October NUI Galway to Host Symposium and Workshops on Reimagining Galway and the West of Ireland

NUI Galway will host a Placemaking Symposium and Workshops as part of the Architecture at the Edge (AATE) celebration of exceptional architecture in the West of Ireland on Friday, 26 October. The event will take place in the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance from 9.30am to 5pm.

This year’s Placemaking Symposium and Workshops will focus on the regeneration of Nun’s Island, led by NUI Galway with support from the urban design team at BDP, and the recent announcement of Galway City Council’s own Public Realm strategy. These two important initiatives will have a profound influence on the shaping and the future of Galway. 

The symposium will include presentations and discussion in the morning, followed by an afternoon of workshops on Nun’s Island, Galway’s Public Realm Strategy, and Placemaking in Towns and Villages.

Keynote presentations will be delivered by Gareth Maguire, Architect Director of BDP, Caroline Phelan, Senior Planner with Galway City Council and Simon Wall, Senior Executive Architect of the Mayo County Council.

Coordinator of the event and NUI Galway Professor Kevin Leyden said: “Placemaking is all about working together to plan and build inviting places that inspire creativity, culture, sustainability and community and attract businesses and residents alike.”

The afternoon workshop on placemaking in towns and villages, led by Simon Wall, town architect in Westport, will explore the experience of smaller communities in the west of Ireland and address the challenges and opportunities in shaping their future. Whether in the dramatic landscape which attracts visitors or the farmed environment supporting the local economy, the revitalisation of smaller towns and villages and their environs is of vital importance for the entire region.

The Placemaking Symposium and Workshops is free and open to the public but advance registration is essential at https://www.architectureattheedge.com/new-events/2018/10/26/placemaking.

 For more information on the AATE festival and the events taking place visit https://www.architectureattheedge.com/.

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