Belfast - Queens Quay - Maritime Mile

On my last day in Belfast, I spent some time exploring the city, and the more modern developments in public infrastructure. Queens Quay is a section on the River Lagan, in the western Titanic Quarter. It originally housed the southern section of the Belfast docks complex, but, as the industry grew it became a major transportation hub for both the capital and Northern Ireland. The Titanic Quarter is one of Europe’s largest urban waterfront regeneration projects, with over £618 million already invested, and attracting over 3.6 million visitors annually.

The first image below is of the Sound Yard. Created by architects Eunan Deeney, Matthew Kernan and Hannah Wilson. The five-metre-tall musical pavilion has a ten-metre-wide circular canopy with a central oculus, supported on 16 slim columns. Hanging from which, are two concentric sets of over 500 suspended musical rods. Walking, running or playing below the structure triggers motion sensors that cause the mechanisms in the canopy to turn slowly, striking the hollow tubes around them. Creating noised designed to emulate the sounds of the old historic shipyards that once occupied the area. The outer ring of reflective metal tubes were designed to act as a visual and acoustic barrier, encouraging visitors to investigate the structure. While the inner veil was made from weathered tubes, as well as the exposed turning mechanisms that are responsible for the auditory element of the design.

This next image interested me as the lamp posts seem to have been designed to emulate the iconic cranes that frame the visible landscape on the Quay.

With the lamposts becoming verticle as you move further on down the site, now reflective of ships' masts.

The original cart tracks are still visible in the paving, retaining the site's industrial heritage in the new public amenity landscape.

As I went in the off-season, I would like to see how the site is used in the busier summer months, and how the public interacts with the landscape elements.