Blucaffe

Terraced three-bay four-storey over basement commercial and apartment building, built c.1940, having recent shopfront to front (north) elevation. Flat roof hidden behind parapet with ashlar granite coping. Carved granite cornice over red brick walls, laid in Flemish bond to upper floors, having carved granite cornice and entablature to second floor with brick pilasters dividing bays to first and second floors, granite platbands to first and third floors. Smooth rendered walls to rear (south) elevation. Square-headed window openings with granite platbands forming continuous sill courses or granite sills, having six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows. Carved granite cornice over recent render shopfront to ground floor. Located on south side of Aston Quay.

Aston Quay was laid out c.1680 on land reclaimed from the River Liffey and was named for Henry Aston, a Dublin merchant. The original buildings have been replaced over time and little fabric of early date survives. The buildings in this block were demolished in the 1930s and were subsequently rebuilt in a restrained classical style to house a variety of manufacturing and retail uses. The fenestration pattern and continuous granite entablature, cornice and parapet create as strong sense of horizontal emphasis and give the impression of a unified, cohesive composition. Carved granite is used to good effect to articulate and provide a visual contrast to the red brick of the façade.