Titanic Belfast

The world’s largest Titanic experience is opening today in Belfast, Northern Ireland – the place where the iconic ship had been designed and built.

The 14,000-sq-m structure took three years to build – the same timespan as the Titanic itself – and like the boat it omits a luxurious aeasthetic. Guests confront a shimmering façade that’s made of four peaking triangular shells, resembling 27-m-high vertical ship hulls.

‘Its architectural form cuts a skyline silhouette that has been inspired by the very ships that were built on this hallowed ground,’ says Eric R Kuhne of CivicArts / Eric R Kuhne & Associates, who designed the building in collaboratino with TODD Architects. ‘Its design anchors the profound spirit of invention and innovation from a century ago in a new form.’

Inside the six-storey museum are nine galleries for temporary and permanent exhibits, a 1000-seat suite, education and communication facilities, plus catering and retail space. A five-storey central atrium was inspired by the physical gap between the Titanic and Olympic when they were constructed.

Photos courtesy Christopher Heaney.