Art Deco
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Anyone see the documentary on BBC last night on Art Deco? Very interesting it was too.
What are the best examples of Art Deco in this Country? I’m no expert but the Philips building on the corner of Dame street and George’s street seems to be Art Deco to me (and very nice it is too). Anybody have any other examples?
Eileen Gray was also mentioned in the documentary. Is the exhibition of her work still going on in Collins Barracks?
That exhibition is permanent.
For my money, its either the Gas Building in D’Olier street or the former Sinclairs Department Store in Belfast
http://www.archeire.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/southcity/dolier_street/gasco.html
http://www.archeire.com/buildings_ireland/antrim/belfast/20thc/sinclairs.html
Though I agree with you that the Philips store is fabulous – the shopfront is entirely suitable imo
http://www.archeire.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/southcity/dame_street/burtons.html
Also here are other threads here
Two interesting reviews of the Art Deco exhibition now at the V&A in London. “. . . one of the unforgettable moments in this show is Eileen Gray’s spectacular day bed of lacquered wood and silver leaf, shown against one of her freestanding black lacquered screens. Talk about drop-dead chic. And it is not irrelevant that Gray was lesbian, for such objets de luxe were intended to cradle and enfold the female client for whom they were made.”
http://arts.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/03/26/badeco26.xml
http://arts.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/03/26/baarch26.xml
It was fantastic to see all the surviving Art Deco cinemas and apartment buildings in India, and how lovingly some are preserved; it was an image of the country rarely shown.
The shots of gigantic bat-wing Art Deco planes never to be built reminded me of Gibson’s short story, “The Gernback Continuum” (available online at http://lib.ru/GIBSON/r_contin.txt, with a commentary that links it to Art Deco at http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/149/149syllabus2gerns.html).The Philips building was originally for Burton’s menswear. I’m assuming this because of the big “Burton’s” sign at the top. 🙂 Wasn’t the Carlton cinema Art Deco (I should say _is_, since the exterior is still there.) Did any of the old cinemas have lavish interiors that were (presumably) gutted?
P.
The DIT college on the Rathmines Road, adjacent to the Library. It’s rather formal Edwardian styled facade conceals a refreshingly bright and curvacious Art Deco interior.
Nothing overtly dramatic, but still, unusual for this country.
And the Carlton on O’ Connell St, with a rather watered down Art Deco facade, but as a result, fits into the street.Saw the documentary too, all good except for narration by Jerry Hall.
So sad Ireland lost out architecturally on this fantastic period (with the exception of cinemas)
The Theatre Royal had a dramatic rather than lavish interior, and it seated literally thousands, can’t remember if it was 2, 5 or 6000!
And the Savoy on O’ Connell St, which had a magnificent single theatre, but subdivided into 3 in the 60’s.While it was great to finally see Eileen Gray being given some recognition in the form of an exhibition in Dublin (you won’t find anything of the kind in her native Wexford..) – the show itself is a little dissappointing: the problem seems to be that the Museum in Collins Barracks has so little in the way of the way in actual pieces that they’ve patched it together with bits of film footage and photographs…the whole thing looks comes off as a little threadbare – you really don’t get a sense of how extraordinary her life was
Speaking of, has anybody been in Collins Barracks recently? The place was deserted last time I was there – the security guards looked glad of a bit of company – I’m not sure why but there’s no spark about the place at all
FYI,
The old ESB logo (1920s) and many of its older buildings reflect the art deco era.
Ireland really has a “hybrid” form of art deco – as can be seen in many of the theatres around Dublin and the country that were built in the late 30s and 40s. We are obsessed with Georgian Buildings to the detriment to our later arch. eras.It would be a worthwhile project if someone would profile all the remaining art deco buildings in Ireland – there are still quite a lot if you look hard enough!
BTW., Burtons is more nouveau than deco!!!
This site has some nice examples:
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Salon/6941/deco1.htm
Barry Byrne’s church at Turner’s Cross in Cork is outstanding:
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Salon/6941/barry1.htm
The grotty Camden Deluxe Hotel, better known for its bar, The Palace, is a rather bland but overlooked deco building:
http://www.archeire.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/southcity/camden_street/de_luxe_cinema.html
I have often stood at the bus stop on Kildare Street admiring the entrance to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
It’s not often remarked upon but it’s an Art Deco gem.
Yes I like the Burton building… but dont forget the smaller little examples in the city like Rathmines post office.
I look at the Department of ET&E every morning as well, I’m always facinated by it’s size, its enormous! No doubt it’s existence was the resason Sam Stephenson got away with the scale of the Dep of Agriculture across the road.
I especially admire the interior of the Dep ET&E, it’s so elegant, so modern and sophisticated, executed with quality materials, and most importantly, is exactly as it was 60 years ago. Such a pity it isn’tin major public use for all to appreciate.May be of interest to anyone in London
Decadent glamour of Art Deco
A new exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert museum claims to be the most comprehensive display of Art Deco objects staged to date.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/reviews/2885873.stm
Read in the English Independent yesterday all about the exhibition in the Victoria and Albert Museum and how to live it up, Art-Deco style!
I was impressed! You could go around parts of London and think you were still in the 20s!
They mentioned Claridges Hotel in London as a fine example.
Speaking of Hotels, would the Gresham be a Art-Deco Hotel? Their original plasterwork and interior is very restrained and light, and the exterior has egyptian motif’s – very art-deco-ish!
Article from yesterday’s Observer by Deyan Sudjic
Sunlit shrines to the good life
http://www.observer.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,925290,00.html
I think the gas building will be no doubt be chopped up and ruined by whatever Trinity does to it – I think the ground floor would have made an interesting restaurant but alas… I don’t see public access to the ground floor being allowed for shame.
What will happen to the barrel vault in AIB Foster place, will public access be lost here too?
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