Waterford Architecture Festival: Architects from Renzo Piano's Paris office and the Canadian firm Diamond and Schmitt will be talking at the John Roberts Waterford Festival at the end of this month, giving architects a valuable opportunity to gain insight into how their internationl brethren work.
While the six-year-old festival began as a forum for architects, planners and environmental conservationists, it has now become more of a family affair that includes children's activities, garden tours, a photographic exhibition and choral concerts. Yet it retains its architectural focus with talks and walks concerning the work of John Roberts (1714-1796), who designed many buildings in Waterford.
Little is known about his life, except that he married Mary Susannah Sautelle, who came from a wealthy Huguenot family. She was disinherited as a result but Roberts went on to be successful; his first major project was the Bishop's Palace in 1746.
In 1785 he built a substantial townhouse (which later became the Waterford Chamber of Commerce). He also designed the City and County Infirmary, Assembly Rooms (now city hall) and the Theatre Royal. He created both the Catholic and Protestant cathedrals in Waterford. The festival will include a talk on his work by Dr Hugh Maguire, a walking tour of his buildings and the laying of a wreath at his grave.
The festival kicks off with a presentation by Paul Vincent of Renzo Piano's Paris office, who will talk about performance spaces, including the firm's cultural centre being built on the South Pacific Island of New Caledonia. The architect was invited by Máire Henry, head of the architecture department at WIT (Waterford Institute of Technology), who worked with him for 10 years.
Another fan of Ireland is Don Schmitt, of Diamond and Schmitt Architects, who will talk about the architecture of drama, dance and music. His practice has designed or restored many such buildings including the Symphony Hall in Detroit; Four Seasons Opera House, Toronto; Magnus Theatre, Thunder Bay, Ontario; the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington DC and restoration work on the Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford.
This latter project came about through a chance meeting between Schmitt and Garter Lane's director, Caroline Senior, in Newfoundland in 2004. He has now forged a relationship with the design team that includes Waterford-based conservation architect Ken Wigham. The 18th century Quaker Meeting House will be opened to the public again this autumn.
The John Roberts Waterford Festival runs from Friday April 28th to Sunday April 30th,
www.johnrobertswaterford.ie
