Donegall Quay, Belfast

Donegall Quay, dominated by the Custom House, is an urban waterfront space that epitomises the cultural identity of Belfast as a city of trade. The fabric of this part of Belfast has undergone very significant changes in the recent past. A once tight knit composition of streets, quaysides, squares and dignified buildings had degenerated to the extent that the existence of a continuous and viable public realm connecting the city centre with the river had been lost. The regeneration of Donegall and Queens Quays represented the vision for a place of civic grandeur, spectacle and interchange with its architectural roots in a celebration of the culture of the city. The language of the elements which make up the composition is elegant, robust, unambiguous and legible. The Fish, by John Kindness, gives a compelling kaleidoscopic account of the history of Belfast and celebrates the return of the salmon to the River Lagan.

Kyle Alexander OBE (formerly Chief Executive, Laganside Corporation)

Client

Laganside Corporation

Date

1997 to 1999

Team

Kirk McClure Morton, engineer / Simon Fenton Partnership, quantity surveyor / KMM Waring, M&E