After delays through the Irish courts, the Spire of Dublin, the new monument in O’Connell Street, Dublin, will be prefabricated between now and September, and transported and installed in the autumn of 2002.

Bertie Aherne, Ireland’s Prime Minister (an Taoiseach) together with the Lord Mayor of Dublin officially launched the beginning of the construction of the Spire of Dublin at a press briefing in O’Connell Street on 6^th April. The regeneration of the area and the renewal of O’Connell Street, Dublin and Ireland’s main street in which the Spire is the centrepiece, is an ambitious project costing more than 300 million euros.

The 1000 tonne lifting crane is now in position in O’Connell Street and the delivery of the first Spire elements is expected in the early part of December. The final shot peening finishing of the stainless steel Spire elements by MIC at Radley Engineering has begun in Dungarven and final inspections begin on 2^nd December. The final factory test assembly of the cast and machined spiral base elements will be inspected on 2nd December at Westley Engineering, Cradley Heath, West Midlands, near Birmingham.

The School of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Ritchie CBE RA RIBA FRSA as Visiting Professor of Architectural Engineering.

Ian Ritchie was a member of the International jury for the 8^th Brunel Awards, held at the Academie d’Architecture in Paris on 5^th and 6^th July 2001

London’s Time Out Magazine July 25th 2001 lists the Concert Platform among 50 reasons why London is the most beautiful city in the world.

European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE)
4^th Meeting of Heads of European Schools of Architecture.
1-4 September 2001, Crete.
Keynote speech by Ian Ritchie (Design Apartheid).

Bermondsey Station and the London Regatta Centre are featured with models, photographs and drawings in the Royal Academy Exhibition at the Municipal Art Society of New York’s Galleries at 457 Madison Avenue at 51^st Street, New York.
The exhibition runs from October 3^rd until 30^th November 2001.
The exhibition was prepared by Wordsearch.

Ian Ritchie, as architectural advisor to the Lord Chancellor’s Department, will be one of the judges for this important new building.

12 firms have been longlisted, and the international list includes Denton Corker Marshall, Foster and Partners, Nicholas Grimshaw Architects, Michael Wilford Architects, Raphael Vinoly Architects, and the Richard Rogers Partnership. Following presentations later this month the jury will select 3 firms to prepare concept designs, and the final choice of architect will be made in february 2002.

The project will be realised as Public Private Partnership (PPP).