BELFAST | 65 - 67 Dublin Road (The Gallery) | 32m | Complete

Yeah the exterior finish in that section will be different to the white render. It'll be a dark grey material and some wood panelling to the front.

Looks great but the Dublin Road is a complete mess. Just looked at it today on Streetview and by god is it grim! The new Etap looks like a bunker....

plank007 said:

Looks great but the Dublin Road is a complete mess. Just looked at it today on Streetview and by god is it grim! The new Etap looks like a bunker....

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I don't think Dublin Road is too bad, although I think that's mostly because of the large, mature trees which really enhance the street. Over the next decade, hopefully more taller proposals come along to complement ETAP and Gallery and so on. No disagreements with ETAP, it's truly atrocious. Not one window facing out on to the street. Planners must have been hungover when they approved that dungfest.

Out of curiosity I had a look at the reviews for it, which are surprising if only for their lack of complaints about the noise from the neighbouring Filthy McNasty's.

Now The Gallery's exterior has been finished, does anyone know how long will the interiors take before they're finished too?

In fairness their Belfast hotel is probably one of their nicer properties, ETAP's generally look absolutely hideous.

Dublin Road always reminds me of Great Victoria Street - It's interesting in how disjointed it can seem, and you just have to give it over to the seemingly random approach to its planning and see where it goes. When the effect seems to be the evolution of a dense, albeit strange, mid-rise urban area, when it's self-contained I quite like it.

Progressing with the demolition of Fanum House and building Novotel (?) would help the whole area - I know it was a phase of what we've already seen with Etap but surely the rest of the plan has long expired?

Sir_Loin said:

Progressing with the demolition of Fanum House and building Novotel (?) would help the whole area - I know it was a phase of what we've already seen with Etap but surely the rest of the plan has long expired?

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Definitely. Don't know why they haven't already as it's truly awful and just lying there vacant. In which case maybe it's more likely to be refurbished rather than Novotel?

Bruce street needs developed, especially the south side which is all carpark in order to knit Dublin Rd and GVS. A 5-7 storey apartment development with varying heights and finishes so it doesn't look like a big wall would benefit the area greatly.

cn1 said:

A 5-7 storey apartment development with varying heights and finishes so it doesn't look like a big wall would benefit the area greatly.

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That would surely be the right idea in the area, but it doesn't seem to be very in vogue at the moment! I don't think I can remember seeing an application like that here for a few years, but I don't know about other cities.

Building on that site is difficult as part of it was used to tunnel for the Belfast Sewers Project. Not all of that site may be suitable for buildings. I'd say it'll be a car park for a while yet.

cn1 said:

Bruce street needs developed, especially the south side which is all carpark

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If I remember correctly that was originally left clear, along with Bankmore Square, and a strip all the way along Ormeau Ave and along behind the Gasworks because it was originally earmarked for the "Belfast Urban Motorway" (would have made a nice acronym ) back in the 60s.

As far as I know that project was killed off many many years ago, but I'm not sure why this land was never built on.

Edit: yup I do remember correctly: http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/belfasturbanmotorway.html

This building obviously dwarfs its immediate neighbours. However, Dublin Road seems a good corridor for mid-rise buildings. It links Queens and the City Centre, is generally pleasant with mature trees, and has a mix of uses. Plus, with one or two exceptions, there's not much of heritage value, so I reckon a lot of it could be gradually rebuilt in the 6-8 storey range. Hopefully the character is preserved, however.

Dublin Road is a perfect location for mid-rise. I imagine the adjacent buildings will be redeveloped in time. The improved density will help connect the city centre with the University area in a much more coherent fashion. Next big project is Shaftesbury Sq.

Dark grey panelling going in on the ground floor. Also, some uplighting has been added to the first floor.


IMG_5384 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr


IMG_5383 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr


IMG_5386 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr

Panelling complete on the side of the ground floor. Just the front to go now.


IMG_5407 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr

Plenty of the apartments are already sold, judging by the big signs that have appeared in the windows!


IMG_5406 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr

Looks like the ground floor will be fully glazed, and won't have that wood feature along the top.


IMG_5432 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr

Just had a look at The Gallery website :

http://thegallerybelfast.com/reservations

18 of the flats are sold and occupied = 31%

25 of the flats are reserved = 43%

15 of the flats are available = 26%

At first glance I thought this was the corner facing the Gallery. Does anyone know what the plans are for it. Hopefully it wont be on the market as well in the same state for 20k.

Whiteabbey said:

Just had a look at The Gallery website :

http://thegallerybelfast.com/reservations

18 of the flats are sold and occupied = 31%

25 of the flats are reserved = 43%

15 of the flats are available = 26%

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One month 0n :

20 sold & occupied = 34%
26 reserved = 45%
12 available = 21%

Whiteabbey said:

One month 0n :

20 sold & occupied = 34%
26 reserved = 45%
12 available = 21%

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Not exactly selling like hot cakes. Not surprised given the lack of parking spaces.

Small shoe box apartments with about enough room to turn 180 degrees in were never going to be a good idea, and plonked in the middle of Belfast's nightlife area just compounded this development to being just badly thought out. The only thing that really can save this, is more of the properties being bought up and turned high rise and ridding the Dublin road of any nightlife.