H
erbert Simms was born in London and studied
architecture at Liverpool University. He came
to Dublin in 1923 and worked initially in the
private sector before joining Dublin Corporation. In 1932
he was appointed to the new post of Housing Architect,
established in the office of the City Architect, Horace
O’Rourke. Simms recruited temporary staff to assist in
his task of addressing the chronic housing shortage of
the time. Between 1932 until his untimely death in 1948
HERBERT GEORGE SIMMS
he was responsible for the design and construction of an
1898 – 1948
astonishing 17,000 new dwellings, ranging from schemes
of flat blocks in the city centre (Chancery House being one
of the earliest) to extensive housing schemes of two-storey
cottages in the emerging suburbs of Crumlin, Cabra and
Chief Housing Architect | Dublin Corporation
Ballyfermot. It is a credit to his design skills that the majority
Príomh-Ailtire Tithíochta | Bardas Bhaile Átha Cliath
of these dwellings are still occupied to this day.
References:
Eddie Conroy,
‘H G Simms and the problem of slum clearance in Dublin’,
unpublished MUBC thesis, UCD, 1997
Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940,
Irish Architectural Archive
Ruth McManus,
Dublin 1910-1940: Shaping the City & Suburbs, 2002
Sean Rothery,
Ireland and the New Architecture, 1991
Tagairtí:
Eddie Conroy,
‘H G Simms and the problem of slum clearance in Dublin’,
tráchtas MCUF neamhfhoilsithe, COBÁC, 1997
Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940,
Irish Architectural Archive
Ruth McManus,
Dublin 1910-1940: Shaping the City & Suburbs, 2002
Sean Rothery,
Ireland and the New Architecture,1991
R
ugadh Herbert Simms i Londain agus rinne sé
staidéar ar an ailtireacht in Ollscoil Learphoill.
Tháinig sé go Baile Átha Cliath sa bhliain 1923
agus chaith tamall ar dtús ag obair san earnáil phríobháideach sula thosaigh sé ag obair do Bhardas Bhaile Átha
Cliath. Sa bhliain 1932 ceapadh ina Ailtire Tithíochta é,
post nua a cruthaíodh in oifig Ailtire na Cathrach, Horace
O’Rourke. D’fhostaigh Simms baill foirne shealadacha
chun cabhrú leis agus é ag tabhairt faoin dianghanntanas
tithíochta a bhí ann an t-am sin. Ón mbliain 1932 go dtí go
Designer of
Chancery House & Gardens 1935
bhfuair sé bás anabaí sa bhliain 1948, is é a bhí freagrach
as dearadh agus tógáil líon iontach teaghaisí nua, 17,000
san iomlán, idir scéimeanna le haghaidh bloic árasán i lár
na cathrach (agus Teach na Seansaireachta ar na cinn ba
luaithe) agus scéimeanna forleithne tithíochta le haghaidh
iostáin dhá urlár sna fo-bhailte a bhí ag teacht chun cinn i
gCromghlinn, sa Chabrach agus i mBaile Formaid. Is mór
an clú dá scileanna mar dhearthóir go bhfuil daoine ina
gcónaí i mbunús na dteaghaisí sin go dtí an lá atá inniu ann.
Dearthóir
Theach agus Ghairdíní na Seansaireachta 1935
C
hancery House, considered one of the finest of
Simms died tragically in 1948 when he took his own
the many innovative inner-city flat schemes by
life. The City Surveyor, Ernest Taylor, acknowledged his
Simms, is a small carefully-conceived building
commitment to the improvement of social conditions in the
containing 27 flats with an adjoining enclosed formal
city in the following tribute, published at the time in the Irish
garden. Simms’s appreciation of contemporary Dutch
Builder, – ‘By sheer hard work and conscientious devotion
and English housing is apparent in the ‘Modern’ appear-
to duty, he has made a personal contribution towards the
ance of this building, particularly in the decorative use and
solution of Dublin’s housing problem, probably unequalled
detailing of simple facing materials like brick and render
by anyone in our time… It is not given to many of us to
and the emphasis on the horizontal in the façade design.
achieve so much in the space of a short lifetime for the
Other significant features of the scheme include the slim
benefit of our fellow men.’
elegant roof profile, the building’s well defined corners and
entrances, its small projecting balconies and strong and
attractive street frontages. The scheme was constructed
by G & T Crampton and completed and occupied in June
1935.
B
hí a lán scéimeanna nuálaíocha ag Simms le
Bhí deireadh tragóideach le saol Simms sa bhliain 1948
haghaidh árasán i lárcheantar na cathrach agus
nuair a chuir sé lámh ina bhás féin. D’aithin Suirbhéir na
meastar go bhfuil Teach na Seansaireachta i
Cathrach, Ernest Taylor, a dhúthrachtaí a bhí Simms chun
measc na scéimeanna is fearr dá chuid. Foirgneamh beag
tosca sóisialta a fheabhsú sa chathair nuair a scríobh sé na
atá ann a dearadh go cúramach. Tá 27 árasán ann agus
focail mholta seo a leanas a foilsíodh an tráth sin san Irish
gairdín foirmiúil tadhlach leis agus ráille thart air. Bhí tuiscint
Builder: ‘By sheer hard work and conscientious devotion
aige don stíl tithíochta chomhaimseartha Ollannach agus
to duty, he has made a personal contribution towards the
Sasanach agus tá sin le feiceáil sa chruth ‘Nua-aimseartha’
solution of Dublin’s housing problem, probably unequalled
atá ar an bhfoirgneamh sin, agus go háirithe sa chaoi ar
by anyone in our time… It is not given to many of us to
úsáideadh ábhar simplí fásála amhail brící agus plástar
achieve so much in the space of a short lifetime for the
chun ornáidiú agus mionsonraí a dhéanamh, agus sa
benefit of our fellow men.’
chaoi ar cuireadh béim ar nithe cothrománacha i ndearadh
aghaidh na fhoirgnimh. I measc na nithe suntasacha eile
sa scéim tá próifíl sheang ghalánta ag an díon, tá léirshainiú déanta ar choirnéil, ar dhoirse agus ar gheataí an
fhoirgnimh, tá balcóin bheaga ag gobadh amach agus tá
aghaidheanna láidre tarraingteacha ar an bhfoirgneamh i
dreo na sráideanna. Is í cuideachta G & T Crampton a rinne
an obair foirgníochta agus bhí an scéim críochnaithe agus
daoine ina gcónaí inti faoi Meitheamh 1935.