The Irish Architecture Foundation in partnership with Carlow Arts Festival invites you to take part in a conversation about places for conversation.

The Reimagine Café is a community space for all those interested in placemaking and reimagining their built environment. It is an annual series of workshops and informal conversations delivered through Reimagine, the Irish Architecture Foundation’s nationwide placemaking programme.

At this Café we will hear from Unqualified Design Studio as they discuss their project WE NEED TO TALK and from architect Muhammad Achour, who will share his perspective on spaces of gathering and conversation in other countries. The discussion will then be opened up, inviting attendees to reflect on spaces around the world that have a similar function to the iconic Irish pub snug, a unique meeting place designed for close conversation. What makes a space a good place for conversation?

The Snug is a participatory design project exploring places of conversation in contemporary Ireland. Led by international arts collective Unqualified Design Studio (Without Sin, Carlow Arts Festival 2023), the project invited communities in Graiguecullen and Carlow Town to collaborate in the creation of a temporary space for conversation as part of Carlow Arts Festival.

Facilitator Muhammad Achour is a Syrian architect based in Dublin and the founding Director of Places of ARcture, a social enterprise that advocates for using art and architecture as tools to engage with local communities. He believes that community engagement within our neighbourhoods is a key tool for achieving liveable cities. His involvement in a broad range of initiatives for inclusion show his passion for helping newcomers to integrate in their new society.

Photo: Last Drinks, a pop-up micro-venue by Unqualified Design Studio. Photo courtesy of Carlow Arts Festival.