Sorcha O’Brien
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sorchao.bsky.social
Sorcha O’Brien
@sorchao.bsky.social
490 followers 200 following 390 posts
design history, technology & other hybrids. also crochet, SFF, gardening badly and occasional dye experiments. she/her. pronounced like ‘portia’.
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sorchao.bsky.social
You want cute, I think I may have his grandmother here in Dublin. 15 in November and still bouncing for treats
A tri-colour Jack Russell cross reclining in a fluffy basket. She used to have a brown face, but is now 14, almost 15, and wants me to let her sleep.
September 12, 2025 at 7:52 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
I’m back on the trail of this very modern Sacred Heart lamp, which I think was made in the Port Laoise area, because that’s where three of them have shown up. Anyone with leads, let me know!
National Museum photo of an electric Sacred Heart lamp, with the picture and lamp mounted on wood effect laminate with gold trim. The cable and plug are curled beneath the board.
July 17, 2025 at 10:44 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
I’ll be revisiting my work on the architecture and visual representation of the Shannon Scheme on Friday, at this 100 year anniversary colloquium in @unioflimerick.bsky.social. Tickets still available on Eventbrite, and it includes a tour of the power station!
A mostly green poster for an event called Colloquium 100 Years Ardnacrusha, with a photo of the power station, a QR code to register and logos from UL, ESB and Siemens.
July 1, 2025 at 12:17 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
I raise you this useful life advice:
A Japanese warning sign, which has English text that says ‘No Smoking: Do not touch doubtful things: No Open Flame’, all of which is good advice.
June 16, 2025 at 4:52 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Stop Meta from stealing books to train their LLM AI, including Love Objects and other design history books!
How to take action 👉 societyofauthors.org/2025/03/21/t...
#DoTheWriteThing #Spéirgorm
META BOOK THIEVES They must #DoTheWriteThing On a green background, drawings of people with protest placards across the bottom
April 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
The daffodils are already up about a week in Dublin - photo taken yesterday of the Malahide Road (pretty much sea level and temperate oceanic climate)
A photo taken from the driving seat of a car (stopped in traffic), showing a drift of daffodils down a two lane road. They’re also visible in the reflection in the wing mirror.
March 1, 2025 at 6:19 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Fab evening yesterday at the launch of Poster Boys in the National Print Museum, showcasing the work of Brendan Foreman and Kevin Scally for the Abbey Theatre in the 1970s and 1980s. Curated by my IADT colleague Dr Linda King and designed by Niall McCormack ✨
An orange exhibition wall, with dark blue and orange panels in the background. It reads: Poster Boys saothar Kevin Scally agus Brendan Foreman le haghaidh Amharclann na Mainistreach the work of Kevin Scally and Brendan Foreman for the Abbey Theatre Poster for A Pagan Place: a woman’s face surrounded by thick orange hair, merging into green and white wavy lines Poster for The Plough and the Stars: a white Georgian building surrounded by people marching, walking, etc, dressed in 1910s clothing Reworking of the 1920s Abbey Theatre poster by Brendan Foreman for this exhibition
February 28, 2025 at 8:14 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Absolutely, and Goldfinger was influenced by Le Corbusier’s ideas, including a similar layout in the late 1940s Unité d’Habitation in Marseilles. In this layout, you could have two storey apartments above and below the corridor, both dual aspect (and with two balconies).
A line drawing of an apartment in the Unité d’Habitation, which has a dining room/kitchen on the same level as a corridor in the middle of the building, and bedrooms on the floor overhead, which runs the whole width of the building. It has balconies on both sides of the building.
February 12, 2025 at 8:39 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
If you’re in Dublin this Brigid’s weekend, check out my sister Melissa O’Brien’s art work in the Earthbound Tales show at Pallas Studios, including fantastic anthotype photos of the Water House & inhabitants at the @opwireland.bsky.social National Botanic Gardens: pallasprojects.org/project/eart...
Some people looking at a wall of sepia-coloured prints (anthotypes printed with plant emulsions) in a white walled gallery space
February 1, 2025 at 8:58 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Jenny posing for the camera at the venerable age of 14
A Jack Russell Terrier mix with black and brown patches, but a white face and legs reclines on a chair with a green fluffy blanket and a white cushion. She has ears like Yoda.
January 17, 2025 at 5:50 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
Another update from 10 hours ago, all unharmed still:
eameshouse 10h ... While it remains at risk, as of 11:30am PST on January 10th, Case Study House 8 - the Eames House - is currently unharmed by the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades. The Eames Foundation has taken every precaution to protect the site and we continue to closely monitor the situation.
January 11, 2025 at 6:44 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Best explainer ever was from a Derry Girls episode - it’s not just about whether you put your toaster in the cupboard…
A large blackboard covered in handwriting, with the title Differences: British vs Irish. It then conflates nationality with religion, with things like ‘Protestants like to march’, ‘Catholics love statues’, ‘Protestants love hymns’, ‘Catholics obsessed with saints’, etc
January 10, 2025 at 6:12 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Update from the Eames Office 4 hours ago:
eameshouse 4h We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of concern for Case Study House 8 - the historic Eames House built in 1949 - during these devastating fires. While it remains at risk, the Eames House, as of 2:00 pm PST on January 9th, was unharmed by the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades. We are closely monitoring the situation and the Eames Foundation has taken every precaution to protect the site. The loss and displacement caused by these fires is staggering, and we stand in solidarity with everyone affected during this incredibly difficult time. The Eames Foundation informs that visits to the Eames House are cancelled until further notice.
January 10, 2025 at 5:59 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Got it still on the Eames Office one:
eamesoffice • 23h ... While currently at risk, Case Study House 8 - the historic Eames House built in 1949 - as of 8 am PST this morning was unharmed by the wildfires raging in the Pacific Palisades, but the windblown fires continue to claim other homes in the community and bring the fires nearer. We are closely monitoring the situation and the Eames Foundation has taken every precaution to protect the site. Yesterday, the Foundation's team worked quickly to remove a small number of objects from the house before they had to evacuate the building. The loss and displacement caused by these fires is staggering, and we stand in solidarity with everyone affected during this incredibly difficult time. The Eames Foundation informs that visits to the Eames House are cancelled until further notice.
January 9, 2025 at 5:48 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
And a faint stripe of light from the overhead camera 🌞 #NewgrangeSolstice
A faint strip of lights on the sandy floor of the tomb, seen from a camera mounted on the ceiling. It’s a screenshot from the official OPW feed, which will be available on their YouTube site from tomorrow
December 21, 2024 at 9:39 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
A bit of sun in the chamber 🌞 #NewgrangeSolstice
A small sunbeam threading through the stones of the interior passage, showing up on the sandy floor of the chamber
December 21, 2024 at 9:14 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Clare and Frank are back at Newgrange for the Winter Solstice, along with the biggest crowd for years, some clouds, but very changeable weather, so 🤞🏻 #NewgrangeSolstice www.gov.ie/en/press-rel...
The view from the camera through the roof box of Newgrange out over the countryside and crowd towards the rising sun
December 21, 2024 at 8:52 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Huh, I use that ATM fairly regularly and never knew that it had been a drive-in bank originally! Here’s the latest photo that Google Maps has of it - you can see the same roof slab above all the infill.
A single storey modernist building in red brick behind some trees. It has a flat roof slab and the front has a window, a recessed entrance, and a Bank of Ireland ATM in a white section on the wall.
December 18, 2024 at 6:13 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
The gatecrasher in question
Side profile of the head and shoulders of a brown, white and black mostly Jack Russell Terrier looking alertly out of camera shot to the right, with a kitchen in the background.
December 10, 2024 at 9:18 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
Right, voted all the way down the ballot, including ranking the fascist rascists at the bottom (18 candidates, phew!) #GE24 #DBN #DublinBayNorth
Bright yellow Polling Station signs on a pillar and railing outside a school building
November 29, 2024 at 9:48 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
And from the other viewpoint!
View from the back of Tom in a blue shirt being interviewed by Nadine in pink and red, with a screen showing part of the Owl Babies book in the background
November 28, 2024 at 8:41 AM
sorchao.bsky.social
Good points about architectural models demonstrating different visions of the future, envisaged from different points in the past
David in a Zoom call talking about Thorpe models of Liverpool waterfront, a hoverport and another British city that I don’t remember where it was
November 20, 2024 at 7:55 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
Really interesting online lecture from @davidjohnlund.bsky.social on British architectural model making, particularly the ways that new types of building were imagined and worked out.
A screenshot of a Zoom call with a white British man talking over a black and white photo of an architectural model of a nuclear power station, which is geometric and blocky, with lots of vertical strip windows
November 20, 2024 at 7:51 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
Dublin Bus (or at least TFI) getting lambasted on the other place for an AI advertising campaign. Yis have electric buses to help combat climate change and then yis do this?
Transport For Ireland tweet: TFI Leap are giving you the chance to win a 'trip or treat' this Halloween with a free 50EUR Leap Card! To enter: - Guess the ghouls who are travelling with Transport for Ireland - Tag a friend that you would travel with - Follow our page Happy Halloween from all at TFI! Four AI generated images of Dracula, Frankenstein, etc, sitting on the bus beside some deliriously happy AI generated people
October 22, 2024 at 7:22 PM
sorchao.bsky.social
And here’s the book itself, available at www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2023/v... and all good bookshops!
A hardback book with an embroidered image on the cover, blue sky, green grass and white flowers. Visualizing the Celtic Revival: The Arts and Crafts Movement in Ireland: Selected Writings by Nicola Gordon Bowe, Róisín Kennedy, editor.
September 27, 2024 at 7:50 AM