Belfast Stories – Operational assurance review

Belfast Stories is a flagship city centre development intended to establish a new anchor destination for Belfast and support the next phase of growth in the city’s visitor and creative economy. Supported by investment from the Belfast Region City Deal and Belfast City Council, the project brings together a high-quality public space, a visitor attraction and a creative hub within a single, integrated destination, designed to increase footfall, extend dwell time and support economic, social and cultural regeneration across the Belfast City Region. The main visitor exhibition will be made up of four interconnected galleries communicating the spirit of the city. There will be three screen auditoria and there are plans for an indoor studio to showcase locally produced work and international content, reflecting the importance of the screen industries to Belfast’s success – past, present and future.
There will be a creative hub with a range of spaces to support an ever-developing programme of activities through which we will gather and share stories – the ‘story engine’. It will be a place to meet, learn and collaborate and will provide opportunities for participants from Belfast and beyond to get involved. There will be two cafés / food and drink outlets and a small retail offering celebrating and showcasing local produce. The main public spaces will be a central covered courtyard at ground level and a rooftop garden. Indoor public spaces will also be included at every level in the building. The project funding has been secured, and plans are to open in 2030. For more information go to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfaststories
Belfast City Council is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement in advance of a potential future procurement for specialist consultancy support to undertake an operational readiness review.
The anticipated commission is intended to use the current RIBA stage 3 design as the principal reference point against which the assumptions underpinning the...