Titanic Quarter - Belfast

[belfastuniguy]

I agree with some posters that we should have a few sub-forums within the Northern Ireland/Belfast thread.

I think we should focus on the most important projects. The first I've deciced to create is for Titanic Quarter.

The Vision
"Titanic Quarter is a high profile European waterfront development firmly rooted in the history and character of Belfast, acting as a driver for high quality investment and development in the city."
Titanic Quarter, Europe's largest and most exciting waterfront development, will transform a 185-acre site on the banks of Belfast's river Lagan into a new mixed use maritime quarter with a mile of water frontage and a range of investment opportunities including: over 7,500 apartments, 900,000 sq. m. of business, education, office and research and development floor space together with hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and other leisure uses.
Titanic Quarter will bring new life to a part of the city that is rich in both history and potential. The site is centred upon former shipbuilding land from which vessels such as the RMS Titanic, Olympic and SS Canberra were launched - some of most innovative and complex engineering projects ever undertaken.
It will become a major social and business meeting place with galleries, theatres, parklands and water sports all easily connected to Belfast's thriving city centre.
The Titanic Quarter development is co-promoted by the Port of Belfast and Titanic Quarter Limited. The £5bn development is expected to create at least 25,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.

PHASE 1

1 million sqft mixed-use development adjacent to the Odyssey Arena and Pavilion. Phase 1 encompasses the ‘the Arc' residential complex, designed by award winning architects Robinson McIlwaine, Gateway Offices by award winning Todd Architects, hotel, retail and leisure opportunities.
This phase also includes a new third level education campus for Belfast Metropolitan College, designed by Todd Architects and the new HQ of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

















PHASE 2

3.3 million sqft high mixed-use development offering residential, commercial, retail and leisure facilities. At the heart of this Phase will be the Titanic Signature Project, the former Harland & Wolff headquarters building and the RMS Titanic and RMS Olympic slipways which will form a world-class visitor destination.

Developments
· 37,000 sq m for business / employment use
· 200,000 sq m extension of ARC to north of Abercorn Basin
· 11,300 sq m for tourism including - Titanic Signature Project
· 23,000 sq m for leisure facilities including hotels, conference facilities, restaurants, bars, cafes and sports facilities
· Refurbishment of the former H&W HQ into a 4-star hotel

Infrastruture
· Creation of Titanic Boulevard
· New Dee Street bridge over Sydenham By-pass
· Adoption of the rest of Sydenham Rd inc. landscaping
· Landscaped squares around the former H&W HQ
· Refurbishment of Hamilton Graving Dock to allow mooring of the Nomadic
· New dock walls to north and west of Abercorn Basin
· Creation of marina in Abercorn Basin
· Public walkways and cycle routes around Abercorn Basin









TITANIC QUARTER SIGNATURE PROJECT

The Titanic Project is located to the north of Abercorn Basin, running the full east-west depth of the site. It is amongst a trio of heritage, leisure and culture buildings:

1. Refurbished Harland & Wolff administration and drawing block
2. Queen’s Island Wharf complex
3. Titanic Experience (also known as the signature project).


The crystalline Titanic Experience building is shaped as a white star (after the shipping company - White Star Line).
It will house a flying IMAX theatre where viewers are suspended in the air. A 50m scale model of the Titanic, a maritime museum and events facilities

The building will face the huge 80 x 300m slipways of Titanic and Olympic to highlight the vast scale of the ship.

The slipways together will create a city-scaled, public open space, which also acts as a place of remembrance.












PHASE 3-5

These phases are currently at conceptual design stage.

MASTERPLAN







CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS:



April 17, 2007 - The piling seen being erected around the basin wall will allow the water behind to be drained and the old wall to be upgraded as part of phase I infrastructure work. To the right of the picture work is well under way in digging down to basement level for the apartment complex. Meanwhile work on restoring the H&W building in the background is also progressing well. The whole roof is now almost fully waterproofed with new slates. The Gateway office complex is also progressing well with piling continuing.



April 17, 2007 - The image above is from the Titanic Quarters webcam. It shows the excavation work on the ARC basement. The curve of the complex can be seen along the road where the piling work to edge the basement is complete. To the left of the picture the quay wall can be seen where work is under way to upgrade the wall.



June 10, 2007 - The piling has provided space for work to commence on restoring the basin wall in front of the ARC.



June 12, 2007 - Basement walls are continuing to be poured within both the ARC site and the Gateway Office site.



August, 2007 - Basement work continuing.




October, 2007 - The view across the Lagan shows progress on the ARC, at level two, whilst the Gateway office complex has progressed much quicker and is pictured at level five with the core lift shaft up to level six.
*Image from www.titanic-quarter.com



October, 2007 - This view looking towards the city shows just how small a part of the overall scheme is under construction. The construction work shown will largely be completed this time next year (2008).
*Image from www.titanic-quarter.com



February, 2008 - This view looking from the rear of the Odyssey arena illustrates the progress being made on the Gateway office buildings façade. Installation of the windows began in the week prior to the photo being taken. Installation of the façade along the Sydenham Road is also nearing completion.



January, 2008 - Gateway Office Complex. Image from www.titanic-quarter.com



January, 2008 - Abercorn Residential Complex (ARC). Image from www.titanic-quarter.com


August, 2007 - ARC site overview and work on the Abercorn Basin quay wall. Image from www.dawsonwam.co.uk



May, 2008 - This view looks out from the rear of the Odyssey complex across the Abercorn Basin towards the front of the ARC. © Copyright “Ross” and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License. Photographs original source. (…. See also, this image from further away on the same date.)





(Some images and information have been taken from Future Belfast http://www.futurebelfast.com/ the rest from Flickr and CivicArts).

[odlum833]

Looks sweet!


This is much better when individual large projects get their own threads cause then they get the exposure they deserve And this is one of them.

[indiekid]

That Titanic experience building is

[PB-1888]

Good job. I like that shot overlooking the city centre. The whole thing will be a great addition to the city, especially if they sort out a tram system to it. My only gripe is the marina bit looks a bit costa del sol-ish. Was that the best they could do?

[jayo]

Looks bloody good.
Who are the achitects,eric kuhne?

[PB-1888]

Sorry, tried to upload a recent photo. Will try again

[beddiebyes]

Originally Posted by jayo

Looks bloody good.
Who are the achitects,eric kuhne?

yes it is

[PB-1888]

Take two

Nope

[belfastuniguy]

PB-1888 what are you using to host?

Do you have a http address for the pic?

[PB-1888]

[PB-1888]

Oh, I give up.

[djmaxliving]

I do like the hole development very nice, the picture is of Glasgow harbour development which at first i thought it looked like Titanic Quarter but there is differences.

[al73]

Application just on Planning website today for extension to Odessey:

1831/F Odyssey Complex, 2 Queens Quay Extension to existing building to include a Titanic signature project comprising a Titanic experience and a luxury hotel.

I assume that the above is the fantasy / disney boat shaped extension?

[al73]

Here's the link to the info on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/n...nd/7464369.stm

Can anyone find a link to the image of the extension?

[belfastuniguy]

I hope to god that recent application is rejected, its so unbelievably tacky and well cheap and shit.

[PB-1888]

[PB-1888]

Yes! Finally worked this out. Above taken from Clarendon Dock area a few months back

[belfastuniguy]

Found the two additional renders

The new Public Record Office of Northern Ireland


The new Belfast Metropolitan College campus

[beddiebyes]

here's that Titanic Project extension to the odyssey. it is so hideously awful! it better not get approved!!

[al73]

Originally Posted by beddiebyes

here's that Titanic Project extension to the odyssey. it is so hideously awful! it better not get approved!!

I seem to remember it looking worse than that. The architectural lines bear quite a resemblence to the image of the PPONI building directly above. Seems to be a general theme running through all of the public buildings in Titanic Quarter. I could see it working with a curved glass facade. The fake funnels would look hideous though