“I was lying in my hospital bed and I just kept thinking, ‘God, please don’t let me die. I want to live to see the dump gone,’” says resident Annette Flanagan.
This is an isometric projection of one of my favourite Dublin buildings – Fitzwilton House, designed by Emanuel Shoolheifer and Don Burley and completed in 1969. Fitzwilton House is due to be demolished, as are several other Dublin buildings from around this time – including the much-hated Hawkins H
This is an isometric projection of one of my favourite Dublin buildings – Fitzwilton House, designed by Emanuel Shoolheifer and Don Burley and completed in 1969.
Fitzwilton House is due to be demolished, as are several other Dublin buildings from around this time – including the much-hated Hawkins House and the (unjustly) equally loathed Apollo House. Dublin is architecturally poor enough without this period of design being erased.
Despite first appearances perhaps, Fitzwilton House is highly expressive and visually exciting building. Several tones of concrete are used on its narrow vertical exterior columns, in the upper block these columns form an even, steady rhythm, but in the lower sections the pattern becomes irregular. It sits diagonally to the canal, meaning you approach it from interesting angles; make sure to give it a look while you still can.
Robin Fuller holds a PhD on the history and semiotics of sans-serif typefaces from Trinity College Dublin. He teaches Textual and Visual Studies at Trinity, and is a graphic designer.