A Heritage From Stone: Building for Bureaucrats

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A Heritage From Stone: Building for Bureaucrats

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Details

Location

Belfast City Hall, Belfast City Hospital, Collegiate Grammar School Enniskillen, Craigavon General Hospital, Stormont, Stormont Estate, Ulster University Jordanstown

Year

1985

Date

Length

26min 14sec

Audio

sound

Format

Betacam SP

colour

Source

Digitised as part of the UTV Archive Partnership Project (ITV, Northern Ireland Screen and PRONI)

Courtesy

Department for Communities, ITV, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, UTV Archive

Rights Holder

ITV

It is illegal to download, copy, print or otherwise utilise in any other form this material, without written consent from the copyright holder.

Description

This architectural journey starts with the Northern Ireland’s best-known building – Belfast City Hall. It was completed in 1906 and took place of former White Linen Hall, which despite being only 30 years old gave way to new bigger and arguably better building. Its great central location meant that all the important aspects of Belfast life revolved right around the City hall, be it all the important warehouses of booming linen industry, West Belfast factories as well as Lagan, docks and shipyards to the east.

Designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque revival style, Belfast City Hall dominates Belfast and its skyline. Its towers, dome and other features are reminiscent of the St Paul’s cathedral in London. This excellent civic building with richly decorated interior stands in a stark contrast with severe looking Stormont which is quite devoid of decoration and leans more towards French and Russian style of classical architecture. Brian Boyd studies these two significant civic buildings and their differing styles before moving on to other types of civic buildings such as hospitals, schools as well as houses built under NI Housing Executive (former NI Housing Trust). Some of the locations Brian Boyd visits in this episode include Stormont, Craigavon General Hospital, Collegiate Grammar School in Enniskillen and the University of Ulster in Jordanstown. 

Notes

Ulster Television would like to thank

The Town Clerk, Belfast
The Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Housing Executive
University of Ulster
The Ulster Museum
H&J Martin Ltd.

Credits

Written by Brian Boyd
Produced and Directed by Ruth Johnston
Music Composed by John Anderson
Advisor: Alistair Rowan University College, Dublin
Stills: Kenneth McNally
Graphic Design: Brian Owens
Production Assistant: Sara Bell
Lighting: Maurice Blair
Camera: Sam Christie
Location Sound: Rai Woods
Sound Mixer: Colin Somerville
Picture Editor: Brian O’Rourke

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