Beyond Blueprints - Belfast

OVERVIEW

Explore two contemporary landmarks that have transformed Belfast with an architectural historian that will describe how the massive projects reflect the city’s history. Victoria Square is the largest shopping center in Northern Ireland and its construction exposed much about the city’s past. Your guide will explain how Belfast’s original docks and several prehistoric settlements were unearthed as the foundation for Victoria Square was dug. These underground discoveries reveal how Belfast developed over the centuries. Belfast’s maritime heritage will come to light in Titanic Belfast, an attraction built on the exact site where the ill-fated Titanic was designed, built and launched. While browsing the exhibits, you will also gain an appreciation for the building that houses them. The aluminum-clad structure looks like four ship hulls connected to an atrium lined with metal panels much like those that covered the Titanic. The guide will point out other similarities between the ship and the building, all of them fascinating.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Behold two ultramodern buildings with an architectural historian that will offer an insider’s view.
• Discover what was unearthed during the construction of Belfast’s largest shopping center.
• Be awed by the maritime-influenced design of Titanic Belfast and browse the exhibits inside.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.