On the old Harland and Wolff slipways, Titanic Belfast lifts four glittering “prows” into the sky—part ship, part iceberg, all theatre. Conceived by CivicArts / Eric R. Kuhne and Associates and delivered with Todd Architects, the 8-storey landmark opened for the centenary in March 2012 and has since become Belfast’s postcard icon.
Quick facts:
- Where and when: Titanic Quarter, on the very ground where RMS Titanic and Olympic were built; ground broke in 2009, doors opened 31 March 2012.
- Architects: Concept by CivicArts / Eric R. Kuhne & Associates; lead consultants Todd Architects.
- Height and scale: 38.5 m (126 ft) at the peak, roughly the height of Titanic’s hull; around 12,000–14,000 m² of floorspace.
- Cladding: ~3,000 anodised aluminium “shards,” about 2,000 unique; ~6,200 m² of rainscreen.
- Cost: ~£101 million.
- Awards: World’s Leading Tourist Attraction (2016) at the World Travel Awards; also Europe’s Leading Visitor Attraction that year.