This regime continued from 1888 to 1973. Later, instances of harsh abuses of the children emerged. To our 21st century eyes, it seems an inevitable consequence of the nature of such an isolated and unregulated institution housing vulnerable minors. Letterfrack thus holds dark memories, though as some of the photographs of smiling children in the pavilion show, it could also be a place of youthful solidarity and good humour.

In the 1970s, the rural development organization known as Connemara West took over the buildings. O'Donnell and Tuomey's role began ten years ago when they were commissioned to improve and extend what was by then earmarked as a furniture college. Today, albeit with some work still needing to be done to complete O'Donnell and Tuomey's masterplan, Letterfrack is working well. The college is over-subscribed. The new largely asymmetrical timber workshop buildings are inspired by the rugged landscape and wind-sculpted trees of the area, drawing the old, transformed, buildings into a new campus. That, in a nutshell, is the story of Letterfrack: but the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale does more than tell the simple story. It uses the story as a way to investigate the notion of architectural transformation and redemption, and it does this by means of powerful installation pieces. No video screens, no background music, just lovely objects arranged with care in space and light. It is highly intelligent and intuitive stuff, real architecture rather than flashy showboating.

Three big objects, and two small ones, define the space. All are in timber. The dominant one, called "the open frame" is derived from the timber-framed structure of Letterfrack's machine hall workshops. Dynamically angled, it carries exhibition information at three levels. A high-level panorama, which catches your eye the moment you enter the room, provides the landscape setting. On the other side an eye-level monochrome picture frieze is partnered by a series of desk-height display cases which tell the story in words, pictures and objects.