As a former colony and island at the edge of Europe, outside influences have always shaped our history, our culture, and our design. Angela and Sandra look at how centuries of migration, invasion and colonisation have resulted in a constant ebb and flow of influence from abroad. We discover a modern take on the Norman Tower House on the campus of Trinity College; We learn how Dutch graphic designers shaped Ireland’s visual culture in the 1950s and how the Scandinavian Design Report in 1962 led to the setting up of the influential Kilkenny Design Workshops, bringing a wave of European designers to Ireland to help unlock a uniquely Irish design style. We see how Irish designers and architects embraced these outside influences and in time went on to influence others as we go inside the award-winning and celebrated Bocconi Institute in Milan, designed by Grafton Architects.
