Phaidon Publishes Monograph on Grafton Architects

Phaidon has released a monograph on Grafton Architects, the Dublin-based firm founded in 1978 by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara. Written by architect and scholar Robert McCarter, the 256-page volume covers the studio's entire output chronologically, including built works, unbuilt projects, and exhibitions. It features photographs, drawings, sketches, and archival materials, some previously unpublished. The book's preface, titled 'Foundations in Place,' emphasizes the influence of Dublin on Farrell and McNamara's work, noting that for the first thirty years they built exclusively in Ireland, completing sixteen major projects before their first international building in 2008. The monograph also documents projects that earned them the Silver Lion at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale and the 2016 RIBA International Award for the University Campus UTEC Lima in Peru. Farrell and McNamara are curators of the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, titled Freespace, which opened in May 2018 and runs until November 25. The book launch took place on October 19 at Ca' Giustinian, Venice Biennale headquarters. McCarter, a noted expert on Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Kahn, and Carlo Scarpa, provides analysis of Grafton Architects' unique approach rooted in Irish context and genius loci, contrasting with globetrotting starchitects.