Irish architects awarded UCD’s highest honour

Grafton Architects founders receive Ulysses medal for ‘outstanding global contribution’

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, founders, of Grafton Architects were recognised for their outstanding global contribution at an event at the university on Friday afternoon. Photograph: Marc O’Sullivan
Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, founders, of Grafton Architects were recognised for their outstanding global contribution at an event at the university on Friday afternoon. Photograph: Marc O’Sullivan

Two renowned Irish architects have been awarded UCD's highest honour, the Ulysses Medal.

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, founders, of Grafton Architects were recognised for their outstanding global contribution at an event at the university on Friday afternoon.

It has been a busy year for the pair who curated the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale.

They were also awarded the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) gold medal for architecture 2007-2009 for its design of Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.

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The RIAI gold medal is Ireland’s top accolade for architecture. The project must be completed within a defined three-year period and the medal is awarded several years after completion so that the success of the building can be confirmed by the passage of time.

Carl O'Brien

Carl O'Brien

Carl O'Brien is Education Editor of The Irish Times. He was previously chief reporter and social affairs correspondent