52 CONTEXT 188 : JUNE 2026 and Allographic Architecture’, Goffi describes the method of construction adopted by Scarpa, who used collaborators rather than contractors. At Castelvecchio his drawing office was on site, and the drawing process occurred concurrently with the execution of works (rather as was done in earlier ages). Throughout the process he had direct contact with masons, craftspeople and site workers, who shared in decisions regarding the treatment of hidden historic features, thus allowing for change of design in real time, responding to discoveries made during renovation. Above all, Scarpa is admired for his skill and sensitivity in displaying sculpture and paintings in the museums and galleries he restored. This he attributed to his belief in ‘emotive architecture’, where the viewer is encouraged to move around the works of art at a slow tempo, with natural light, lofty ceilings, reverberant surfaces and contemplative silence. The core principle that lies behind this fascinating, if recondite, book is that architecture is not a final product to be preserved, but something that can, even when complete, be regarded as unfinished and open to adaptation. And with the need to address sustainability and environmental challenges, adaptability becomes increasingly significant. Peter de Figueiredo, reviews editor of Context Intangibly Irish Irish Emigration to England Explored Through Buildings: the green and the grey Samantha Lyster, Historic England/ Liverpool University Press, 2025, 111 pages, 75 black-and-white illustrations, ISBN 978-1-83624-580-3, £30 Irish emigration is an important part of British and Irish history. In the 19th century, poverty drove Irish migration to America, Britain and across the world. Part of inner Manchester was known as Little Ireland from the influx of Irish mill workers. Seasonal Irish workers lived in bothies or ‘shants’ on country estates during the harvest. So-called navvies helped build Britain’s canals and railways, often housed in temporary shanty towns. Twentieth-century migration saw Irish people settling in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and other cities, reinforcing existing Irish networks. Irish identity is important to the estimated 10 per cent of the UK population who have at least one Irish grandparent. Samantha Lyster, a freelance journalist, has written a book that explores ‘emotional architecture’ through buildings that have ‘both a psychological and physical effect on people’. She captures ‘stories and experiences’ associated with a personal selection of buildings connected to the Irish diaspora in England. In addition to the expected Irish centres, pubs and Roman Catholic churches, Lyster includes the Bluecoat in Liverpool, which hosts part of the city’s annual Irish Festival; the Bristol Hotel, run by the Doyle family since 1996; and the Clapton Portico in London, renovated to designs by Irish architect Angela Brady, the first non-British president of the RIBA (2011–13). These examples celebrate stories that challenge stereotypes related to working-class Irish emigration. Lyster writes that the buildings in her book are ‘more than bricks and mortar’. In this she is reflecting the recent trend to recognise that buildings are increasingly valued for their intangible significance. Historic England’s report Intangible heritage and design in historic contexts, compiled by Jonathan Djabarouti of Manchester School of Architecture (2026) explores intangible cultural heritage and mechanisms for taking account of this through guidance and practice. This follows on from Unesco’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), ratified by the UK in 2024. The days of built heritage being assessed only by experts are hopefully over: people’s ‘stories, traditions and community use can inform assessments of significance and inform more inclusive, grounded decision-making’ (Djabarouti, 2026). Lyster’s book contributes to this growing area of work. Very few of the buildings in the book were built by or for Irish communities; almost all are existing buildings that later acquired an association with an Irish community or individual. The Portsmouth Irish Centre has occupied the 1925 Mikado Buildings since 1973, a use that enriches its intangible significance. At the London Irish Centre, a men’s hostel was built in the 1950s, a rare example of a purpose-built development for Irish emigrants. Surprisingly, Lyster does not rate this distinctive addition to the Victorian building fronting Camden Square, welcoming its planned replacement on design grounds. Buildings missing from Lyster’s study are places of work and housing, such as the postwar Chelmsley Wood estate in Birmingham, whose Irish residents went to Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians (Richard Gilbert Scott, 1966), included in this book. There is scope for a further study. The hardback book is well produced and illustrated with recent images. Marion Barter, historic buildings historian
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