A Benedictine monastery at Kylemore Abbey has won the Public Choice Award for architecture.
The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Public Choice Award for 2025 is a unique opportunity for the public to choose their favourite project of the year.
President of the RIAI Sean Mahon revealed the winner on RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
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A total of 48 projects featured on the RIAI awards shortlist this year, marking the 36th year of the competition celebrating excellence in the design and delivery of buildings.
The new monastery, worked on by Axo Architects, sits on the edge of Pollacappul Lough in Galway, under Duchruach Mountain and close to Kylemore Abbey.
"Context, scale, materiality, and visual assimilation were never more important," its architects said.
The form of the monastery springs from a central garth and cloister before emerging outwards in a series of brick volumes of varying height, width and scale.
"This results in a building that rests peacefully within its context," its architects added.
Mr Mahon said the monastery is a "really interesting building" and was built with great sensitivity to the area in a much loved landscape and situated within the Kylemore Abbey complex.
"It's situated right by the lake edge, very low levels, so it's not interfering with the beautiful view of the original abbey, but at the same time, it's very grounded in the tradition of the abbey, but also very relevant to the present too as a new community and a home for the Benedictine Order," he added.
In second place is Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant by Clancy Moore Architects in collaboration with Ayesa Engineers for Uisce Éireann /Irish Water, while Scoil Naomh Bríd, Culleens by SJK Architects came third.
