9. Delivering on design
Our design ambition for Belfast Stories is to create a new piece of the city – that extends the street, continues the story, and dissolves thresholds. Each elevation addresses its context with equal generosity, inviting approach from all directions. Edges are softened, entry points are multiplied, and the public is invited not only to enter, but to pass through, stay a while, and return.
The programme of Belfast Stories is distributed to support a rich mix of uses while encouraging interaction between diverse audiences. Organised around a central courtyard, the layout brings together the creative hub, the events volume, the visitor exhibition galleries, and public amenities in a way that is both porous and purposeful.
The arrangement maximises points of overlap and visual connection, allowing informal exchange between different users while still maintaining a clear structure for those arriving with a single purpose. Transparent thresholds and shared public spaces ensure that the building functions as a flexible platform for our stories – open to many ways of engaging, making, and gathering.
