Official Belfast Thread

[PJRODP]

[QUOTE=BeanieNI;88455096]

Originally Posted by belfast exile

Also - is there an extension or something going onto the Musgrave St. police station of Victoria St? - large glovers crane on site and about 4 floors worth of steel framework already up.

That will be the next phase of the Police station ie. carpark part.

[belfastuniguy]

[QUOTE=PJRODP;88505601]

Originally Posted by BeanieNI

That will be the next phase of the Police station ie. carpark part.

Yeah it's the secure carpark for police vans and vehicles. I think some judges and high profile court personnel will have access as well.

[BeanieNI]

Cheers guys.

[hypnotoad24]

Another hotel! I wonder where exactly this is... i assume it is some part of the area of what would have been the Lincoln Centre development?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17029953

[G2GAP]

Originally Posted by hypnotoad24

Another hotel! I wonder where exactly this is... i assume it is some part of the area of what would have been the Lincoln Centre development?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17029953

It is this one at the back entrance to the train station:

http://www.futurebelfast.com/st-andr...are-hotel.html

[thevanishin]

Considering the depths of recession we find ourselves in, the first two months of 2012 have been pretty good for developments in Belfast.

That's the second hotel in Dublin Road/Great Vic Street area announced this week. We can look forward to seeing two less car parks! It is shocking, however, that the St Andrew's Square hotel has been waiting on planning permission for over two years. How different would the city look now if there had been no delays?

I tried looking for a more detailed design for the hotel, but I couldn't find it. Instead, I found a proposal for this:


I think that instead, the city was bestowed with this monstrosity?

[hypnotoad24]

Originally Posted by thevanishin

I think that instead, the city was bestowed with this monstrosity?

Speaking of that, it bears more than a passing similarity to the St Andrews Square hotel proposal image on futurebelfast! Hopefully whatever plans they come up with are a little better.

[plank007]

If that had of been anywhere else in the UK (Leeds, Manchester etc) it would be aluminum clad and horrible. At least it uses brick and concrete.

Would you prefer these leeds monstrosities...

[Ripper_Roo_NI]

Its a great shame that the lincoln centre seems to have gone down the tube, that part of the street needs something more than a few car parks. Hopefully this new hotel gets other proposals moving in the next few months.

[citybus]

I like the Ibis hotel and the adjoining block of flats, I think it looks 50 times better than that render for the new Etap hotel a few posts above. Though it's hardly helped by this:

image hosted on flickr


I don't really get that trend in architecture where they says "sure it doesnt matter if it's shit looking round the back, no one will see it", only the 'back' of the building is out for everyone to see.

Incidentally what is going to be in this vacant spot in Chichester Street

image hosted on flickr

[hypnotoad24]

Originally Posted by citybus

I like the Ibis hotel and the adjoining block of flats, I think it looks 50 times better than that render for the new Etap hotel a few posts above.

Yeah, it does add a good bit of bulk to the view as you drive down Great Victoria Street, and it does an excellent job of hiding the Castlecourt car park.

Speaking of ETAP- i just did a quick image search of ETAP UK, to see what they tend to look like. The results are not encouraging:









Ones abroad are, astonishingly, ever worse:







I can't wait to see what load of arse gets landed on Dublin Road. If it turns out to be shite- and, frankly, the omens are good- it would be interesting to ask the planners how it got passed, while Aurora got rejected. As a building of that design is surely just as "out of character" in the area. I know it's a budget hotel chain, but this is a city centre site, and should not look it was designed by a drunk on an etch-a-sketch.

Obviously, I could be wrong, and we could get a decent design.... but i'm not putting any money on it!

[PJRODP]

Originally Posted by G2GAP

It is this one at the back entrance to the train station:

http://www.futurebelfast.com/st-andr...are-hotel.html

It's a pity st.andrews square couldn't be used as an open space with buildings built around it forming a square

[belfastboy08]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leeds_Etap_hotel.jpg

This isn't too bad :/

[thevanishin]

Fence and scaffolding was being erected around the Carlisle Methodist church earlier. Has anyone heard what's going on inside, or is this just a short term measure to keep it standing?

[cmcc11]

Originally Posted by thevanishin

Fence and scaffolding was being erected around the Carlisle Methodist church earlier. Has anyone heard what's going on inside, or is this just a short term measure to keep it standing?

Historic city church to be saved

(UKPA) – Feb 9, 2012

A derelict church building in Belfast is to be saved from collapse.

Dense foliage and tree branches climb up the side of the stone facade at Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church at the edge of north Belfast, which enjoys international recognition of its endangered status.

Experts will be drafted in to secure the 1875 building, which has lain empty for 30 years, and prevent it from deteriorating further using £400,000 of Environment Agency money.

Shane Quinn, development officer at the Belfast Buildings Preservation Trust, said: "There is clear evidence from the local community that this building is valued by them, there is a sense of loss, it is important that it be built up long-term."

Carlisle Memorial was named after Lord Carlisle, former viceroy of Ireland, and James Carlisle, the Belfast builder who constructed it in memory of his son.

Once the heart of a thriving Methodist community, the neo-gothic style church suffered a body blow when the Westlink motorway was built alongside it in the mid-1960s.

This, together with the outbreak of violence which was at its most intense in the local area, helped prompt the closure of the church in 1982.

The World Monuments Fund in 2010 recognised it as one of the 100 most endangered historic buildings in the world. Others on the list include the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.

Mr Quinn added: "We have no definite planned use for the building. We are at the beginning of a process of working with the local communities so that we can evolve a solution."

Environment Minister Alex Attwood said: "Carlisle Memorial is a jewel in our historical crown and after its conservation it will have a great beneficial impact for the economy, tourism and for health and well being."

[belfastuniguy]

Very pleased! Absolutely detest fly posting.

Belfast City Council to make venues tackle fly-posting

Belfast City Council is set to make entertainment venues responsible for removing fly-posters in the city.

The licensing committee has approved plans which would see conditions on fly-posting attached to entertainment licences issued to pubs and clubs.

The venue would be required to ensure that fly-posting was not used to advertise the premises and to remove any fly-posters which did go up.

The committee's decision will come before the full council on 1 March.

BBC NEWS

[hypnotoad24]

Excellent news.

Article updating on the progress of the offshroe wind turbine assembly point at Belfast harbour. The article also mentions that Belfast Harbour is in serious discussion about a number of related high profile projects. Good news!

http://www.agendani.com/belfast-harb...ffshore-energy

[Northern Irish guy]

[Northern Irish guy]

25.03.12

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Fantastic photos. What an impressive city Belfast has grown into. I can't wait to visit again.