Dublin an Urban History - The Plan of the City (Hardcover, Revised ed.)

Although one of Europe's largest cites in the 18th century, Dublin has never been harvested for its potential contribution to the history of European urbanism. This book is about its physical structure - an analysis of the underlying skeleton that may release an understanding of its urban and architectural tradition. It is an exploration of the city plan over time, how early delineations and marks of movement of ownership become layered tissues of meaning, part geography, part intent, a constant struggle for rational expression against conflicting aspirations that can be clearly read. The greatest expression of this palimpsest remains the Georgian city plan, which can be understood as a series of semi-autonomous classical fragments adjusted to an underlying medieval and geographical structure. This lavishly illustrated book by one of Ireland's leading architects, is a much expanded version of a book with a similar title published in c. 1989. This new edition will appeal to all those interested in the architecture and history of the city.