June 15, 2018 Two Faculty Members Awarded Third Place for Renovation of Ireland’s Connolly’s of Leap

The contest challenged designers to envision a renovation and extension of the famous Connolly’s of Leap, an Irish cult music venue located near the southern tip of Ireland. With three generations of owners, the venue is historic to the region and has championed live music since 1810.  For more than 200 years, the venue has made a name on the international music scene for hosting thousands of world-famous artists as well as cult music talent.

Mullikin and Stevens’s design, titled “Rooted|Rootless,” focuses the design of the music venue around a central tree, called the Mother Tree, which is known for supporting life and passing wisdom. The design includes a series of gardens and ramps to bring visitors from the existing waterfall, ravine and surrounding neighborhood. Complete with a full, floating, faceted canopy, their design aims to honor the relationship between the music, place and people who visit this iconic venue.