"House of Cards," our submission for the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) "Art of Architecture" competition, is a provocation on the nature of architectural competitions themselves.
Using the A1 application boards submitted by the entrants to the competition as building materials and displaying the artwork that they contain, this proposal critiques the often-invisible labour and material use inherent in creative processes and the shaping of our built environment.
Inspired by the myth of the Tower of Babel, the layered, cascading planes of individualised hopes and ambitions, reflect the fragmented thinking in the commissioning of architectural practice, especially amidst the polycrises of our time within the metacrisis of late capitalism.
Designed for adaptability, the structure incorporates recycled A1 boards, compostable tape, and lightweight timber dowels, emphasising flexibility over permanence. An interactive element invited visitors to reshape the structure, challenging notions of single authorship and encouraging collective engagement.
While our entry was unsuccessful, we’re happy to share our brief exploration of architecture’s fragile yet transformative potential and congratulate the successful and shortlisted entrants and we look forward to seeing the winning entry realised later in 2025.
Using the A1 application boards submitted by the entrants to the competition as building materials and displaying the artwork that they contain, this proposal critiques the often-invisible labour and material use inherent in creative processes and the shaping of our built environment.
Inspired by the myth of the Tower of Babel, the layered, cascading planes of individualised hopes and ambitions, reflect the fragmented thinking in the commissioning of architectural practice, especially amidst the polycrises of our time within the metacrisis of late capitalism.
Designed for adaptability, the structure incorporates recycled A1 boards, compostable tape, and lightweight timber dowels, emphasising flexibility over permanence. An interactive element invited visitors to reshape the structure, challenging notions of single authorship and encouraging collective engagement.
While our entry was unsuccessful, we’re happy to share our brief exploration of architecture’s fragile yet transformative potential and congratulate the successful and shortlisted entrants and we look forward to seeing the winning entry realised later in 2025.