Breath of fresh air in a settled city suburb

WHAT is it about Cork and architecture? While cranes were swarming over the capital during the boom, the ‘real capital’ had a handful – at best.

When the wealth of commerce bequeathed stately streets and magnificent buildings to Limerick and Dublin, Cork was hemmed in by its medieval layout and mean, provincial architecture. This is a city that has never followed the architectural zeitgeist, (and prides itself on being contrary), wealth has flowed from its rich hinterland straight to the vaults on the South Mall – bypassing any realisation in stone and slate (save for those very same banks).

Were we too cute to spend good money on buildings of civic worth? And have we relied too heavily on free-booting property developers to define our city? When it comes to domestic architecture, the suburban style has remained static: classic, neo-Victorian for the upper end of the market and blank-faced starter homes for the lower.