The Titanic Signature Project
The cultural lynch pin of the new Titanic Quarter, the Titanic Signature Project will transform Queen's Island into a dynamic leisure destination of international significance. Historic precedents have driven the design process, the final form reflecting the industrial legacy of Harland & Wolf and the wider impact of shipbuilding and the sea on Belfast's development. The prow of the building's glass-walled atrium plots a course down the centre of the listed Titanic and Olympic slipways towards the lapping waters of the River Lagan. The project's close proximity to the very site where these two famous leviathans were forged lends it unparalleled levels of authenticity and immediacy that will help make its contents the definitive telling of those liners' stories.

The building's form conjures up a mass of maritime metaphors; its four projecting segments are instantly evocative of ships prows ploughing their way through the North Atlantic swell. Almost the entire façade will be clad in faceted, three-dimensional zinc plates in a pattern redolent of the construction methods used on the great ocean liners. The reflection pools that spread out from its base further enhance the allusions to naval architecture, multiplying the reflections and nocturnal illuminations. The lower portions of the four wedges tell the evolution of shipbuilding technology by being first clad with lapped timber planking, riveted iron, welded steel, and finally, aluminium.

A powerful engine of regeneration, the project combines valuable amenities and rich experiences to fulfil the needs and expectations of guests and residents alike. The careful balance of cultural and commercial functions has produced a financially sustainable centre capable of raising income directly through tourism and corporate hospitality. With its cantilevered floor plates expanding outwards from a modest footprint, the project delivers these multiple attractions without encroaching upon the historic remnants of the shipyards that are being preserved wherever possible. Most tangible of these are the Slipway Gardens where the outlines of the Olympic and Titanic will be traced into the paving to allow visitors to walk the length of their decks once more.

Internally, the project provides over 12,000 sqm of floor space and over 5 floors whose combined height is equivalent to a 10-storey building. These generous ceiling heights allow for suitably large-scale exhibits, the lower levels being controlled environments, which create atmospheric installations evocative of heavy industry or the depths of a ship's hull. Directly under the sweeping roof lies a prestigious banqueting hall with panoramic views out over the landscaped plaza that has received a similar attention to detail. Strips of under-lit glass radiate from a compass rose laid into the atrium floor, creating a dramatic 'carpet of light' rolled out across the square. Referencing the rhumb lines of antique nautical charts, these lines allow pedestrians to navigate to other local landmarks, forging connections between the museum's displays and the actual topography of the site.

Infused with an inherent sense of place, the Titanic Signature Project will present a constant reminder of Belfasts progressive engineering prowess. Planned for completion by 2012 to coincide with the centenary of Titanic's maiden voyage, its graphic silhouette will come to symbolise Belfast's metamorphosis from 19th century engineering powerhouse to 21st century metropolis.