Drive over the Lagan Bridge or along the historic Queen’s Road in the heart of the former shipyard and you will see a stunning piece of architecture coming to life. The new Titanic visitor attraction is creating excitement amongst the tourist trade and the public. Its creators describe Titanic Belfast® as a “must see” visit in any tour of Belfast and Northern Ireland. Already, tour operators are programming it in to their 2012 schedules.
In November 2011 National Geographic identified Titanic Belfast as the main attraction for visitors to look forward to in 2012, after naming Belfast among the world’s top 20 travel destinations for the year, describing it as ‘a capital city of Titanic ambition that is redefining itself in the eyes of the world.’
It is no accident that the time it will take to construct is a mirror of RMS Titanic’s build. Nor is it coincidental that the shape of architect, Eric Kuhne’s ultra-modern building resembles the hulls of four ships. The height and position of the building are also a nod to slipway number 2 where Titanic was constructed and the towering presence it exerted over Queen’s Island.
Belfast has been slow to tell Titanic’s story from its point of view. It has taken nearly one hundred years for the fate of the “practically unsinkable” ship to be reconciled in the minds of the city which built her. She was sent out with such pride and yet less than two weeks after leaving her home, she was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. While other cities around the world, some with strong Titanic connections and some with no connection at all, have built attractions, Belfast has lagged behind, almost uncertain of what to do with the story. In 2011 and 2012, the city is at a stage where it can celebrate the achievement of engineering which Titanic represents as well as telling some of the unknown stories of the men who built her and sailed on her.
Housed in an iconic, 6-floor building, this state-of-the-art visitor experience tells the story of the Titanic. The visitor begins in turn of the century Belfast, to learn why this city which was once the third largest in the Empire, was so industrialised. From there, the story of Titanic’s conception is told followed by its early construction, launch, fit out and tragic maiden voyage. The story is brought up to the present with the discovery of the wreck and into the future with live links to contemporary undersea exploration. Across ten galleries, with an equal number of interactive exhibits, Titanic Belfast will convey the sights, sounds, smells and stories of the shipyard and its most famous creation.
The adventure begins the moment you walk through the door and into the building’s giant atrium surrounded by the four high impact ‘hull’ shaped sections which house the experience. As you wander up through Titanic Belfast, you will experience a thrilling ride through the re-construction of the shipyards and the Titanic under construction. The stories of passengers, crew and the heroes of the day will be told in an exciting and modern way. At the conclusion, you can visit the wreck at her resting place on the floor of the North Atlantic. The building is designed so that visitors can enjoy breath-taking views to the slip-ways where the Titanic was launched and relax in one of the catering outlets. And if you’d like a souvenir to remind you of your trip to the home of the Titanic, there’s plenty to choose from in the Titanic Store.
For corporate visitors, the spectacular banqueting suite on the fifth and sixth floors will provide elegant surroundings in a spectacular design based on the Titanic’s interiors. The banqueting rooms, the largest of which will have a capacity for 750 diners, will offer a unique and luxurious setting with first class facilities for any function at the very top of the house.
