More Than Concrete Blocks

Twentieth-century Irish architecture, and more particularly the buildings designed and built in the second half of the 20th century, remains largely under-appreciated in Ireland. In most instances they are considered to be too old to be useful and too young to be protected, and consequently many remain at risk of being lost. In this talk Charles will give an overview of the 20th Century Architecture in Dublin City research project which commenced in 2011 with grant funding from the Heritage Council and the More Than Concrete Blocks three-volume series of architectural history books commissioned by the City Council’s Heritage Office, highlighting some of the discoveries made by the research team over the last ten and more years.

Charles Duggan holds a Masters in Urban and Building Conservation and a Masters in Palladio and Palladianism. He has been Dublin City Heritage Officer since 2009. Since then he has led the development of a number of pioneering heritage projects including the Wood Quay Venue, St Luke’s Graveyard restoration project, the phased conservation of 14 Henrietta Street and the development of the tenement museum which opened in 2019. He has commissioned a wide range of research projects and publications on Dublin’s architectural and social history including the 20th Century Architecture in Dublin City research project and the More Than Concrete Blocks series, the last volume of which was published in November 2023.