Andrew Devane
Andrew Devane was an Irish architect, born in Limerick. He studied architecture at University College Dublin under Rudolf Maximilian Butler where he graduated in 1941. In 1946 he was awarded the Taliesin Fellowship and he left Ireland for the United States to study under Frank Lloyd Wright until 1948. In 1948 he re-joined Paddy Robinson and Cyril Keefe of the architectural practice of Robinson & Keefe as a partner.
Among his best known works were Stephen Court and the Irish Life Centre in . Stephen Court was highly recommended in the European Architectural Heritage Year awards for its sympathy with its Georgian surroundings.
Career
After Devane graduated from UCD, he began working in the architecture practice of Robinson & Keefe. After a short time, Devane was offered a partnership with the practice, but decided to postpone any agreement. Around this time Devane made contact with American Architect, Frank Wright Lloyd. In his letter to Wright, Devane said "I cannot make up my mind whether you are in truth a great architect - or just another phony." to which Wright replied "Come along and see." In 1946 Devane travelled to America to attend the Taliesin Fellowship, a private educational institution in which promising architects were given the opportunity to study under Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale, Arizona. Devane grew to admire Wright greatly. In a tribute to Wright, Devane would say of himself and his fellow apprentices that “Each of us lives inevitably in his “shadow,” because in art and architecture, all of us, including him, live and grow or fade and die, in a light that is god-given.”On his return to Ireland in 1948 he took up Paddy Robinson and Cyril Keefe of Robinson & Keefe on their partnership offer and formed the Robinson, Keefe & Devane architecture practice.
Personal life
Andrew Devane was born on 3 November 1917 in Limerick to a Roman Catholic family. His father, Dr John Devane, worked in St John's Hospital as a physician from 1915 until his retirement in the 1950s.He was married to Maureen Ashe in 1950 and had three sons, Richard, Martin and Tony. Maureen died in 1977. Later on in life Devane spent much of his time devoted to charity work, especially for Mother Teresa's cause in Calcutta, India.
He died on January 15, 2000 in Calcutta.
Distinctive features
Many of his buildings exhibit the following distinctive features:- Low roof pitches often with copper standing seam roofs.
- Concrete Towers often with sculptural profile at the top.
- Wide roof overhangs at eaves.
- Arches at ground floor level.
- Wide overhanging concrete canopy at the entrance.
- rooflights or openings in the Overhangs to bring more light to ground level.
- Extensive rooflighting as ridge to a roof or as a roof pitch on an asymmetrical roof.
- Curved or other special treatment of corners of buildings.
- Brickwork with three colours of blue and grey smooth face concrete bricks.
- Rough textures beside smooth textures.
- Buildings designed to a grid which turns through narrow angles on the central axis.
- Raised planting beds around the base of the building.
- Interesting floor patterns in terrazzo to circulation areas – different on each floor.
- Entrances on the north or east side of the building to facilitate the best rooms getting the best sunlight.
- Concrete balconies with rounded arrises.
- Interesting concrete textures.
- Columns or piers tapering in one dimension as they rise.
- White Concrete.
- Strong vertical elements in contrast to horizontal elements.
- 22.5 degree angles, 17.5 degree angles both in plan and section.
- Devane designed many building elements which are normally bought from a catalogue, such as door handles, furniture, kitchens, Crucifixes, Baptismal fonts, altars, altar furniture, school desks, Stacking chairs etc.
Selected works
Shops and restaurants
- Monument Café, Dublin.
- Monument Creamery, 166, Phibsborough Road.
- Veritas shop, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin.
- Mackeys Seed's Shop, Mary Street, Dublin.
- Duggan's Monster Stores, Kilkenny.
Houses
- 'Journey's End', House, Howth, for Devane family. Curvilinear extension to an earlier bungalow. Much modified with large extensions.
- 'The End', Howth, Detached single storey house with concrete roof and roof garden for Devane family. Built after 'Journey's End' on an adjoining site.
- 'Evora', Dunbo Hill, Howth Harbour for Mc. Mullen. Spanish style house with arches.
- 'Shielmartin Cottage', Howth.
- 'Taoseach's House', for Mr. Liam Cosgrave, Scholarstown, Rathfarnham.
- 'Elsinore' Howth.
- Bradshaw House, Howth.
- 'Spindrift', Baily, Howth.
- 'Santane', Strand Rd. Sutton.
- Holiday house at Caragh Lake, Kerry.
- Old School House, Kells Bay, Kerry.
- House at Laragh, Co. Wicklow.
- Mc. Mahon Mews, Pery Square, Limerick.
- 'The Tansey', Ceanchor Road, Howth.
- Parochial House, St. Fintan's, Church Road/ Greenfield Road, Sutton.
- Parish Priest's House, at Dublin Airport Church.
- Mews house at St. James' Terrace for Dr. Rory O'Hanlon.
Housing
- Pimlico apartment blocks, Dublin 8, for Dublin Corporation.
- AIB Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. not built.
Primary education buildings
- St. Mary's Girls' School, Bishop Street, King's Island, Limerick.
- St. Munchin's Girls' and Infants' School, Ballynanty, Limerick City.
- St. John's School, Limerick.
- Gaelscoil Sáirséal, Shelbourne Road, Limerick
- St. Fintan's Primary School, Sutton, Co. Dublin.
- St. Canice's Boys' School, Glasanaon Road, Finglas, Co. Dublin.
- St. John's School, Garryowen Road, Limerick.
- Former Christian Brothers' School, Hassett's Cross, Limerick. Subsequently renovated and in use from 2016 as Gaelscoil Sáirséal.
- School at Ballygall Road, Finglas, Co. Dublin.
- Marist School, Clogher Road.
- St. Patrick's Primary School, Junior and Senior Schools, Drumcondra Road, Dublin.
- Howth Primary School extension.
Secondary education buildings
- Beneavin College, Finglas, Co. Dublin. Assembly Hall, Administration wing, Science block, Classroom block.
- Clongowes Wood College. Link building.
- St. Colmcille boys' School, Church Lane, Swords.
- St. Lorcan's College, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.
- Henry Street School, Limerick.
- Gonzaga College, Ranelagh, Dublin. Hall, library, classrooms, tower and chapel.
- Holy Faith School Glasnevin.
- St. Ferghal's Boys' School, Cappagh Road, West Finglas.
- Convent of Mercy Girls' Schools, Longford.
- Marist Secondary School, Clogher Road.
Third level education buildings
- Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick. 1955-1956
- Pearse College, Clogher Road, Dublin. 1950–1954.
- Technical School, Emmett Road, Inchicore. 1953–1958.
- Technical School, Swords Co. Dublin.
- Technical School, Rush, Co. Dublin. 1954.
- Technical School, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin. 1951–1953.
- Technical School, Lucan, Co. Dublin. 1951–1953.
- Technical School, Dundrum, Co. Dublin. 1955.
- Divine Word Missionaries, College at Moyglare Road, Maynooth.
- St. Patrick's Training College, Drumcondra. Church, gymnasium, dining hall, residential accommodation, library, teaching facilities.
- Dublin City University, Canteen, Teaching block and water tower.
- University College Dublin, Belfield, Administration building.
Medical buildings
- Urological Unit, Meath Hospital, Dublin.
- Mount Carmel Hospital, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Co. Dublin. New nursing home, including oratory.
- Hospital, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. New hospital.
- Hospital Dollis Hill, London.
- St. Vincent's Private Hospital, Elm Park. New private hospital including theatres.
- Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating National Children's Hospital, Tallaght. Formally known as Tallaght Regional Hospital.
- Temple Street Children's University Hospital. Masterplan and first building.
- Calcutta Drug Rehabilitation centre.
- St. John's Hospital, Limerick.
- Cavan General Hospital, Cavan Town. New hospital and detached turf-fired boiler house.
- Jervis Street Hospital, Dublin. Masterplan and theatres.
- Theatres and extension at M. M. M. Hospital Drogheda.
Other institutional buildings
- Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
- Assisi House, Navan Road. Chapel and age related residential home.
- Manresa House, Chapel, and multi-storey retreat house, Dollymount, Dublin 3.
- The Communications Centre, Stillorgan Road, and Booterstown Avenue, Dublin.
- Boys Club and Administration Building, for st. Vincent de Paul, Nicholas Street, Dublin.
- Milford House Novitiate, Limerick..
- Temple St. Hospital Convent and chapel.
- Airmonut Convent, Waterford.
Office buildings
- Stephen Court, Dublin. for Irish life.
- Ceann Arus, G.A.A. Headquarters Building, Jones's Road, Dublin 3.
- Bankcentre, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Office complex and computer centre.
- Administration Block, U.C.D. Belfield.
- Administration Building, Turlough Hill Power Station, Co. Wicklow for the E.S.B.
- Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street. Includes swimming pool, theatre, and second floor gardens. Originally designed to be two stories higher but Dublin city Council insisted that it would be no higher than Central Bank, so 2 stories were removed from tower block.
- Extension to Irish life Centre, with facades to Abbey Street and Marlborough Street, Dublin. Includes department store at ground floor level, garden at first floor level with central conference centre.
- Sarsfield House fit out for Coffey Gubbins, Limerick.
- Martin Moloney + Sons, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin.
- Chase Manhattan Bank, Shannon New Town, Co. Clare.
- E. S. B. offices and control building, Turlough Hill power station, Co. Wicklow.
Churches
- Umtali Cathedral, Rhodesia,
- Reordering Ennis Cathedral, Co. Clare.
- Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Church at Dublin Airport, church, campanile, atrium and adjoining house.
- Our Lady and St. David, Naas, Church,.
- Dingle Church,.
- Convent, Nottingham.
- St. Lelia's Church at Killeely Road, Ballynantybeg, Limerick.
- St. Fintan's Church, atrium, campanile, parish centre, and parochial house, Sutton, County Dublin.
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Church and parish hall, Johnstown, Killiney.
- Church, Central Highlands, New Guinea. Built in timber frame and grass cladding.
- Blessed Sacrament Chapel, D'Olier St.
- Manresa House Chapel, Dollymount, Dublin 3.
- Assisi House Chapel, Navan Road, Cabra.
- St. Patrick's Training College Church and campanile, Drumcondra.
- St. Mary's Church, Tampa, Florida.
- Gonzaga College Chapel, Ranelagh.
- St. John Cathedral, Limerick,
- St. Mary's Church Howth, Reordering of sanctuary.
- Fr. John Sullivan tomb, Gardiner St. Church.
- Orarory at Loyola House, Eglington Road.
- Convent for Missionaries of Charity, South Circular Road, Dublin.
Hotels
- Shannon Shamrock Hotel, Bunratty, Co. Limerick.
- A.G. Mc. Carthy Hotel, Limerick.
- Royal George Hotel, Limerick.
- Woodfield guest house, Ennis Road, Limerick.
Other buildings
- New York Worlds Fair, Irish Pavilion.
- Mackey's Garden Centre, Glasthule.
- Woodfield Guest House, Limerick for Mr. Dwyer.
- Multi storey Housing in several blocks at Marrowbone Lane, Pimlico, Dublin.
Sundry projects
- Shrine and reliquary to Blessed Oliver Plunkett at Drogheda, Co. Louth.
- Retrospective of work of Oisin Kelly, Sculptor.
- Designed a chalice for a Seminarian in Rome.
- Designed stone plaque for Irish College, Rome.
- Worked with John Behan on aluminium sculpture at Bankcentre, Ballsbridge.
- Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, Co. Wicklow. Reconfiguration of former reformatory.
- Office building at Masonic school, Ballsbridge. unbuilt.
Unbuilt projects
- Office building complex, Ship Street, Dublin Castle.
- Church, Bird Avenue. 1950's.
- Chapel of Reconciliation, Knock, Co. Mayo.
- House for Mrs. Montefiori, Blessington.
- Housing at 29–31, Permbroke Gardens.
- AIB Headquarters, Ranelagh.
- Mount Carmel Hospital Oratory, Rathgar.
- A.I.B. Bankcentre Ballsbridge Amenity Block K and Housing Block J.
- All Hallows College, Drumcondra masterplan including Tora.
- Waterfront Commercial Development at Limerick City.
- Reordering of Trinity College Chapel with UK based associate Architect.
- Tower at Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating National Children's Hospital.