The European Architecture Students’ Assembly (EASA) brought hundreds of architecture students, designers and creatives from across Europe to Waterford from 26 July to 9 August for a programme of workshops, lectures, discussions and collaborative projects.
A collaborative sculpture inspired by Waterford’s rich glassmaking history has been unveiled as part of a two-week international architecture event, led by graduates of South East Technological University (SETU).
The sculpture, featuring a flock of metal forms taking flight around a hand-blown, heart-shaped glass centre, was created during the 46th annual edition of EASA.
‘Ealta Scealta’
The artwork emerged from ‘Ealta Scealta’ (Flock of Stories), a two-week design and metalworking workshop in which participants transformed memories of those who worked at the former Waterford Crystal site into a collective installation.
Each metal piece forms a lasting tribute to the stories and experiences of Waterford Crystal workers and surround a hand-blown glass heart, created in collaboration with glass blower, Kieran O’Connell from the House of Waterford. The completed sculpture, symbolising Waterford’s long and internationally recognised glassmaking tradition, will be installed and prominently displayed by SETU at the Glassworks Campus.
Speaking about the impact of the event and the completed work, Darragh Doyle, EASA event co-ordinator and SETU graduate, said: “What makes EASA so special is the opportunity to bring together people who see the world in completely different ways. The students took a simple idea of transforming a story into a physical form and created a collective piece that speaks both to people’s experiences and to the history of Waterford. The glass at its centre makes that connection particularly powerful.”
Bringing together storytelling, design and technical skill, the creation of the sculpture was overseen by Martin Mjartin, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Design at Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, and Sevina Nikolova, a final-year engineering student at the Technical University of Sofia.
‘Seanchaí
This workshop reflected the wider theme of this year’s EASA, ‘Seanchaí - Storytelling as Practice’, which invited participants to explore how architecture can capture, communicate and preserve stories through space, materials and design.
As Ireland’s oldest city, with Viking foundations, a rich industrial heritage and an evolving contemporary landscape, Waterford provided a backdrop for participants to uncover stories and explore how architecture can connect people with place and memory.
That exploration extended across the city through more than 40 workshops facilitated by SETU at the University’s College Street, Applied Technology and Granary Campuses, as well as at Newtown School. Led by tutors from a range of creative disciplines, the workshops encouraged experimentation, collaboration and open-ended exploration, allowing participants to engage with Waterford through observation, conversation and hands-on making.
EASA 2026 also highlighted the contribution of SETU graduates and the University’s role in supporting international collaboration in architecture and design.
Dr Aleksandar Kostic, Head of the Architecture Research Group (aRCH) at SETU, said: “SETU is proud to support our graduates in bringing EASA 2026 to Waterford and to see the creativity, ambition and international collaboration that have defined this year’s event. Welcoming architecture students and creative practitioners from across Europe to SETU has provided a valuable opportunity to share ideas, explore new approaches and engage directly with Waterford’s history, culture and people. It is particularly fitting that this year’s theme of storytelling has been explored through such a strong connection to the city’s architectural and creative heritage. The two weeks have demonstrated the value of bringing together an international community of emerging architects and creatives in a city with such a rich and distinctive story.”
