Cruise Holidays

Terraced single-bay four-storey commercial building over concealed basement, reconstructed 1918, with shopfront inserted to ground floor. Built as one of pair to designs of Patrick Munden. Flat roof with shared rendered chimneystacks, hidden behind raised parapet wall with granite coping. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond with flush granite ashlar courses, granite blocking course forming third floor lintel surmounted by deep granite cornice and large scrolled console brackets to either end. Single-bay oriel window rising from first floor to third floor with recessed tripartite timber casement windows having projecting central windows with slender colonettes, curved sidelights and original timber casement windows. Moulded sills and apron panels below each window with encrusted pebble finish. Replacement glazed shopfront flanked by polished granite pilasters surmounted by fluted and gableted console brackets framing full-span fascia and cornice. Cast-iron glazed basement lights to front pavement.

This building was erected to replace a house for John Booth which, along with much of the street, was destroyed during the 1916 Rising. It was designed by the architect Patrick Munden, who later formed the partnership of Munden and Purcell Architects, which continued until the 1980s. The contractor was P. Kinlen and Co. from Rathgar. The parapet consoles were carved by R. Troy. This commercial building is one of an identical pair employing decorative elements such as full-width glazing and stone embellishments. Although the shopfront has been somewhat altered the basic elements remain and the building adds to a collection of early twentieth-century buildings that respect the former plot ratio of the streetscape while adding architectural interest to the street's overall composition.