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Materials and Architectural Features As with most cities, Dublin’s traditional building stock employs a relatively limited range of materials and architectural features in its composition, born out of what was originally available or locally manufactured, and established traditions in building and craft. As a result, Thomas Street and James’s Street exhibit a distinctive character and identity, with a shared palette of materials and various design influences unique to particular periods in time. In many cases, the qualities of these features and materials have been lost through incremental accretions and alterations, replacement of original fabric, and often wholesale neglect much of it only originating in recent times. With care and attention, however, the beauty and integrity of these elements can be successfully restored.
Brick Brick is the dominant facade material of buildings on Thomas Street, facing merchant townhouses, grand Victorian commercial premises and modern apartment developments. Historic brick in Dublin can be divided into two categories: handmade brick and machinemachine-made brick, brick with handmade brick dominating up to the introduction of machine-made brick in the mid-19th century (pictured opposite). Two pointing methods were commonly employed to disguise poor quality handmade brick: wigging and tuck pointing, pointing both of which, though approached differently, involved creating fine joint lines using white and coloured mortars to give the impression of gauged brickwork. This can be seen on many of the older buildings of Thomas Street and James’s Street and is integral to their appearance.
Stone Granite is the dominant stone used in construction along Thomas Street and James’s Street, facing major public buildings such as S.S. Augustine and John and St. Catherine’s Church, and the ground floor frontages of a number of commercial premises (as seen opposite). It also features as a robust dressing on many buildings for window sills, cornices and coping, and as a durable paving material along the route in paving stones and kerbing. Limestone is used to dramatic effect on buildings such as the two St. James’s churches and on the occasional commercial premises such as The Food Gallery at No. 84 Thomas Street (glimpsed to the left of the building opposite). It can also be seen comprising many of the boundary walls of the area. Red and yellow sandstone and terracotta can be found dressing churches and larger commercial premises.
Render A number of premises on Thomas Street feature rendered facades. Render tends to be a later addition on Dublin buildings, layered over an older brick facade that may have become sullied by pollution, or that once featured pointing or brickwork in need of renewal. In many cases rendering was a simple way of making buildings look more modern and fashionable. While it is not always recommended that render be removed in some cases the render may be considered part of the building’s history, in others the underlying surface may be in very poor condition - positive results can be achieved in restoring a building back to its original brick appearance where there is a visual gain to the streetscape and improves the fabric of the building.
Thomas Street: Improving the Public Face of an Historic City Centre Street