David Michael O'Riordain (17 Sep 1957 - 23 Feb 2023)

A true 'stoic', and great mentor, I'm sure he'll continue to Master Plan the heavens above!

Greatly missed, always remembered, and never forgotten.

Very very sad to hear just before sometime I have been driving for him and he was very sweet and kind person he helped a lot will miss him always and his kindness and sweetness he was loving person an honor for me that I was his driver will miss him always

he looks like myart teacher what a yart, i miss him so muchc cxoxoxooxoxox

Since learning of David’s passing I have spent a bit of time reflecting upon a particularly difficult period of my professional life. It was a time after leading the Westfield Stratford project and unbeknownst to myself there were purported colleagues undermining me to an extreme extent. Whilst I had suspected something had been afoot from the outset of my tenure, I remained focused on the job at hand, literally, 7 days a week. Even when on one occasion, one of the exercises being undertaken against me, I turned a blind eye, looked the other way and kept focused on the project. I did not anticipate the extent to which it was eating me away.
On my last evening in the UK I had dinner with David. It was at this dinner, David showed me the only kindness that had been extended to me in my time in the UK. The kindness he showed me was a very simple human trait and that trait was Honesty.
We started the dinner with David saying to me that he has two questions for me.
After checking himself, he said maybe later.
The dinner went extremely well, conversation was great and his company was a pleasure to be with with for my last night in the UK.
But my curiosity got the better of me and I asked him what the two question where that he had for me.
Such as the impact that the last of the two questions has had on my life, I cannot for the life of me remember what that first question was.
The question he asked me had an uniformed answer that my team at Stratford presumed was true. An answer that our team at Westfield London presumed to be true. An answer that my colleagues and business partners of many years in Melbourne also presumed to also be true.
It was a rumour that was actively being spread by an Executive Director of our business and two other Directors. In understanding the circumstances behind each of those persons position or circumstance of each of those 3 people, their motivation for spreading this and other untruths along the behaviours I observed, the motivation was immediately apparent.
So what was the question David asked me?
The question he asked me was a question numerous other people I subsequently sought corroboration from, which they gave, it became apparent the reason why I never knew until my last night in London.
It is for this reason that I write this note about David and it tells you something about David.
My staff, my other colleagues never broached this subject with me because they feared the backlash, something David, I came to understand., did not fear.
He started the question with the following statements:
This may get me sacked, and
I think I already know the answer.
The the question, which he pre-empted with another statement that this rumour had been circulating since the first few months of my arrival in London (it is now 4 years later) was this;
“ Have you been fucking XX” who was a graduate staff member of my team.
The answer was an immediate and emphatic NO.
So as much as that knowledge served to spiral my professional life in a direction I would never have imagined only years earlier, I am incredibly grateful for David’s honesty, his openness and his forthright, unencumbered nature. All of these years later I am deeply grateful.
Thank you David and may you Rest in Peace.

Hi Dave, I miss you already. I hope you are at peace. Your sis Ali xx

My deepest condolence to Katherine and David’s family. May his soul rest in eternal peace!🙏🏻

Rest in peace dear cousin
David

Today is the day Katherine lay you to rest,it will feel strange to not asks how you are and hear about your work when Katherine and I met up. You always made me
feel welcome with a cup of coffee.You will be missed. Xxx

A valued and very capable colleague. David was recognised by all working with him in Neom, Saudi Arabia as a valued and capable colleague. David was always calm, cheerful, welcoming, willing to learn and, with modesty, share his very considerable knowledge with others.

I worked with David for more than 8 years and he was one of the finest person I know. I have been in touch with him since we both left P&T Architects and always found him in high spirits during his illness. Even two days before his demise, we had a chat and he didn’t show any sign weakness.

We exchanged thousands of emails but never thought that I will be reading his obituary. I can’t help but to write him one last email with a very heavy heart.

Dear David,
We first met in P&T Architect’s Dubai Office back in 2014 and that was the start of our long journey. There are many facets to our relationship, a great Architect, great colleague, a friend, a well wisher, a person you can rely on. Our last meeting in-person just before Covid lock down was business as usual.

You liked to talk and talk about anything whether it was Architecture, Arts, Music, Religion, Politics, Sports. I will miss our long weekend chats. Many a times I come to the office with a question just to start our conversation and it was always great. We disagree many a times but you were respectful to my opinion.

Always ready take challenges, more tech-savvy then the young generation. As people mentioned, you were a geek.

And you were funny and your never ending stories. How once you bumped into her Majesty The Queen (Late) and then she talked to you for some time (though we never trusted this story, David, haha). You loved your shoes, jeans, James Bond’s suits and his British accent, basket ball, rock music, electronic gadgets and yours many a many USBs & hard drives (God knows what you were always copy/pasting). You liked desert weather in Riyadh as it suits your aging bones.

We were meant to have a dinner Me, Ebaa, Ealbuen, You and Kathryn (when she was in Riyadh) and alas it never happened.

I know David you won’t be replying to this message ever BUT may your soul rest in peace.

Regards,
Nouman
Archiect.

I’ve known Kathryn for more than 20yrs and been close friends since. She always talked about David, and their relationship was so strong even though they both worked in different part of the world, they had such a special trust and love between them. I feel like I know David too, but I never had the chance to meet him.

However, I can tell that David was an amazing man who were brave to create life wherever around the world, strong and loving person who always cared about Kathryn.

I send my love and respect for David.

My heartfelt condolences to the family of David.
Had known David briefly as Design Manager Architecture at the NEOM project.

May God rest him in peace.

For the Big guy

David had a spirit of adventure, not just in travel but culture, and the arts, all of which stemmed for his love of people.

Although David and I saw each other at work, we never worked together, but that didn’t stop us from becoming friends.

I’ll miss catching up over a couple of pints, his stories and his friendship.

All the Savoy staff members will always miss and remember Mr David. Our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies.

Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories.
All the staff members at the Savoy Hotels will always remember Mr. David as a kind, polite, and humble human being. We pray for his soul to rest in eternal peace and may the Almighty give the family the strength to overcome this grief.

Our Condolences to David’s Family, We will miss David, who was a good colleague