GrahamH
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The view down the plane tree-less street now from Parnell Street is nothing short of breathtaking – the eastern terrace looks spectacular in the sun:
(slightly over-exposed)…Horace O’Rourke’s terrace in particular looking incredibly monumental, as does Clerys way in the distance.
The interior of the refurbished Savoy has yet to be posted – here’s the foyer in all its magnificence. What a transformation!
During the ripping out of the 60s alterations, the original plasterwork or elements of it were discovered, and so it was restored to how it originally was. And sure enough, looking at a 1920s picture of it, it is almost identical!
The plasterwork also reflects the basic theme underlying the design of the Savoy Cinema – the merging of classical and Art Deco/Modernist styles. At a casual glance, the plasterwork looks like a fairly standard, almost Edwardian design, but on closer inspection you can see that the outer ‘ring’ of each centrepiece sweeps around in a broad rounded curve, overlapping in the very middle – classic Art Deco, especially evident in the central bay above.
The chandeliers add a wonderful touch of glamour and elegance, also brought up to date with what seem to be clusters of sparkling halogen bulbs inside.
And from the Irish Independent a while back:
After some more research of chandelier designs from the 1930s and with the help of Falks Lighting, Terenure, a design was decided upon. The chandeliers were then custom manufactured in Italy to the specifications provided.
“We always felt the floor finish would be of major importance and after several samples provided we decided to use the Nero Marquina porcelain tile imported from Italy,” the designers add. It was felt from an early stage that the main staircases leading to the first floor would be a major focal point in the space. In order to give the visual effect of two grand staircases, Lough Construction spent considerable time providing different templates on step designs to give the feel that was required.The flooring effect was continued up the staircases to the first level, along with a custom designed and manufactured carpet, manufactured by PFL carpets in Limerick. The carpet features a stylised version of a fan design inspired by research of the 1930s. “The evidence in early photos showed a dark wood panelling around the foyer space,” McCabe Design adds. “We decided to use walnut as the main wood material for all major joinery in the space. As the grain in walnut was so regular we designed the walnut wall panelling in its simplest form possible. We felt there was no need for unnecessary raised panel details.
“We accented the panelling with 5mm stainless steel strips which were rebated into its surface. This helped to visually link the wall treatment to the custom stainless steel hand rails which were placed to the interior as required to satisfy current regulations. All the lighting for the refurbished foyer was fitted with warm colour bulbs in an effort to replicate the warm tungsten light evident from 1930’s lighting.” As part of the refurbishment an old shop unit was converted to the new ticket sales area. The joinery for the box office desk, manufactured by Lough Construction, is provided in walnut and continues its links with the main foyer space with its stylistic approach to 1930s design. Stainless steel signage throughout provides a sparkle.
Ends
The walnut and inlaid steel strips is beautiful, one of the finest aspects of the restoration. Overall, one of the best projects of its kind I’ve ever come across.
The balance between contemporary design and respect for the origins of the building is spot on – a quality, timeless look has been achieved.Any images of the said toll structure possible Ryan?
I will never forget the lead balloon that was seeing the West Link toll plaza for the first time – nothing but a bloated sibling of the East Link; a 70s suburban house with Europe’s largest car port attached.It’s good to see architects are being used nowadays.
The zinc makes it sound intriguing…
Thought as much – it’s similar to a 9 inch brick 🙂
Yes a wonderful book, packed to the rafters with information, as its Pevner colleagues are.
Heheh – most people’s reactions to Farmleigh are on exactly the same lines, “but, but but why – it’s Victorian isn’t it?”
The interview was only a brief piece, in the local paper of her home town 😉And to be fair, the town looked simply stunning in the dying winter sunlight this afternoon – alas no camera.
In any case the permanent layers of filth that reside on Enterprise windows would have precluded any decent shot from being captured :rolleyes:Are you suggesting that the Carlton be demolished Fergal?
I disagree about the 1920s terrace being ugly; it is this very monumental character that makes it distinctive. While most of the infill between the signature buildings is nothing much, not least the Cathedral St corner, collectively they compose a grand whole that is worthy of preservation.
The Savoy has a wonderful elegant facade, Hammam Buildings is more austere (though would be less so if the plastic crap at ground floor level didn’t detract from the fine pilasters), the Gresham also has a monumental quality though softened by its ground floor detail that is not concealed in this case, and the infill in certain areas such as left of the Savoy is equally worthy of note.Similarly there are a great many fine buildings on the western side: the National Irish Bank, the Carlton, the old Revenue offices, the Garda Station, the AIB at the very top, Lynam’s Hotel – even Joe Walsh tours with a bit of work. It is the very hodgepodge nature of Upper O’Connell Street that makes it special; it reads as an open book more than most streetscapes do. It’s interesting to be able to present an official, palatial facade to the world down at the Liffey on Lower O’Connell St, whilst keeping the original grain and character of the thoroughfare tucked away at the northern end, with almost every plot maintaining the same width since 1748.
Sure there’s some bland stuff up there; Dr Quirkey’s springs to mind a possible condender for reinvention, but for the most part is most certainly a lack of maintainance that is the problem up there, not architecture.
Strangely, this is the closest dedicated thread there is to the Custom House…
Anyway, just reading a brief interview with Christine Casey, author of ‘Dublin’, part of the ‘Buildings of Ireland’ series just published, she highlights apparently for the first time that the rebuilding of the drum of the Custom House in Ardbraccan limestone rather than Portland stone was as much down to political pressure as it was financial!
Pressure was brought to bear in ensuring that a ‘native’ stone would be used in the rebuilding, especially in light of the significant quantities of Portland that had already been imported for other parts of the project.
She notes that the reconstruction budget had already significantly overun by the time the application for funds for the drum rebuilding was made, so it was inevitable that an Irish stone would be used at that stage.In the book she comes across as slightly vague as to precisely which was the dominant catalyst: the money or the politics, but in the interview she says: “…there was much debate in the D
Is that not up to the individual to decide?
The much derided breeze block Firhouse church in south Dublin is much loved by its parishioners.🙂 Quite the opposite in fact – just that many of the ‘alternative’ churches featured are fine pieces of architecture.
Hence is it the dislike of the modern that is putting people here off, or is it these buildings’ ”apparent’ (in that I do not know) disregard for liturgical convention?Yes these are without doubt a big stain on the area. The fact that Findlater House is now up for let yet again is not encouraging. Also the planned redevelopment of the Royal Dublin Hotel has come to nothing, as seemingly has the restoration of No 42, the RDH townhouse, and its conversion to high-spec offices with public access to the house.
And when is the appeal hearing due for the Carlton site? 🙁 🙁@Maskhadov wrote:
maybe there are some examples on the net of what the [GPO] columns will look like when its completed ?
Jacqueline O’Brien’s GPO image in ‘Dublin A Grand Tour’ from 1994 gives a good indication I should think – always admired how clean it looks (below)
The GPO was restored upon the creation of An Post in 1984, so perhaps it was then that the building was last cleaned. Think it was renovated in the 70s too, and possibly in the late 80s also!
The portico is still wrapped in scaffolding, despite the permit expiring on the 30th of November…
Beautiful images posted.
Can I ask are the various people’s objections to the striking modernist churches featured their (apparent?) lack of conformity with strict liturgical requirements, or the fact they’re not frilly gothic wedding cakes?
By far the worst view of the building is from College Green; it is hideous how it looms over the little Wide Streets Commission buildings like a dirty old man:
It is impossible to image how lovely this view once was with only the terraced buildings’ chimneys piercing the skyline.
How disgraceful that this heap of junk, along with College House, were permitted to be shovelled onto this site in the very heart of the city.The only time the former looks half decent is at night:
Correct and right Seamus.Gasp! ctesiphon doesn’t know a Bath streetscape when he sees one?!? And there was me thinking the Royal Crescent would be too obvious for him….
😀
Thanks for the link – which led me on to this 😮
http://www.picturesofedinburgh.com/pictures/oldtown/oldtown-viewfromscott1.jpg
Skyscapers even by today’s standards.
@Rory W wrote:
Ah now – you make it sound so dramatic :rolleyes:
But it is a gloomy, moody place:
It’s funny that nobody who lives in Drogheda gets to see the town from their own railway bridge 🙂
That ferry terminal timber is stunning in the first image especially macm – beautiful subtle finish.
Agreed about the Boardwalk planters BTH – silly clunky yokes. The fact that we’re even calling them ‘planters’, synonymous with the worst forms of municipal improvements, says it all really…
Their warm timber construction fits in well though.In which case we could probably move the sun too if we wanted 🙂
That’s a great building in your picture Morlan, a nine storey Georgian building – imagine dropping that into conversation at an IGS dinner – the scandal! It really makes you laugh aloud when you think of the five storey IFSC Phase II in this context.
Just in Ireland for good or bad, ‘tenement’ has negative connotations, even they are of high quality – mass-built housing built to rid parts of the city of slums: Iveagh Buildings etc. By contrast ‘mansion blocks’ in London at least seem to have been built by developers for the middle classes c1900 as alternatives to the conventional house, somewhat similar to how families lived in continental cities:
ctesiphon nil do link ag obair…though yes I’ve seen Trainspotting (who hasn’t?), not the other though.
Never been to Edinburgh (oh the shame), but I’ve visited her classier collegue twice, which hopefully makes up for it 🙂
Yes, was looking at these drains etc – do they therefore suggest the cobbles are not in their original state given these had to be installed?
I hate those institutional florescent tubes underneath the porch of the AIB. Horrible things.
Indeed – a fine solid surface that adds such charm to the place:
The granite kerbs around the bases of the trees are a nice touch.
Wonder if the tunnel to Daly’s Club still runs underneath…
Are these tenement buildings you speak of ctesiphon what they call ‘mansion blocks’ over there? (in London at least).
What class of people would have lived in these in the 19th and early 20th centuries when they were built?
I suspect even then a house with front and back garden was still more desirable, even if these blocks were built to a very high standard.Know them well – alas the heritage balustrading says it all about the interest in these buildings. Yes it does look like steel windows at the side there.
Some lovely post-war bungalows on this road too.The Ashleaf Centre across the road from the modernist houses is an example of ‘traditionalism’ done reasonably well I think, if it can be done as such – nice atmosphere inside.
