Titanic Belfast, the centrepiece of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, was completed in March 2012 at a project value of £85 million. Located at the head of the slipway where RMS Titanic was built, the visitor attraction was designed to mark the centenary of Titanic’s maiden voyage. Titanic Quarter Ltd was the client, while Todd Architects acted as architect and lead consultant, working from an initial concept by Civic Arts.
The building provides approximately 16,500 m² of primary accommodation, including nine galleries dedicated to the Titanic story, a temporary exhibition gallery, gift shop, restaurant, café, bars and banqueting suites capable of accommodating up to 1,000 diners. A further 16,000 m² of ancillary accommodation, including a multi-storey basement car park, forms part of the development. The project was procured under an NEC Contract.
Its distinctive facade comprises more than 3,000 panels, approximately 2,000 of which are unique. Developed from initial cardboard models, the complex geometry reflects the hulls of Titanic and its sister ships, while the overall star-like plan references the White Star Line emblem.
The 6,200 m² facade is clad in 3 mm-thick Novelis J57S® batch-anodized aluminum in a natural anodized finish. The panels were installed by EDM Spanwall, with the aluminum selected for its consistent metallic appearance, colour and gloss, as well as resistance to UV exposure, corrosion and weathering. 
Completed for the 2012 centenary, Titanic Belfast has received numerous awards, including the 2013 RICS Award for Design & Innovation and the 2014 RSUA Design Award – Arts Council of Northern Ireland Integrated Artworks Award. It was also a finalist for the 2012 British Construction Industry Award for Major Building Project of the Year (over £50 million) and was voted the world’s best tourism attraction in 2016.
Source: Toddarch with additional information added by Glass Balkan
