Thompson Dock, Belfast

Titanic and its propellers in Thomspon Dock 1911, part of Harland & Wolff shipyard Belfast
(c) Harland & Wolff Collection – Titanic Belfast

Following a competition, Tourism Northern Ireland (TNI) commissioned a team led by ritchie*studio to prepare a vision and development concepts for a 5 hectare area of the Titanic Quarter, Belfast.

The Titanic Quarter is one of the world’s largest urban-waterfront regeneration schemes, attracting over 1 million visitors a year. The area examined included the Scheduled Monuments of Thompson Dock and Alexandra Dock and their surrounding and connecting landscape, and the Pumphouse.

The brief sought an ambitious and imaginative approach to the area’s potential uses and development. A Steering Group, comprising TNI and other key stakeholders, oversaw the project.

Working with the client, heritage architects Purcell Architects, Fourth Street, HKD, Equals and Atelier One, ritchie*studio developed and delivered a comprehensive report and Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for the area’s phased transformation over several years. A heritage-led approach is at the core of the recommendations, alongside reviews of future roles and uses for the Thompson and Alexandra Docks.