Art Deco

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    • #706107
      anto
      Participant

      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?

    • #725499
      Paul Clerkin
      Keymaster

      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

    • #725500
      Paul Clerkin
      Keymaster
    • #725501
      trace
      Participant

      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

    • #725502
      paul_moloney
      Participant

      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.

    • #725503
      GrahamH
      Participant

      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.

    • #725504
      WhiteCube
      Participant

      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

    • #725505
      J. Seerski
      Participant

      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!!!

    • #725506
      notjim
      Participant

      The nurses home in Galway, another example, also Father Griffin Tech.

    • #725507
      Andrew Duffy
      Participant

      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

    • #725508
      Aierlan
      Participant

      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.

    • #725509
      Papworth
      Participant

      Yes I like the Burton building… but dont forget the smaller little examples in the city like Rathmines post office.

    • #725510
      GrahamH
      Participant

      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.

    • #725511
      Paul Clerkin
      Keymaster

      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

    • #725512
      J. Seerski
      Participant

      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!

    • #725513
      -Donnacha-
      Participant

      what do people here think of the Gas building on D’Olier Street?

    • #725514
      LOB
      Participant

      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

    • #725515
      Rory W
      Participant

      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?

    • #725516
      Paul Clerkin
      Keymaster

      The bank hall is going to be a student services centre for TCD students

    • #725517
      J. Seerski
      Participant

      That Garage at Cross Guns Bridge seems to be getting a facelift. Wonder how it will turn out?

    • #725518
      ConK
      Participant

      Is this Art Deco or Edwardian?

    • #725519
      GrahamH
      Participant

      Will you only buy it if it’s Art Deco? 🙂 – don’t want any of that fancy Edwardian muck…

      It’s not either really – a typical orange-brick 1930s building by the looks of it, with some basic Art Deco flourishes. Spot on for Art Deco in Ireland, but too late for any major Edwardian influences.

      The 1930s is an interesting period for run-of-the-mill buildings, as you see the growing influence of modernist design with horizontal windows, more austere and bold elevations etc, but built with traditional materials of red brick and limestone (possibly concrete here), and often featuring sash windows etc to the sides and rear.

      Doesn’t produce the most attractive buildings to be honest.

    • #725520
      dc3
      Participant

      Interesting building.
      Where is this building, please?

      The Art Deco Ireland website is now at a new location
      http://www.geocities.com/barrybyrne.geo/deco1.htm

      if you want to see more examples of this style in Ireland

    • #725521
      ConK
      Participant

      Portland Street North.

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