Sir, – It was with great interest that I read the article on the recently completed Wonder Cabinet at the "Dead Zoo" (Museum of Natural History) in Dublin ("Cabinet of Curiosities: what new wonders await at the Dead Zoo?", Life, July 12th).
Reading it several times, I noticed that at no point were AP+E, the architects of the cabinet mentioned, although your journalist reported it was a “clever piece of architecture that does an excellent job”.
I was left wondering if it is the custom and practice of The Irish Times to review an excellent book and not mention the writer? Or would it be usual to review a clever play and not mention the director or a single actor who played a role in sending the audience and critic home happy?
As this is not my experience of coverage of such matters in your newspaper, I assume this was simply an oversight. However, it is surely time for architects to take their place among their peers working in the other nine art-forms described under the Arts Act and be reviewed, critiqued and credited in your paper as part of Irish national culture and debate? I am certain they would welcome the robust input of your critics and our country’s architecture would be the better for it. – Yours, etc,
EMMETT SCANLON,
Architect,
Assistant Professor,
School of Architecture,
UCD,
Dublin 4.