The Studio Sessions of O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects

John talks with Vincent Woods, Irish poet, playwright and broadcaster, about formative experiences of Johns childhood, the influence and enduring lessons of his father, and his memoir, First Quarter. They discuss how the village streets, rural houses and landscapes shaped Johns approach to architecture, the parallels between shaping space and shaping language or memory, and explore ideas of place, feeling, and the promise and possi...

John and Sheila talk to Joseph Walsh, designer, artist and furniture maker, about his upbringing and rural life, intergenerational learning, the idea of ‘making is thinking’ and the iterative, exploratory nature of craft. They discuss their twelve year collaboration, and the transition from intimate handcrafted pieces to the Rambling Houses project, as well as the challenges of interpreting traditional techniques for modern context...

Sheila talks to the Irish artist Helen O’Leary, whose work defies conventional categorisations of painting and sculpture, and is often described as 'knitting with wood', about the relationship between her personal history and her work, and her deep engagement with found and repurposed materials. They discuss nomadism and the dual cultures of Ireland and the United States, the influence of Irish music and literature, experimentation...

John talks to poet, editor, academic, and publisher, Peter Fallon, a pivotal figure in modern Irish letters, about Gallery Press, Ireland's pre-eminent poetry house, which he founded at eighteen years old while a student at Trinity College Dublin. They discuss Peters formative experiences leading to a life in poetry, the idea of poetry as 'making' or craftsmanship and where it finds common ground with architecture, the nurturi...

Sheila talks to Belfast-born co-founder of Rough Magic Theatre Company Lynne Parker, who has spent forty years proving that Irish theatre thrives on audacity and craft. They discuss the role of Rough Magic in defining Irish theatre in the 1980s amidst socio-political turmoil, the significance of physical spaces and how architecture influences performance, the lack of support for emerging artists and the importance of artist develop...

John talks with Pat Collins, Cork filmmaker and founder of Harvest Films, about the importance of local landscapes and communities, the intersection of modernity and tradition, and how small places carry universal significance. They discuss some favourite films, his collaboratory approach to documentary making, the influence of auteurs like Ozu, Tarkovsky and Bergman and the role of European and Japanese cinema in shaping his aesth...