Tom de Paor facts for kids
Tomás "Tom" de Paor (born 1967) is a famous Irish architect. He is also a member of Aosdána, which is a special group for Irish artists.
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Early Life and Education
Tom de Paor was born in London in 1967. He grew up in County Clare, Ireland.
He studied architecture at TU Dublin and UCD. He graduated from UCD with top honors.
Designing Buildings and Spaces
Tom de Paor is known for designing many different types of buildings. He has won several awards for his work.
Early Projects
In 1991, Tom de Paor won a big international competition. He designed a reception building for the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Ballincollig, County Cork. This building won awards in 1993 and 1994.
He has also worked on many other public projects. These include:
- Changes to a road in London (1996)
- The National Sculpture Factory in Cork (1998)
- Comhdháil Naisiúnta na Gaeilge in Dublin (1999)
- The Clontarf Pumpstation and its surrounding area (2007)
- The Irish Aid Centre in Dublin (2008)
- The Druid Theatre in Galway (2009)
- The Landside Bar at Dublin Airport (2011)
Recent Works
More recently, Tom de Paor designed the Pálás cinema in Galway (2017). This cinema won many important awards. It was named Best Cultural Building by two different groups. It also won awards for its use of concrete and a World Architecture Award.
He has also designed many unique houses and gardens. These projects are located all over Ireland.
Art Exhibitions
Tom de Paor has shown his architectural work in many art exhibitions.
In 2000, he was asked to design Ireland's first display. This was for the Venice Biennale of Architecture. This is a very important international event for architecture. He also helped with Ireland's displays in 2006, 2008, and 2010. In 2010, he helped organize the exhibition.
He also showed his work in the international part of the Biennale in 2010 and 2018. In 2001, he represented Europe in a special exhibition. This exhibition showed new trends in architecture from Europe and Japan.
In 2022, Tom de Paor had a big exhibition called 'i see Earth'. It showed his work from 1991 to 2021. This exhibition was supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and other groups.
Awards and Honors
Tom de Paor has received many important awards for his work.
In 2003, he became a Fellow of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. He was also named Young Architect of the Year by a magazine called Building Design.
In 2015, he was chosen to join Aosdána. This is a special group that honors Irish artists.
In 2017, he became an International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was only the third Irish architect to receive this honor. He was called "the leading Irish architect of his generation."
Teaching Architecture
Tom de Paor also teaches architecture to students. He has been a guest lecturer and critic in many places around the world.
He has taught at UCD since he graduated. He has also taught at other universities, including:
- Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Santiago, Chile
- The Porto Academy
- The Harvard Graduate School of Design (from 2016 to 2021)
Personal Life
Tom de Paor lives and works in Greystones, County Wicklow.
