7. Finding the ideal location
Belfast Stories will be located on the site at the corner of North Street and Royal Avenue, including the former Bank of Ireland listed building.
Following a public call for potential sites within an identified city centre zone in January 2020, the preferred location and site were identified. The suitable site needed to be 1.3 to 1.5 acres in size, located within the city centre in a prominent position with ‘on-street’ visibility, with good vehicular and pedestrian access and public transport links.
The selected site has good access to surrounding communities and supports the city’s approach to creating a more attractive, accessible, safe and vibrant city centre that meets the needs of established and new communities and visitors alike.
This area is changing fast with the opening of the Ulster University Campus in 2022 and further development proposed. It is important that Belfast Stories is responsive to these changes whilst respecting the heritage of the area and the local communities.
A sense of place
Rich in heritage, the significance of this area stretches well beyond recent times, playing an important role in urban development from early settlement to the city we know today. However, throughout this continuous change, Belfast’s landscape has remained constant.
It is therefore this relationship between geography and history that is at the heart of how Belfast Stories can support a sense of place for the people of Belfast.
Belfast Stories will also act as a springboard to the wider city – its rooftop views and story-based experience will stimulate curiosity and inspire further exploration of the city and beyond.
Heritage building
Opened in 1930, the unique Art Deco bank building on the corner of site was designed by Joseph Vincent Downes and occupies an important place in the city’s built heritage. One hundred years later, we aim to restore this building and deliver new architecture equally worthy of future generations’ respect.
