Orla’s vision for Skibb convent wins top architecture award

AN architecture student has won an award for her design plans based on the former Sisters of Mercy convent in Skibbereen.

Orla McCarthy’s winning project, on the refurbishment and re-design of the Sisters of Mercy Convent, took the top prize at the Interior Architecture Student National Design Awards last week.

Midleton student Orla proposes an inter-generational space that supports integrated activities for both young and old, celebrates the chapel space with a new museum area, and provides much-needed co-working space for people located in and around Skibbereen.

Orla, whose father Con hails from Skibbereen, was a student at Munster Technological University (MTU) when she entered her designs for the prestigious Institute of Designers in Ireland Graduate Design Award for Interior Architecture.

‘The convent is such a landmark building with a deep history and I found myself drawn to the potential of such a site and the possible use it could be to the community,’ Orla told The Southern Star.

Her entry was entitled ‘The Potentiality of Incompleteness’ and it was produced in response to Cork County Council’s development plan for Skibbereen and the strategic opportunity to drive regeneration of an area to the northeast of the town.

Orla proposed a design that was focused on important elements of Skibbereen life, such as care-giving, community, collaboration and learning.

She, ironically, drew inspiration from the condition of the burnt-out structure, which was unfortunately devastated by fire in September 2020.

‘I found it interesting how these forms I drew were once whole, but subsequently fell apart into fragmentary pieces. I suppose this is where we find potential in incompleteness,’ said Orla.

Orla’s vision for the Sisters of Mercy convent may, howver, remain just that – a vision.

‘I would like to see something planned for the convent. It would be a shame to see such a building stay derelict for much longer,’ Orla said.

Orla is now in Edinburgh, where she is studying for an MSc in architectural conservation. In addition to winning this prestigious award, Orla’s work was shortlisted under several other categories and won a commendation in the architecture category.