The architecture of Belfast comprises

architectural style An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...

s ranging from Georgian through to modernist buildings such as the

Waterfront Hall Belfast Waterfront is a multi-purpose conference and entertainment centre, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. The hall is located in Lanyon Place, the flagship development of the Laganside Corp ...

and

Titanic Belfast ''Titanic'' Belfast is a visitor attraction opened in 2012, a monument to Belfast's maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city's Titanic Quarter where the RMS ''Titanic'' was built. It tells the stories ...

. The city's Victorian and

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

buildings are notable for their display of a large number of sculptures. Many of Belfast's Victorian era landmarks, including the main Lanyon Building at Queens University, were designed by Sir Charles Lanyon.

Chronology and styles

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

became a substantial settlement in the 17th century, after being established as a town by Sir Arthur Chichester. None of the buildings from Belfast's first century as a market town on the river Farset survive today. The only significant structures in those early years from 1613 would have been a castle established by Sir Arthur Chichester, and the parish church at the foot of High Street, where a 'chapel of the ford' had been erected by 1306, and where St George's church now stands.

Georgian

File:Clifton_House,_Belfast_-_geograph.org.uk_-_574718.jpg, Clifton House
(1771–1774; Grade A) File:The Exchange and Assembly Rooms - geograph.org.uk - 485089.jpg, The Exchange and Assembly Rooms
(1769)
Remodelled in 1845

Victorian

File:Flower bed, Botanic Gardens, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 1454550.jpg, Botanic Gardens Palm House
(1839–1840) File:Belfast Queen University.jpg, Lanyon Building
(1849) File:Bank office, Victoria Street, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 771288.jpg, 16 Victoria Street
(1852; Grade B) File:The Union Theological College, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 395032.jpg,

Union Theological College ''This page is about a college in Northern Ireland. For institutions with similar names, see Union Theological Seminary and Union School of Theology'' , mottoeng = ''“Buy the truth and sell it not”'' (taken from Proverbs 23:23) , establ ...

(1853; Grade A) File:The Custom House, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 111624.jpg, The Custom House
(1856) File:Ulster Hall, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 1593924.jpg,

Ulster Hall The Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade A listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences. History ...

(1859–1862; Grade B1)
Renovated 2009 File:Victoria Street building, Belfast, July 2010.JPG, The Headline Building
(1863) File:Clarence House, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 736930.jpg, Clarence House
(1867) File:Belfast_Castle,_Northern_Ireland.jpg,

Belfast Castle Belfast Castle (Irish: ''Caisleán Bhéal Feirste''Ireland Highlights: Belfast Castle. https://www.irelandhighlights.com/info/belfast-castle/ ) is a mansion located in Cave Hill Country Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a prominent positio ...

(1811–1870; Grade B+) File:Queen Street Childrens Hospital.jpg, Queen Street Children's Hospital (1878) File:The Old Town Hall, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 1304214.jpg, The Old Town Hall
(1860–1879; Grade B1) File:Queen's Arcade, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 1627248.jpg, Queen's Arcade
(1879–1880; Grade B1)
Renovated 1987, 1994 File:The Scottish Provident Institution, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 383924.jpg, The Scottish Provident Institution
(1899–1902; Grade A)

20th century

Edwardian

File:Belfast_City_Hall_2.jpg,

Belfast City Hall Belfast City Hall ( ga, Halla na Cathrach Bhéal Feirste; Ulster-Scots: ''Bilfawst Citie Haw'') is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the comm ...

(1898–1906; Grade A)

Pre-World War II and Art Deco

File:Ulster Museum 3.JPG,

Ulster Museum The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasure ...

(1929; extended 1962; Grade B1) File:StormontGeneral.jpg, Parliament Buildings
(1922–1932; Grade A) File:North Street Arcade, Donegall Street, Belfast, December 2017.jpg,

North Street Arcade The North Street Arcade is a 1930s Art Deco shopping mall, shopping arcade in the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, Cathedral Quarter of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the only example of a shopping arcade from this decade in Northern Ireland, and is ...

(1936–1938; Grade B1) File:Telephone_House_Belfast_at_night.jpg, Telephone House
(1920–1939; Grade B2) File:BBC_Northern_Ireland_Belfast.jpg, Broadcasting House
(1938–1941; Grade B1)

Late 20th century

File:Windsor House, Belfast, May 2010 (02).JPG, Windsor House
(1975) File:Belfast City Hospital.jpg,

Belfast City Hospital The Belfast City Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Chathair Bhéal Feirste) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a 900-bed modern university teaching hospital providing local acute services and key regional specialities. Its distinctive orange tower block d ...

Tower
(1986) File:The Waterfront Hall, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 495209.jpg,

(1995–1997) File:The BT Tower, Belfast - geograph.org.uk - 1153638.jpg, BT Riverside Tower
(1998) File:The "Hilton" hotel, Belfast (1) - geograph.org.uk - 1249088.jpg, Belfast Hilton
(1998)

21st century

In 2011 and 2012 Belfast saw the creation of two buildings described as "two of the most stunning new British buildings of the century", namely the Lyric Theatre (2011) by Irish architects O’Donnell and Tuomey, and the

Metropolitan Arts Centre The Metropolitan Arts Centre, usually referred to as the MAC, is an arts venue in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter and is home to all kinds of exhibitions, theatre performances, experimental works. The MAC is a cultural hub and a vital shared space ...

(2012) by local architectural practice

Hackett Hall McKnight Hall McKnight (formerly Hackett Hall McKnight) is an architectural firm based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 2008 it won the Young Architect of the Year Award sponsored by Building Design magazine and Autodesk. Background The firm was created i ...

. In contrast, the new boat-shaped Titanic Museum (2012) was described by ''The Telegraph'' as "startlingly inane". File:Obel Tower Belfast.png,

Obel Tower The Obel Tower is a highrise building in Belfast, Northern Ireland, located on Donegall Quay on the River Lagan beside the Lagan Weir. Measuring in height, the tower is the tallest storeyed building in Ireland, dominating the Belfast skyline. ...

(2006–2011) File:Victoria Square, Belfast (3) - geograph.org.uk - 716074.jpg, Victoria Square (2008) File:The Boat, Belfast, April 2010 (06).JPG, The Boat (2010) File:Titanic Belfast side view.jpg,

(2012) File:MAC (exterior), Belfast, April 2012 (06).JPG, The MAC (2012) File:No 8 Lanyon Place, Belfast (14) - geograph.org.uk - 1716262.jpg, Lanyon Plaza (2014)

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Communities-NI Buildings DatabaseArchiseek - Belfast ArchitectureFuture BelfastCulture NI - The Architecture of BelfastUniversity of Ulster Belfast School of ArchitectureQueen's University School of Planning Architecture and CivilEngineering (SPACE)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Architecture Of Belfast Buildings and structures in Belfast