Context 156 - September 2018

C O N T E X T 1 5 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 23 IHBC ANNUAL SCHOOL The former banking hall on Waring Street which is now the Merchant’s Hotel (Photo: Jonathan Taylor) Belfast’s Bittles Bar ‘flat-iron’ building reflects the same pressures faced by modern urban developments using every bit of plot available. (Photo: Seán O’Reilly) Marcus Patton discussing the architectural influences of central Belfast (Photo: Seán O’Reilly) Hearth, which has worked hard over the last 50 years to successfully save many buildings in the city and persuade Belfast’s citizens of the value of their built heritage. Despite past conflicts and regeneration poli- cies, one of the most striking aspects of the tour was the wealth of historic buildings that remain in the city centre. Many of these have strong associations with the shipbuilding and linen manufacturing industries, and include ware- houses, banks, assembly halls, churches and department stores. Many of these buildings were designed by architects of international repute and were adorned with elaborate detail- ing, commonly incorporating imported building materials, such as red sandstone and ironwork from Glasgow. Many of these 19th-century buildings have found new uses, such as the former banking hall on Waring Street, which is now the Merchant’s Hotel. Other buildings still await new uses, and the group had a very enjoyable visit to the former Riddel’s Ironmongery Warehouse, which has remained largely vacant since it was bombed in the 1970s and now boasts a stunning, galleried interior. The warehouse is now in the hands of the Hearth Building Preservation Trust, which hopes to secure it a bright future as a perfor- mance and arts space. At the end of the tour, we were left with an impression that Belfast is looking towards a positive future in which it can celebrate its shared past. Claire Brady