EVERY OCTOBER, FOR one weekend, the doors of Dublin’s most interesting buildings are open to all.
Open House Dublin, Ireland’s premier architecture festival, organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation, is a spectacular three-day showcase of stunning structures scattered around the capital.
Free tours of restored Georgian townhouses, contemporary structures and seminars examining various developments across the city, Open House Dublin has a number of events scheduled to interest design enthusiasts and history lovers.
Here are four places to explore at Open House Dublin this weekend.
When: Sunday 14 October, 12pm until 5pm
Where: 14 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1
Built almost three hundred years ago, 14 Henrietta Street has had many incarnations. It was originally used as a residence for the wealthy before the structure was transformed into tenement housing. The restoration of this building has been a decade-long project undertaken by Shaffrey Architects. The shell of the former tenement tells stories of the hundreds of occupants who lived there until the 1970s.
More information here.
When: Sunday 14 October, 12pm until 5pm
Where: Cherrymount Crescent, Off Malahide Road, Dublin 3
The word Casino, of Italian origin, translates to “small house”. The Casino Marino was constructed as a pleasure house for James Caulfield in the eighteenth century. The history of the building is fascinating as are the unusual architectural features that stand out as examples of extremely innovative design.
More information here.
When: Saturday October 13, 11am until 5pm
Where: 6 Denmark St Great, Dublin 1
Michael Stapleton was renowned as Ireland’s master stuccodore of the eighteenth century. His decorative plasterwork graced the hallways and ceilings of many establishments in Dublin, including Trinity College. One of the most beautiful examples of his work can be found in Belvedere House, adjoining the secondary school in central Dublin.
More information here.
When: Saturday October 13, 11am until 5pm
Where: 3B The Iveagh Trust, Patrick St, Dublin 8
The Iveagh Trust buildings, situated on the cusp of The Liberties, were founded by Edward Guinness, the great-grandson of Arthur, in 1890. Their purpose was to provide housing for homeless people. One of the flats on Patrick Street, inhabited by Nellie Molloy, was turned into a museum after she passed away in 2002. The rooms, where her family lived from 1907, have been preserved as Nellie would have decorated it.
More information here.
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