Book's a keeper: Cork's 20th century architecture and design celebrated in engrossing new work

Knowing eye of Dr Tom Spalding does learned justice to Cork's 20th century design output, little and large, in new book Designed for Life: Architecture and Design in Cork city, 1900 to 1990

Tue, 25 Mar, 2025 - 11:10

Cork brought to book in Cork University Press publication

THE buildings of Cork city are notable for their variety. Unlike large parts of Limerick or Dublin, no single style dominates in the city centre. Cork does have some redbrick terraces, similar to the Georgian streets and squares in those other cities, but they are short and isolated.

The picture in the commercial centre of Cork is complex, with Victorian, 20th century and more recent buildings jostling along its throughfares.

Part of this variety is due to the city’s ground conditions which often meant that over time, buildings subsided into the mire upon which they were built. One only has to go into one of the older commercial properties to find oneself unexpectedly walking up — or downhill as one crosses the floor.

Pana-ramic: Roches Stores, St Patrick St, Cork was built for the Roche family in 1926 after the Burning of Cork, designed by Chillingworth & Levie.

And of course, as Corkonians will remind you, nearly five acres of the city centre were burnt out in December 1920 by forces loyal to the British Crown. Whilst these factors are some of the reasons why there are so few buildings of any great age in Cork, they have created a constant cycle of change leading to the variety we see around us.

Bridewell garda station dates to 1932. Image: Tom Spalding

Perhaps surprisingly given this variety, comparatively little has been written about architecture in Cork, compared to Limerick and Dublin. Less again has been written concentrating on the tumultuous 20th century. I’ve sought to put this right in two new publications.

22 Shandon Street Cork dates to 1910. Image Tom Spalding

In 2021, I was commissioned by Cork City Council to undertake a survey of the notable and characteristic buildings in their municipal area. I was was asked to investigate as great variety as possible: housing, pubs, offices, public utilities and so on, and to try and explore buildings across the whole 20th century.

The result of this — a Guide to Cork City’s 20th century Buildings — was published online on the City Council’s library website last year. The title is revealing; it is a guide to buildings great and small, not just the big banks, churches and public buildings which are often characterised as architecture.

Included in the book are the Castle Inn, MacCurtain’s Villas, the area’s ESB electricity buildings, as well as Cork City Hall, the Crawford Art Gallery extension and the church of Christ the King in Turner’s Cross.

Four famous church landmarks in Cork City, with in the foreground church of Christ The King, Turners Cross, Holy Trinity on Fr, Mathew quay with St. Anne' s Shandon and St. Mary's North Cathedral both on the Northside as seen from the top of Tramore Valley park. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The online guide explores 114 buildings, with over 350 photographs, maps and drawings from sources including Cork City & County Archives and the Irish Examiner archive. The Guide contains short descriptions of each of the buildings and briefly puts them in a social context. The guide is fully searchable.

Whilst working on this guide, I was also in the later stages of researching a PhD in the Technological University Dublin, on design in Cork city.

Sign of the times. 28 South Mall signage from 1960. Image: Tom Spalding

As well as taking an even deeper dive into Cork’s architecture, this work looked at some other aspects of design including corporate identity and interiors. In particular, it investigated the design heritage of two of the region’s best known brands — Murphy’s Stout and Sunbeam-Wolsey apparel.

Sadly, the latter firm is no longer with us, but it is particularly fondly remembered by many Cork northsiders. Murphy’s of course still exists under the aegis of Heineken. During the 1950s and 1960s, each of these firms (in particular Sunbeam) was highly conscious of design in terms of its buildings, branding and corporate identity.

Beamish & Crawford site in 2010. Pic: Denis Scannell

Like the complementary online publication, a Cork University Press publication based on the doctorate Designed for Life: Architecture and Design in Cork city 1900 -1990 is just published in hard copy. It concentrates on the 20th century and is fully illustrated, containing 170 original photos and plans, as well as rarely-seen archival images.

Church of the Holy Spirit Dennehy's Cross dates to 1960. Image: Tom Spalding

Several of the structures in the guide are not included in the CUP printed book, which however takes a longer look at public and private housing developments, such as the Rosary Churches built around the city in the 1950s, and the Cork Opera House.

Whilst it was completed early in the 20th century, the National Monument (1902-06) is the subject of a fascinating study in the book.

National Monument, Grand Parade Cork. Image: Tom Spalding

It explores the story behind its development and the details of its design, which seem to owe a great deal to the Albert Memorial in London. The way in which design in different places interacts is one way in which we can learn about the ideas and motivations of people in the past....and Cork.

Dr Tom Spalding’s PhD work resulted in a book for Cork University Press, Designed for Life- Architecture and Design in Cork city 1900 - 1990 It’s on sale now, and gets an official launch in City Hall March 26.