In this short film from Areaman Productions, Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey (O’Donnell + Tuomey), discuss their approach to designing buildings that are often regarded as being ‘strangely familiar’. In Sheila’s words, “That’s what we’re always trying to think about – how do we make this place feel more like itself by putting something in?” Exploring how a building enters a ‘co-operative conversation with it’s surroundings’, John describes how The Timberyard social housing project on Dublin’s Cork Street is “trying to re-read the Liberties back to itself […] it’s like a child’s memory of the Liberties”. Strangely Familiar looks at projects including Sean O’Casey Community Centre, Glucksman Gallery, Ranelagh School, and Letterfrack Furniture College. ‘We’re trying to use the limited vocabulary of everyday architecture, but use it to create unexpected strangeness…to remind people of the depth of beauty that there is in that limited vocabulary.’

Year: 2015
Country: Ireland
Duration: 10 minutes