Biography
Biography: I am a graduate of UCD School of Architecture. I worked in Paris and London for over a decade on major civic and cultural projects before returning to Dublin where I was director of architecture with the Dublin Docklands Authority from 2004 to 2010 when I started private practice. I began teaching part-time in UCC the same year, and in 2015 I joined the university as a senior lecturer. I have previously taught in Queens University School of Architecture and UCD School of Architecture I am a regular visiting critic at a number of Irish schools of architecture. I am currently carrying out design-based research on landscapes generated by infrastructure, exploring the potential role for architectural agency to synthesise the processes that transform places.
In 2012 I was appointed by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council to curate Ireland's Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The exhibition, titled "Shifting Ground" looks at the cultural implications of globalisation for Irish Architecture through the work of heneghan peng architects. In 2014 I was appointed (with Gary A. Boyd) to co-commission/curate/design Ireland's Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The exhibition titled "Infra-Eireann" looked at the social and material development of the Irish state through infrastructures.
In 2015 I was appointed by Irish Year of Design 2015 to design a series of exhibitions in Milan, New York, Dublin, Eindhoven and London showcasing contemporary Irish design. In 2016 I was commissioned (with Dr Boyd) by the Arts Council to develop a centennial exhibition of architecture looking back at a century of development. The exhibition titled "Making Ireland Modern" toured Galway, Cork and Dublin and was the major celebration of architecture in the state in 2016.
My practice has won many awards and in 2015 was named Best Emerging Practice by the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI), who said - “John McLaughlin Architects is a practice that is putting architecture in a wider and international context – from their role as co-curator and co-commissioner of the Venice Architecture Biennale to architecture, education and master-planning. There is confidence in working at a range of scales and across various disciplines, while maintaining a focus on craftsmanship, details and materials. This is not only a new practice but a studio that demonstrates a new way of practicing in architecture.”
Interests : The spatial and cultural identity of places is shaped by cycles of economy, infrastructure, and culture. At points in these cycles places must change or adapt to change. Architecture has the capacity to catalyse and crystallise this process. Architecture operates in the space of craft and objects but its synthesising methods are well suited to grasping and fashioning the forces at work in place formation. It requires an adjustment in scale, but it offers huge potential and possibilities as the formal models and assumptions that operate in previous situations may be no longer relevant or even appropriate.
My research is interested in the potential for architecture to activate these real situations. Combining architecture, landscape, design and urbanism, I am interested in exploring the opportunities for architecture to operate in an expanded field.
Publications
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | 'Introduction' Boyd, G.A. & McLaughlin, J. (2015) 'Introduction' In: Boyd, G.A. & McLaughlin, J (eds). Infrastructure and the Architectures of Modernity in Ireland 1916-2016. London: Ashgate. [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Data: Clouds and Precipitation' McLaughlin, J. (2015) 'Data: Clouds and Precipitation' In: Boyd, G.A. & McLaughlin, J (eds). Infrastructure and the Architectures of Modernity in Ireland 1916-2016. London: Ashgate. [Details] | |
| (2011) | 'Grand Canal Square, Dublin' Waugh, Emily (Ed) (2011) 'Grand Canal Square, Dublin' In: Recycling Spaces: Curating Urban Evolution. London: Thames and Hudson. [Details] | |
| (2009) | 'Urbanism: High Density Development' Pike, James; Meghan, Kathryn (Eds) (2009) 'Urbanism: High Density Development' In: The New Housing 2 - Building Better Communities. Ireland: Gandon Editions. [Details] |
Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2016) | No Fixed Form. Gary A. Boyd & John McLaughlin (2016) No Fixed Form. Dublin: Ireland at Venice Architecture Biennale. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Shifting Ground. John McLaughlin (2013) Shifting Ground. Dublin: Ireland at Venice Architecture Biennale. [DOI] [Details] |
Edited Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | Infrastructure and the Architectures of Modernity in Ireland 1916-2016 Boyd, G.A. & McLaughlin, J (Ed.). (2015) Infrastructure and the Architectures of Modernity in Ireland 1916-2016 London: Ashgate. [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2009) | 'Landscape Art and the City' Mulhall, Stephen (Ed.) (2009) 'Landscape Art and the City'. Building Material, 1 (19):142-145 [Details] |
Other Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2010) | 'Europan 10: Inventing Urbanity' RIAI (2010) 'Europan 10: Inventing Urbanity' RIAI Yearbook, :83-83. [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'New Ireland' Pearman, Hugh (Ed.) (2008) 'New Ireland' RIBA Journal, 115 (10) :40-45. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'The Giants Causeway Visitor Centre' Mulcahy, John (Ed.) (2012) 'The Giants Causeway Visitor Centre' Irish Arts Review, 29 (3) . [Details] |
Published Reports
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2009) | Government Policy on Architecture 2009 to 2015. Government of Ireland (2009) Government Policy on Architecture 2009 to 2015. The Stationery Office, Dublin. [Details] |
Exhibition
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2016) | Making Ireland Modern 1916-2016. Boyd, G.A. & McLaughlin, J. (2016) Making Ireland Modern 1916-2016. Exhibitions [Details] | |
| (2012) | Venice International Architecture Biennale 2012, Pavilion of Ireland: Shifting Ground. John McLaughlin (2012) Venice International Architecture Biennale 2012, Pavilion of Ireland: Shifting Ground. Dublin: Exhibitions [Details] | |
| (2014) | Venice International Architecture Biennale 2014, Pavilion of Ireland: Infra-Eireann: Making Ireland Modern. John McLaughlin and Gary A. Boyd (2014) Venice International Architecture Biennale 2014, Pavilion of Ireland: Infra-Eireann: Making Ireland Modern. Dublin: Exhibitions [Details] |
Built Works
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2013) | Open House. John McLaughlin (2013) Open House. Dublin: Built Works [Details] | |
| (2010) | Bord Gais Above Ground Installation. John McLaughlin and Martin Richman (2010) Bord Gais Above Ground Installation. Dublin: Built Works [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Curator of the Pavilion of Ireland at Venice International Architecture Biennale | Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | |
| 2010 | Arts Project Award | Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council | |
| 2016 | Best Research Award | Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland | |
| 2010 | Commendation in the RIAI Public Space Design Awards | RIAI | |
| 2004 | Civic Trust Award | The Civic Trust UK | |
| 2011 | Arts Council Bursary Award | The Arts Council of Ireland | |
| 2003 | RIBA Design Award | Royal Institute of British Architects | |
| 2016 | Special Mention of Jury | Architectural Association of Ireland | |
| 2014 | Curator of the Pavilion of Ireland at Venice International Architecture Biennale | Culture Ireland/Dept of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht | |
| 2015 | Award for Design Excellence | Architectural Association of Ireland | |
| 2015 | Best Emerging Practice Award | Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland | |
| 2011 | Award for Design Excellence | Architectural Association of Ireland | |
| 2011 | Arts Project Award | Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council | |
| 2011 | Architectural Association of Ireland Architecture Award | Architectural Association of Ireland |