Architectural Style

Many of the buildings in Dublin's city centre only date from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This Georgian architecture was inspired by models from classical Greece and Rome but although there are obvious resemblances between the eighteenth century buildings in Dublin and in other cities in Great Britain and the continent, Dublin architecture has its own distinct flavour and can be distinguished from that of other cities.

Georgian housing

View of Merrion Square from Upper Mount Street/.

Georgian housing

View of Merrion Square from Upper Mount Street/.

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In Dublin, the predominant building material is brick and the wide streets and squares combine considerable uniformity of appearance with charming contrasts in detail which give an individual touch to the buildings. The glazing bars and the painted reveals of the windows brighten up the otherwise somewhat austere exteriors. This impression of colour is further emphasised by the classical entrances and the beautiful woodwork of the doors, many of which have survived with their polished fittings. There are numerous examples of these elegant and prominent doorways around the centre of Dublin.

The delicate tracery of the fanlights, the ironwork of the railings and balconies, the stone plinths and even the sturdy granite of the old pavements all contribute to the Dublin landscape. Again, the irregular quality of the handmade bricks ensures an absence of dullness in the facades.