A Titanic symbol of hope
TURNING a corner and catching your first glimpse of the Titanic Building in Belfast’s new Titanic Quarter, is quite an unforgettable moment; unforgettable, because architecturally, nothing of this kind has ever been seen in Ireland before. The fact that it is in Belfast, a city once synonymous with destroyed buildings, makes the impact all the more potent. It is a stunning work of architecture and design. The shimmering glass and aluminium building dominates the area — much as the prow of the ill-fated ship it commemorates must have dominated for the four years that it was being built on this very spot.
“It’s the most iconic building on the whole of the island of Ireland,” says Tim Husbands, chief executive of Titanic Belfast. “No doubt about that. The most comparable building would be the Guggenheim in Bilbao. We believe it will have the same catalytic effect. The Guggenheim transformed that city.”
