As thoughts turn to longer days and sunnier climes, where better to while away a couple of hours than Eileen Gray’s villa E.1027 on the French Riviera?! The building features in a docufiction film showing at the Irish Film Institute from May 16th– E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea. Originally from Wexford, Gray’s fame as a pioneering modernist has grown in recent years, and the story of her seaside house is a fascinating tale of talent, love, and jealousy, as the villa came to the attention of Le Corbusier whose obsession with it led him to claim authorship of the house for himself. The film can be accompanied by a visit to the National Museum of Ireland’s fine permanent exhibit on Gray in Collins Barracks, where some of her most famous furniture designs are on display, including the adjustable chrome table designed for E.1027, and a personal favourite, the non-conformist chair. While visiting Collins Barracks, it is also worth immersing yourself in the kaleidoscopic visual world of celebrated stained glass artist Harry Clarke, a selection of whose work is on display until early 2026.

From one exotically located Irish house to another, as Ireland House in Tokyo by Henry J Lyons Architects gets ready to open its doors in time for EXPO 2025. An exhibition of entries to the international competition to design the house goes on display in the Irish Architectural Archive and runs throughout May. The exhibition includes entry boards from the winning design and each of the shortlisted entrants and is a welcome opportunity to view the combined creative efforts of some fantastic architects, each attempting to fulfil the brief of representing a physical and tangible expression of the partnership between Ireland and Japan.

The ongoing transformation of Dublin’s physical fabric is placed in context at the Irish Georgian Society’s Dublin 2025: a city in crisis… or a golden opportunity? conference on 7th May in the City Assembly House. This conference focusses on multiple crises facing the city, including lack of housing, civil unrest, public realm, and citizen engagement, all in the context of an inherited built heritage that is visibly deteriorating. The conference looks at new local and national government initiatives and seeks to find a shared vision for the future of the city.

From contemporary to historical Dublin; the Trinity Talks: Dublin’s Hidden Histories series continues in May, exploring some challenging aspects of the capital’s history, including the issue of suicide during the Great Famine (13th May) and the connections of Dublin to the slave trade (27th May), at Trinity Long Room Hub. Having digested some of the darker episodes of the city’s history, a contemplative interlude can be found at the Graphic Studio Gallery, where the Leaning on the Line exhibit (to May 31st) presents the work of members of Print Network Ireland, each of whom embrace the line to create a range of engaging figurative and abstract works.