To design a building in which values and traditions from the East and West converge is the goal that Robin Lee Architecture set for the construction of the Confucius Institute in Dublin. The cultural centre hosts activities promoting Chinese culture and language in Ireland and is influenced by both traditional Chinese courtyard buildings (the siheyuan) and medieval cloisters.

The core of the building is its central atrium, an oak panelled space on which all three levels overlook. This is a meeting place for everyday life, and ideal for events and performances.

Externally, the Confucius Institute is made up of stacked and progressively smaller volumes, so as to form large steps that generate generous terraced spaces. This arrangement also serves to reduce the volumetric impact of the building, which confronts itself with other buildings at the University College Dublin campus.