Dublin’s modernist social housing scheme requires its own separate section. And all of this thanks to one person: Herbert George Simms (1898-1948) In 1932 he was appointed Housing Architect with the office of City Architect. In the course of next 15 years, following Dublin Corporation’s slum clearance programme, until his untimely death in 1948 he was responsible for housing 17 000 families. Most of the dwellings located in very distinctive block of flats scattered around Dublin city centre. All of his building schemes were very modern in appearance, inspired by similar developments in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London and Manchester. Although built in the style stripped of lavish ornamentation, the massing, brickwork and overall attention to detail is second to none.
Most of Simms’ buildings are still in their original use, which is a credit to good architectural design.
There’s of course more to social housing in Ireland than Herbert Simms.
Metropolis. Mass. Machine. 