Titanic Belfast visitor attraction and a monument to Belfast’s maritime heritage at the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard in the city’s Titanic Quarter where RMS Titanic was built. It tells the stories of the ill-fated Titanic, which hit an iceberg and sank during its maiden voyage in 1912, and her sister ship RMS Olympic and HMHSBritannic. The building contains more than 12,000 square meters (130,000 sq ft) of floor space, most of which is occupied by a number of galleries, plus private meeting rooms and common facilities.

History

The building is located on Queen’s Island, an area of land at the entrance to Belfast Lough extracted from the water in the middle of the 19th century. It was used for many years by shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, which built large grinders and graving docks to accommodate the concurrent construction of Olympic and Titanic. The decline in shipbuilding in Belfast left much of the area deserted. Most of the discarded structures on the island demolished. A number of cultural heritage was given listed status, including Olympic and Titanic slipways and graving docks, as well as the iconic Samson and Goliath cranes. [1]

The devastated areas was renamed the “Titanic Quarter” in 2001 and earmarked for regeneration. [2] building rights of 185 acres then bought by Harcourt Developments at a cost of £ 46 million, [3] with a further 23 acres reserved for a science park. The renovation plans include housing, hotels and leisure facilities, plus a maritime heritage museum and science center. [4] In 2005, plans were announced to build a museum dedicated to the Titanic to attract tourists to the area, in order to complete it by 2012 to mark the centenary of the Titanic’s maiden voyage. [5]

A number of ideas were raised for the attraction. Among the ideas considered was to reconstruct the massive steel portal where the Titanic and Olympic were constructed, [5] or build a lighted wireframe outline of the Titanic in the dock where she was fitted. [6] In June 2008, details of a project – known then as “Titanic Signature Project” -. announced [7] Northern Ireland’s Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster, announced that the Northern Ireland Executive would give 50 per cent of the attractions financing by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, with the remaining 50 percent comes from the private sector, in the form of Titanic Quarter Ltd, a sister company of Harcourt The development and Belfast Harbour Commissioners. Additional funding promised by Belfast City Council. The task to create attraction visitors were on the Titanic Foundation, a charity that aims to “educate people on Belfast social, historical, industrial and maritime heritage through the history of the Titanic.” [8]

The building, now called the Titanic Belfast, expected to attract 425,000 visitors annually, of which between 130000-165000 would come from outside Northern Ireland. It is meant to serve a similar transformative function of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry, as a focus for the regeneration of the city. [8] It is part of the Titanic-related relics in the Titanic Quarter, including the abandoned headquarters and take office Harland & Wolff, the SS Nomadic – the last surviving White Star Line ships – and Hamilton Dock, Titanic’s Dock and Pump House and Titanic and Olympic. grinds [9]

The first figures are visitors greatly exceeded forecasts with 807.340 visitors pass through its doors, of which 471 702 were from outside Northern Ireland, according to the Titanic Belfast.Attraktionskraften also sold 1,376 bottles of champagne and hosted over 350 conferences. [10] [11]

Design and construction

Eric Kuhne and Associates was commissioned by concept architects, with Todd Architects appointed to senior consultants. The building’s design is intended to reflect Belfast’s history of ship making and industrial heritage bequeathed by Harland & Wolff. Its angular shape is reminiscent of the shape of the vessels PROWS, with its essential “bow” angled down the middle avTitanic and Olympic grinds against the flame. [8] Alternatively, it has been suggested that the building looks like an iceberg, and the locals have already nicknamed “The Iceberg”. [12] Most of the building’s facade is clad in 3,000 individual silver anodized aluminum shards. [9] it is (38 m) in the same height as 126 feet high, the Titanic’s hull. [12]

The interior of the eight-storey building offers 12,000 square meters (130,000 sq ft) of space. [8] Its centerpiece is a series of interpretive galleries explore aspects of the building, design, flags and older of the Titanic. On the top floor of the museum is Belfast’s largest conference and reception space, the Titanic Suite, a banquet facility capable of seating 750 people. A reproduction of the original staircase of the Titanic, made famous by the James Cameron film Titanic in 1997, is located in the conference center. [13] The building also offers education, community, retail and restaurant as well as a community resource center. [14]

Construction of the building cost £ 77 million with a further £ 24 million is spent on pre-planning and public realm förbättringar.Grunden to the building involved one of the largest ever concrete pour of 4,200 cubic meters (150,000 cu ft) of concrete that comes with 700 concrete trucks in 24 hours. Harcourt Construction (NI) Ltd oversaw the design and construction phase of the project. [9], a subsidiary of Dublin-based property company Harcourt Developments Ltd. [14]

In front of the building is Titanica, a sculpture by Rowan Gillespie shows a diving female figure. Of bronze, it is mounted on a brass base, and recalls the design of figureheads on ships PROWS, and is meant to represent hope and positivity. The figure was unveiled by representatives föranglikanska, Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, March 27, 2012, a few days before the opening of Titanic Belfast. [15]

Exhibition

Titanic Belfast exhibition was designed by the London-based exhibition designers Events Communications and consists of nine interpretive and interactive galleries, covering the following themes:

  • Boomtown Belfast – the city in the early 20th century

The first gallery back scenes from Belfast at the time of the Titanic ‘s construction in 1909-1911. It shows the city’s major industries before leading through an initial set of ports from Harland and Wolff shipyard into an interactive floors featuring Titanic’s construction plans, along with original drawings and scale models of the ship. [16]

  • Shipyard – a ride aboard a mini-car up and around a replica of the Titanic’s rudder

The second gallery is dominated by a steel scaffolding which stands 20 meters (66 feet), which alludes to the Arrol Gantry built to facilitate the construction of Titanic and Olympic. An elevator takes visitors to the top of the portal, where scenes of shipbuilding shown through sound and pictures. The visit continues on a six-seater car that takes visitors on a journey through a re-creation of a shipyard that moves through a scale copy of the Titanic’s enormous rudder. [16]

  • The launch – the Titanic was launched May 31, 1911

Launch Gallery depicting scenes from the spring day when Titanic was launched in Belfast Lough, watched by 100,000 people. It overlooks slip that the Titanic was launched and a window, visitors can see the slipways and jetties as they appear now. [16]

  • Fit-Out – interior of the Titanic from its launch until April 1912

The fourth gallery presents a large-scale model of the Titanic to illustrate how the ship appeared to their passengers and crew, depicting all three classes of cabins. A central feature of the gallery presents a 360-degree computer-generated tour of the Titanic through all levels of the ship, from the engine room to the dining salons and bridge. [16]

  • maiden voyage – journey from Belfast to Southampton, and from there to Cherbourg, Queenstown (Cobh) and west

Disastrous maiden vessel shown in the fifth gallery, depicting ship boat deck. Visitors can walk across the wooden deck, sit on the benches or watching a view of the harbor and the harbor. The gallery also shows pictures of the ship vidJesuit photographer Father Francis Browne, who was on board the Titanic for the leg from Southampton to Queenstown (now Cobh) in Southern Ireland. [16]

  • Sinking – disaster on 14-15 April 1912

The sixth gallery depicting the sinking of the Titanic with background audio Morse code SOS messages sent to other vessels. Pictures of sinking combined with sound survivors tell their stories and illustrations of the confused press reports of the disaster. The iceberg is developed by a wall of 400 life jackets replica, on which a picture of the sinking ship calculated. [16]

  • The aftermath – the legacy of the disaster

The aftermath of the sinking documented in the seventh gallery, dominated by a full-size copy of one of the lifeboats used to evacuate passengers from the ship. The US and British investigations catastrophe depicted on each side of the lifeboat through videos and information panels. Visitors can use interactive screens to search passenger and crew lists to find out if one of their relatives were on board the ship. The gallery also presents information on the subsequent history of Harland and Wolff and Titanic’s sister ship. [16]

  • Myths and legends – the facts behind some of the stories of the Titanic

The disaster gave rise to many legends and myths, perpetuated by movies, plays, books and poems. With Celine Dion’s song My Heart Will Go On playing in the background, visitors have the opportunity to explore aspects avpopulärkultur inspired by the Titanic. Interactive screens also make it possible for the visitor to explore the myths about the ship. [16]

  • During the Titanic – the wreck of the Titanic and its rediscovery

The last gallery presents the Titanic as she is now, (3700 m) 12,000 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic. Presented in conjunction with the discoverer of the wreck of the Titanic, Dr. Robert Ballard, the gallery shows his expeditions to the ship through images, sounds and images. A fish-eye view of the wreck is set under the glass floor. Under the floor is the Ocean Exploration Centre, Titanic Belfast’s main teaching tool, showing marine biology and exploration in Northern Ireland’s coastal waters, and Ballard’s various expeditions around the world. [16]

footnotes

  1. Jump up ^ DOENI case study.
  2. Jump up ^ Macalister February 6, 2001.
  3. Jump up ^ The Guardian February 8, 2001.
  4. Jump up ^ Cowan & Gow 13 April 2002.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a Barendt 5 May 2005.
  6. Jump up ^ Peterkin 19 October 2005.
  7. Jump up ^ McHugh 19 June 2008.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c dMcConnell October to November of 2010.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b cBelfast Telegraph, 15 April 2011.
  10. Jump up ^ “Foster welcome boost for the cruise industry.” Belfast Telegraph .13 Jun, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  11. Jump up ^ Smyth, Jamie (16 June 2013). “Northern Ireland focus: Titanic’s success raises hopes for tourism”. The Financial Times. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a bEdiss 15 April 2012.
  13. Jump up ^ Grand staircase RMS Titanic
  14. ^ Jump up to: a bMcGonagle 19 April 2011.
  15. Jump up ^ Richardson, 27 March 2012.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h iDougan 2 April 2012.

References

  • Arendt, Paul (May 2005 5). “Titanic to come ‘home’ to Belfast.” The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  • Dougan, Patrice (2 April 2012). “Inside Titanic Belfast – a guided tour” .Belfast Telegraph. Are downloaded April 2012.
  • Cowan, Rose; Gow, David (13 April 2002). “Titanic connection proves Belfast lifeline”. The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  • Ediss, Tina (15 April 2012). “Belfast is based on the legacy of the Titanic.” Sunday Express.
  • Macalister, Terry (6 February 2001). “Belfast yard on three days a week for £ 26m loss”. The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  • McConnell, Turlough (October-November 2010). “Architecture for a New Age” .Irish America.
  • McGonagle, Suzanne (19 April 2011). “Structure designed to capture the spirit of the Titanic in progress – 97 place £ hosted 400,000 visitors per year.” The Irish News.
  • McHugh, Michael (19 June 2008). “Titanic Quarter can get ship shape £ 64m revamp”. Press Association.
  • Peterkin, Tom (19 October 2005). “Relaunch of Titanic shipyard”. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  • Richardson, David (27 March 2012). “The statue was unveiled at Titanic Belfast” .InsideIreland.ie. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  • “With just one year left to the Titanic disaster’s centenary, is Belfast’s major project on course?”. Belfast Telegraph. April 15, 2011.
  • “Titanic fresh start”. The Guardian. 8 February 2001. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  • “Case study 3: Titanic Quarter” (PDF). Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Hämtad19 March 2012.