Mary Aikenhead House

Detached L-plan multiple-bay four-storey social housing block, built c.1940, having curved corner with partly recessed balconies to south-west corner, projecting balconies to centre of front (south) elevation, having deck access and stair towers to courtyard (north and east) elevations. Flat roof with projecting eaves and rendered chimneystacks. Raised rendered parapets to front and rear of centre of south wing. Red brick walls laid in Flemish bond to front elevations with rendered string courses and channelled render to third floor. Roughcast rendered walls to rear elevations, roughcast rendered parapet walls to access decks. Painted concrete walls to stair towers. Square-headed window openings with replacement uPVC windows. Square-headed door openings to rear decks having part-glazed timber doors and some replacement uPVC doors. Set back from street, boundary having metal railings on masonry plinths with granite cappings. Hard surfacing to rear courtyard accommodating car parking. Associated quadrangular block to west side of Basin Street Lower.

Its form responds well to its urban corner site while balconies provide articulation to the front elevations and break down the scale of the large block.

An elegant early social housing scheme designed by Herbert George Simms, housing architect to Dublin Corporation from 1932 until 1948. Its form responds well to its urban corner site while balconies provide articulation to the front elevations and break down the scale of the large block. It is an excellent example of early modernist architecture that employs materials which were historically used in the area. During his time in office, Simms was responsible for the design of some 17,000 new homes. His designs were strongly influenced by new apartment blocks by de Klerk in Amsterdam and J.P. Oud in Rotterdam.

Its form responds well to its urban corner site while balconies provide articulation to the front elevations and break down the scale of the large block.