The Irish Architecture Foundation is delighted to announce that our Director, Emmett Scanlon, has been elected a member of the Comité International des Critiques d’Architecture / International Committee of Architectural Critics. The CICA is is a non-profit organisation of international architecture critics, and was founded in Mexico City on October 26, 1978, during the 13th World Congress of the Union internationale des architectes (UIA).

Emmett is only the second Irish architecture writer to have been elected to this group, the other being Shane O’ Toole. 

Writers are nominated by their peers and voted on without the knowledge of the nominee. Emmett was elected with Oliver Wainright, Barry Bergdoll, Mo Wanli and more.

Speaking today, Emmett Scanlon said, “I am really delighted to have been elected to this group. It is humbling to be listed among so many renowned writers and critics whom I have read and learned from for many years. This emboldens me as Director of the Irish Architecture Foundation to advocate for architecture criticism as a vital part of Irish architectural culture. Ireland has produced some of the most respected and talented architects in the world, now it is time to match these architects with writers, critics and editors of equal renown and success and to build the infrastructure to make criticism and writing in architecture a sustainable career.”

Photo: Emmett Scanlon, by Myles Shelley.