We are pleased to announce the line up for the second half of the 2024 season of the IAF’s new and popular series of conversations on books about architecture, Books Downstairs. 

Books have always played an important role in the history, theory and practice of architecture and design and how these aspects of architecture get communicated and shared with the public. Ireland has seen an increase in books about architecture, built environment in recent years with new publishers, writers and critical subjects adding to how we come to know and understand the world around us and the stories embedded in our built world. From biography to adaptive reuse, from cities to bungalows, from landscape to monograph, Monday lunchtime at Books Downstairs is the best place in Dublin to hear from some great writers, architects, researchers and designers who are making some of the most exciting publications in architecture today.

All conversations take place in IAF House in Dublin, Mondays at 1pm.

Places are limited and space is always in demand.

Priority for this series is given to our IAF Friends. If you wish to avail of advance booking to secure your place, please become an IAF Friend!

Coming up in the Books Downstairs 2024 season:

Monday 8 April 2024

Chapter 4: Rory Hearne (author of Gaffs)  and Des Fitzgerald (author of The City of Today is a Dying Thing)

Booking opens for IAF Friends on 27 March. Check your email!

Public booking opens on 28 March. Read more and book your place.

Monday 13 May 2024

Chapter 5: Peter Maybury, Colin Farmer and Noelle Cooper in conversation with Emma Conway on designing books about architecture.

Booking opens for IAF Friends on 30 April.

Public booking opens on 1 May.

Monday 10 June 2024

Chapter 6: Adrian Duncan (author of Little Republics) and John Tuomey (author of First Quarter)

Booking opens for IAF Friends on 27 May.

Public booking opens on 28 May.

Monday 24 June 2024

Chapter 7: Ryan W. Kennihan (author of Ryan W. Kennihan – Dublin) and Ruth Lang (author of Building for Change)

Booking opens for IAF Friends on 11 June.

Public booking opens on 12 June.

Past chapters:

Monday 11 December 2023

Chapter 1: René Boer (author of Smooth City) and Tom G. Cookson (author of Shallow Time: The Burren) in conversation with Emmett Scanlon.

Monday 19 February 2024

Chapter 2: Ruth O’Herlihy (co-editor of Dublin Exchange), Eibhlín Ní Chathasaigh and James Albert Martin (co-editors of Soil Lab: A Built Experiment) in conversation with Livia Hurley.

Monday 11 March 2024

Chapter 3: Cormac Murray (co-editor of The Dublin Architecture Guide 1937-2021) and Ellen Rowley (co-editor of More Than Concrete Blocks vol.3) in conversation with Dervla MacManus.