The student projects were presented to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco in what marked a major international opportunity for the young designers.
Three SETU graduates have presented their final year work at a prestigious event in Monaco.
Conor Nolan, Fiona O’Connor and Shannon Kenny, recent graduates of the of the Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, presented their final-year thesis projects at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco on Saint Patrick’s Day.
The students’ projects were developed for the historic Kelly family site in County Mayo, the ancestral home of Princess Grace. The site includes a small lake and the remains of traditional nineteenth-century stone buildings.
Each graduate responded to a different aspect of Princess Grace’s legacy: Conor Nolan proposed a centre for the study of traditional Irish construction methods, Fiona O’Connor designed a library conceived as a twin to the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco, and Shannon Kenny developed a centre for film studies reflecting Princess Grace’s distinguished career in cinema.
Prestigious
Garry Miley, who leads the fifth-year design studio at SETU, said the occasion represented an important milestone for the graduates and for the University’s continuing international engagement:
“This was a very special occasion for everyone involved. We have collaborated with the Princess Grace Irish Library for a number of years, but this was the first time our students were invited to present their work in Monaco and before His Serene Highness Prince Albert. It marks the culmination of months of hard work and is a wonderful reflection of the imagination, commitment and professionalism of our graduates.,” Mr Miley said.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Shannon Kenny said: “It was a huge honour to present our work at the Princess Grace Irish Library as part of Monaco’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. These projects grew out of months of research, design development and discussion, so to see them exhibited in such a prestigious setting was both exciting and deeply rewarding.”
Collaboration
The exhibition formed part of an ongoing collaboration between SETU’s Department of Architecture and the Built Environment and the Princess Grace Irish Library.
The event on St Patrick’s Day was attended by Marian Harkin TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills, and Ireland’s Ambassador to France and Monaco, Niall Burgess.
The Saint Patrick’s Day programme at the Princess Grace Irish Library also featured an exhibition of work by artists Mark Armstrong, Stefne van Zyl and Paulette Pearson, together with a concert of harp and guitar music performed by an international line-up of musicians.
