For nearly three decades, the best-selling and highly acclaimed NEW IRISH ARCHITECTURE series has been compre­hensively docu­menting the best of contemporary Irish architecture through the buildings and projects featured in the annual AAI AWARDS for Excellence in Architectural Design. Entries are judged by a panel of five Irish and international assessors, offering a unique critical appraisal of contemporary Irish architecture. Each volume of New Irish Architecture carries copious drawings and photographs, architects' descriptions and the assessors’ comments on every awarded and commended scheme. Volumes from no. 16 onwards also carry a keynote essay by the international critic on that year’s jury.

The series was established for the AAI by Gandon Editions in 1986. In 2001 (with volume 16), a new, much-expanded and more book-like octavo-format was adopted, allowing more coverage that before. Small numbers of some earlier volumes are still available (contact Gandon for details).

The keynote essay in vol. 21 is "Joze Plecnik (1872-1957), Ljubljana" by Andrej Hrausky. The Award-winning buildings featured are: Poustina, Glencomeragh House of Prayer, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, by Architects Bates Maher (which was awarded the highest accolade, the Downes Bronze Medal); House at Sorrento Heights, Dalkey, Co Dublin, by Boyd Cody Architects; City House and Workplace, 41 Francis Street, Dublin 8, by Donaghy + Dimond; Extension to Dept of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, by Grafton Architects; Engineers Ireland, 20 Clyde Road, Dublin 4, by McCullough Mulvin; House at Crouch End, London by Níall McLaughlin Architects; Brooke Heussaff Library, South Circular Road, Dublin 8, by NJBA Architects; 13a Thor Place, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7, by ODOS. A further 8 commended projects are also featured.