Under the current Development Plan is scheduled for demolition. Why shouldn’t it be? A museum curator and a practicing architect debate the value of Modern architecture: Why and how should a generic concrete structure be spared and adapted for new uses? Beyond individual buildings, ideas of collecting, preserving and curating the city for future generations will be discussed.

Hugh Maguire is now one of the longest serving directors of the Hunt Museum, having joined the Museum in late 2009. Before that, he was the Museums and Archives Officer in The Heritage Council. A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and the Courtauld Institute of Art, London he previously held numerous lecturing and publishing positions in Ireland and overseas. In addition to the day-to-day administration of the museum as its director, together with the Board, Hugh accounts for strategic directions as well as being the public face of the museum.

Michael O’Connor is an architect in private practice in Limerick and London, as O’Connor + Shanahan for public work contracts and some corporate clients and as ‘praxis architecture’ for private commissions. A graduate of UCD and member of the RIAI, Michael is also a registered Conservation Architect both in Ireland and the UK. Parallel to his work in practice Michael has undertaken extensive research on viable ways to adapt Sarsfield House to future uses. ‘Praxis architecture’ was commended at the 2015 RIAI Awards for Best Emerging Practice.

“Futures of the past” looks at buildings of the past and how we think about their future. Aware of the necessarily creative and destructive role of architecture we hold a deep interest in what exists. This series of talks is a public forum intended to address a range of questions on architecture’s role, past and present.