Ireland House Tokyo opens: a landmark of cultural connection and design excellence

Following an international design competition conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Henry J Lyons was appointed as the design team lead. Henry J Lyons assembled a multidisciplinary project team, including Integrated Design Associates with Taro Ashihara Architects for local architectural expertise and Arup for structural, mechanical, electrical and public health engineering.

Rory McGowan, Project Director, Arup, said:

“Arup’s teams in Japan and Ireland merged local insights with global expertise to design Ireland House Tokyo. We are proud to have played a part in delivering this culturally significant building on a confined site, in accordance with Japan’s seismic performance criteria.”

Peter McGovern, Henry J Lyons, said:

“The design bridges Irish and Japanese architectural traditions, combining the solid presence of the Irish ‘caisleán’ or tower house with the delicate timber screens of Japanese ‘machiya’ (traditional wooden townhouse that also formed a place of business). These elements are woven together through the concept of ‘間 (Ma)’ – space as silence, structure as breath; Architecture as diplomacy, expressed through spatial clarity and cultural resonance. We are proud to have led this team to deliver a welcoming and vibrant symbol of Ireland in Japan.”

The 3,000m² building has two underground levels and five floors above ground. It houses the Irish Embassy, the ambassador’s residence and offices for state agencies such as Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. It also features an acoustically designed performance space which doubles as an exhibition area, a business/conference facility, interactive library and cultural resource hub.