1878 – Winning Design for South City Markets, Dublin

South City Markets takes up an entire block of the city and is surrounded on all sides by a network of small busy commercial streets. The building is heavily ornate with much decoration in terracotta and moulded red brick, and originally contained a large glass covered market place. The design was selected by architectural competition adfjudicated by Alfred Waterhouse and was won by W. & R. Mawson of Bradford.

“These buildings are now being erected on the site between South Great George’s Street and William Street, and upon the side of which are Exchequer Street and Fade Street. This is the very centre of the south part of the city of Dublin, and in the midst of a densely populated neighbourhood. The old buildings which occupied the site have nearly all been cleared away, and the new buildings are now being proceeded with, and will be entirely completed in two years.

The site is somewhat irregular in shape , but this is entirely concealed by the arrangement of the plan , which consists of a belt of shops and houses facing each street, and a handsome central gateway to each façade. The market itself is perfectly regular and symmetrical , being a parallelogram of 240 feet by 120 feet, and surrounded by a line of shops opening into the market, one storey in height, and into these shops all the irregularity of the site has been thrown. By keeping these shops only one storey in height, large open areas have been obtained all round the market, giving light, not only to the market itself, but also to the backs of the houses and shops facing the different streets.

The entire area of the market will have cellars to be used for bonded stores, with brick arches, carried on wrought-iron beams. The streets surrounding the site will be very much widened, and the approaches enlarged, so that the building when completed will form an immense improvement to this part of the city of Dublin.

The contract for the first part of the building has been let to Mr. John Hall Thorp of Leeds, at 65,000; and the second contract, for the part fronting William Street, will be proceeded with immediately Mr. George Hutchison is the clerk of the works. The buildings are being carried out from the designs and under the superintendence of Messrs W&R. Mawson, Architects, of Bradford, Yorkshire, who have just completed a similar market for the Corporation of Bradford.” The Architect, September 13 1879.

Described in The Building News: “At the meeting of the directors of the Dublin South City Markets Company, on Thursday in last week, a report was read showing that steady work is being made with the erection of these buildings. The contract is being carried out by Mr. John Hall Thorp, of Leeds, who took it at £1,500, and a separate contract has been made with Messrs. Johnson and Co., of Keymer Junction. Sussex, for terra-cotta work at £2,034. Of the ring of houses surrounding the central hall, those fronting Exchequer-street are to be opened on May 1st, 1880, those next George-street, which are of the highest class, on July 1st, 1880, and the entire structure, including market hall, shops, and cellars, is to be completed by the 1st of March, 1881”