Irish Architectural Archive reopens…

A little known fact is that the Archive was started by Nicholas Robinson husband of former president Mary Robinson, I very much doubt that he had ambitions quite as grand as this when it first started way back in 1975.

Well done David Griffen you have set the standard for all renovations in Georgian Dublin, this is without doubt the finest Georgian townhouse in Dublin. It is also a fantastic resource for architects and all those with an interest in architecture

Fair play to the government for assisting this extremely worthwhile project, the depth of their collection is astounding, and some of it even surprising such as the model by Stephonson & Gibney of their proposed ‘World Trade Centre’ for where the IDA/PWC HQs are now.

I forgot to say that the archive is fitted out with the latest and greatest storage solutions an absolute must see for anyone doing hi-end interiors

Can’t wait to have a look round. And the building itself looks great now – the splicing in of brick in place of the old doorcase has been expertly handled and the two replica balconies at first floor level are equally fine.
What a difference from what can only be described as their previous dingy location – which was especially so on a dark winter’s day in the reading room with that murky orange globe light dangling above – shudder…

One aspect I hope hasn’t changed is their pleasant and helpful staff – these places can be very intimidating if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for or don’t know what to do; nothing worse than a crotchety old grouch in a wing chair in the corner or conversely a clueless student, or young upstart who looks at you condescendingly at every question…don’t know which is worse 🙂

I have to say I found the staff very helpful as they have more time than your average information provider due to the specialised nature of the collection. In answer to your question, grumpy and knoweledgable because clueless usually involves bringing in grumpy so you get the double whammy.

Does anyone have any pictures of the before or the after?

This restoration which is going to prove very useful as all indusrty professionals will now have a a direct cost comparable for top end Georgian restoration.

Morlan,

any chance of putting that new camera to work on this one?

@Diaspora wrote:

In answer to your question, grumpy and knoweledgable because clueless usually involves bringing in grumpy so you get the double whammy.

lol – so true 🙂

Interesting that the sheet glass sashes were taken out and replaced with Georgian replicas in the restoration of the building. This is being done in a lot of places now – is it considered best conservation practice? (Presumably so if the flippin IAA has done it!)
Difficult to see from the pic how old the plate sashes were; whether they dated from the 1865 change of ownership or the 1915 state takeover – I suspect the latter.

Not that I’d apply it to this case but I think it’s facinating how there appears to be swings of appreciation regarding older buildings. Whereas there’s still a very strong interest in Victoriana in the residential sector, overall there seems to be a strong favouring of Georgian architecture over Victorian at the moment, much moreso than maybe 10-15 years ago.
Maybe it’s just the nature of projects cropping up at the moment but I think it’s also got something to do with the compatibility of Georgian architecture with contemporary design, and that the whole Georgian ‘thing’ is considered ever so more sophisticated than the fusty 19th century 🙂
Don’t know, could be a complete myth…

a strong favouring of Georgian architecture over Victorian

I think this has always been the case except during the Victorian era of course. I believe that modern architects are more drawn to the outward simplicity of Georgian masking an ornate or elaborate interior.

At last I can get stuck into their boxes of old photos again…..you could fritter away so much time!

Interesting that the sheet glass sashes were taken out and replaced with Georgian replicas….is it considered best conservation practice?

Or, to take it a step further, was removing the mid-19th cen. doorcase in the ‘before’ picture best practice, just so as they could have a big fuck off 5-bay elevation again?

oooh, we are getting narky 🙂

You do have to ask though – if a private individual bought the property for office use or for residential, would the removal of the doorcase have been allowed? Would the hackles of conservationists have been raised at the idea of stripping away part of a layer of Merrion Square’s history, the very layers that add so much to its charm?

I’d broadly agree with what has been done nonethelesss…

@Graham Hickey wrote:

oooh, we are getting narky 🙂

What? :confused:

I just got the imprssion you weren’t best pleased with what the IAA had done – don’t know why, might have been the

@Devin wrote:

big fuck off

or something, not sure…

😀