The highly decorated Casino at Marino uses all the elements of form, texture, shape and pattern to separate areas of the design and to emphasise the symmetry and harmony of the all the elements of the building.
The mass of the Custom House and the Four Courts is broken up by the clever use of forms projecting and receding from the surface, creating patterns of light and shadow that reduce the bulk of these large buildings.
Interiors were not as heavily patterned in the Neo- Classical style; finer more symmetrical plasterwork relied on the colour of painted ceilings and walls for its effect.
Analysis
The Neo-Classical style borrowed elements from ancient Greece and Rome. Can you identify these elements in some of the buildings in this chapter?
The change in taste from Rococo to a more classical style created some of the most iconic public buildings in Dublin.
The influence of architects and designers from Britain and Europe in the early part of the century and the training available in the Dublin Society School led to a generation of Irish designers who could hold their own in any company at home or abroad.
Chapter Review
1. What are the main differences between Palladian and Neo-Classical design?
2. Describe the structure and decoration of the Casino at Marino. Use words and sketches to describe some of its unique features as well as the art and design elements.
3. Write an account of a building by James Gandon. Use sketches and words to describe the structure and decoration of the building.
CHAPTER 30 THE NEO-CLASSICAL STYLE
Figure 30.9 The façade of Dublin City Hall, designed by Thomas Cooley.
www.hughlane.ie – Click on ‘About Us’ and then select ‘Charlemont House’ for further information about the building
www.archiseek.com – Contains accounts of buildings designed by Thomas Ivory, James Gandon, William Chambers and James Wyatt
www.youtube.com – Look up ‘Casino Marino – Culture Night 2012 – Dublin’ (10:31) for a guided tour of the building
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4. Compare a public and a private building from the Neo-Classical period, describing the differences in scale and decoration in words and sketches.
5. What do you think of the standard of workmanship in Neo-Classical buildings? Use words and sketches to show details of structure and decoration that demonstrate your points.
6. Using words and sketches, describe the Neo-Classical features of the building in Fig. 30.9 below.
