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AAI EXHIBITION - Awards 2015
Official opening: 18:00-20:00, Thursday 22nd October 23rd Oct -11th Dec / PLACE, 7-9 Lower Garfield Street, Belfast Ireland’s longest running awards programme, the AAI Awards are the only internationally peer-reviewed architecture awards in Ireland that publicly publish the critical discourse which takes place among the assessors adjudicating the awards. As a consequence the awards give the public an unprecedented insight into the critical conversations that shape the quality of our built environment and future heritage. Historically, these awards have been the first to recognise emerging talents that have gone on to become the established names of an increasingly sophisticated and internationally recognised culture of architecture in Ireland. Since 2000, a 5-person jury comprising of an architectural critic, a foreign architect, two Irish architects and a distinguished non-architect have judged the awards. The composition of the jury ensures a balance between an international perspective and an understanding of the particular context in which Irish architects work. This exhibition is kindly supported by Irish Design 2015 http://architecturalassociation.ie |
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Sketching
An introduction to sketching the environment around you led by architect and artist Michael Doherty 5-week course, beginning Monday 19th October (price includes entry to the Ulster Folk Museum) £65 The aim of the course is to develop drawing skills and improve observation techniques in a creative and fun environment. Armed with his architectural quips and his 2b pencils, Michael invites you to learn how to select views, enhance your ability to sketch and increase your confidence and capability to capture the world around you by exploring mark-making, depth of field, light and shadow. You will try a variety of basic sketching materials, making sure you are properly kitted out for your sketching trips and on the final day, we will visit the Ulster Folk Museum where you will have the opportunity to try out your new skills as well as some one on one time with Michael to iron out any personal (sketching!) issues. |
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Architectural Cycle Tour of Craigavon
Saturday 26 September, 2:30pm - 4:30pm FREE To celebrate the 50th aniversary of the founding of Northern Ireland's first New Town, PLACE led a guided tour of Craigavon's distinctive mordernist architecture. Travelling by bike, taking full advantage of the town's extensive cycle infrastructure, you will be led through the history of Craigavon. You'll hear about early controversies, through its boom, decline, and recent recovery, while visiting some of the region's finest examples of modernist architecture and town planning. Bicycles provided. This event is part of the celebrations surrounding the 50th Anniversary of Craigavon and is supported by the Brownlow Festival Committee and Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council. |
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Park(ing) PLACE
Culture Night Belfast 2015, Friday 18 September, 18:00-21:00 Waring Street, Belfast FREE A pocket park created by PLACE and inspired by international Park(ing) Day. For one night only PLACE transformed on-street parking spaces at Waring Street into a momentary new space to enjoy. This generated critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and how to improve the quality of our spaces.... at least until the meter runs out! |
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Made of Money: The Victorian Banks of Belfast
Sunday 13 September 2015, 10am - 11.30am Departs from PLACE, 7 - 9 Lower Garfield Street, Belfast, BT1 1FP Belfast in the Victorian era was a city of great prosperity, reflected in the plethora of banks built during this time. Many of these new banks took their inspiration from grand and opulent civic buildings: town halls, courts and custom houses. This architectural extravagance invested banks with prestige and instilled trust in customers whilst the imposing new headquarters transformed the skyline. Such was the quality of design the bank buildings, like the grand Merchant Hotel, many are now being sympathetically restored for new uses. This tour, led by conservation architect Eva McDermott, brings to life an era when bigger meant better, when opulence equated to trustworthiness, and when bankers were happy to show off that they controlled the purse strings. This walk is part of NIEA's European Heritage Open Days Weekend 2015. |
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Titanic: An Emerging Urban Quarter
Saturday 12 September 2015, 1pm - 2.30pm Departs from Premier Inn Hotel, Queen's Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, BT3 9DT The former shipbuilding land of Queen's Island is changing at a rapid pace. Once an innovative and productive industrial quarter of Belfast, Titanic Quarter has seen a return of creative ambitions. The story of the Titanic liner is known around the world, but do you know the story of Belfast's emerging urban quarter? This tour explores the architecture and urban design of one of Europe's largest waterfront regeneration projects. This walk is part of NIEA's European Heritage Open Days Weekend 2015. |
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Sailortown - Belfast’s Lost Quarter
Saturday 12 September 2015, 10am - 11.30am Departs from the Harbour Office, Corporation Square, Belfast, BT1 3AL Sailortown was once Belfast’s most vibrant quarter; a thriving district of local dockworkers and merchant-seamen from across the globe. Despite this, the motorway plans of the 1960s displaced the community. This walking tour, led by Architecture PhD student Andrew Molloy explores Sailortown’s identity - past, present and future. This walk is part of NIEA's European Heritage Open Days Weekend 2015. |
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PLACE Urban Design Academy
3 - 7 August 2015 A free week-long event to introduce young people aged 14-18 to built environment professions, including architecture, urban design, town planning, and landscape architecture. The Academy took place over five days in Derry~Londonderry, during which a team of experts facilitated discussion, investigation and design challenges to explore the host city. The Academy aimed to create a sense of excitement among its participants about the processes that shape their environments and to open up new pathways into creative careers for young people from all backgrounds. Activities during the week of the Academy included design masterclasses, model-making, site visits, sketching, and opportunities to develop urban solutions. The final day of the academy involved a review of the work carried out by the students and a presentation to participants’ families and friends of the achievements of the week. All activities were led by our facilitators with support from our team of volunteers. The Urban Design Academy 2015 was a project by PLACE in partnership with Queens University Belfast and Walled City Partnership, with support from Void.
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Open House Belfast
17 - 19 July 2015 PLACE co-ordinated the inaugural Open House Belfast - Architecture Festival. As part of Year of Irish Design 2015 we joined the Open House Worldwide family to open up some of our city's most interesting and exciting spaces to the public, free of charge! An exciting opportunity to discover the city from new perspectives and uncover the wealth of beauty and activity that we pass by daily. Open House Belfast was kindly supported by Irish Design 2015, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Department for Social Development, Arup, Perspective Magazine, Arts & Business and Open House Worldwide. 
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HOUSE Exhibition & Open House Belfast Launch Reception
17 July 2015 HOUSE is a tiny two story structure: a library, a cinema and a space to reflect. It is designed for small groups of people to meet, talk, read and learn. This piece was commissioned by PLACE, designed and made by Gerry Murphy and assembled with the help of Open House Belfast volunteers. The structure will remain in the gallery as a secondary public space. HOUSE was supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland Lottery and Irish Design 2015. Gerry Murphy has been making furniture for over 40 years. He works as a designer, carpenter, artist, documentary photographer and amateur mathematician! His approach to sustainable design solutions and eco-friendly construction made him an obvious choice for us in commissioning this piece. He has completer many collaborative projects and installations with various people and arts organisations over the years. |
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Urban Photo Walk
27 June 2015 All ages and experiences were invited to join PLACE on a walk through central Belfast. With some of Belfast’s best known heritage buildings as the backdrop, participants were guided and encouraged to create stunning architectural images. Part of the 2015 Belfast Photo Festival. |
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Urban Photo Walk
25 June 2015 All ages and experiences were invited to join PLACE on a walk through central Belfast. With some of Belfast’s best known heritage buildings as the backdrop, participants were guided and encouraged to create stunning architectural images. Part of the 2015 Belfast Photo Festival. |
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Open House Belfast Programme Launch
19 June 2015 To celebrate the launch of the Open House Belfast 2015 programme we hosted a lunchtime party on Lower Garfield Street along with our festival partners, Aether & Echo. Open House Belfast 2015 is kindly supported by: Irish Design 2015, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, ARUP, Department for Social Development, Perspective, Arts & Business, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Open House Worldwide, Belfast Festivals Forum. |
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Film Screening: Cycling Saturday
18 June 2015 A lunchtime Film introduced by NI Greenways and PLACE in partnership with the Fréd Festival for Belfast Bike week. Cycling Saturday documented a leisurely cycle through Belfast with a discussion led by Jonathan Hobbs, NI Greenways exploring Belfast's current infrastructure and the potential for the future. The cycle was documented by Paddy Cahill, the producer of the “Cycling with...” interview series. Cycling Saturday was part of PLACE’s City Saturdays programme, supported by Belfast City Council's Arts & Heritage Grant. |
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CACity Presents: Vacant/Occupied | An Urban Filmmaking Workshop in Belfast
8 June - 12 June 2015 A one‐week workshop that explored the relationship between architecture and cinema. Participants of the workshop produced a short film exploring the theme of Vacant/Occupied. Discussion around the relationship of film and urban architecture was facilitated throughout the week by guest tutors. The workshop was part of the CACity (Cinema and Architecture in the City) Research Group activities, founded in 2014 and funded by the Institute of Collaborative Research for the Humanities at Queen’s University Belfast. Queen’s Film Theatre were partners and film specialist Dr Gul Kacmaz Erk developed the workshop in collaboration with filmmaker Paddy Cahill. |
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Workshop: Belfast in my Mind
13 May 2015 Belfast in my Mind was a workshop led by Dr Segah Sak (Visiting Post-Doctoral Researcher, Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick) as a part of her current research project entitled “Influence of Digital Media on the Formation of City Image”. During the workshop, participants reflected on and represented their Belfast. During the workshop participants created digital visuals to represent the city. |
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Portavogie: Vacant to Vibrant
9 May 2015 The Portavogie Village Plan identifies a number of projects to improve the village. The plan identifies opportunities to reuse vacant buildings and improve derelict sites. To develop these opportunities further, PLACE was appointed by Ards and North Down Borough Council to identify opportunities for reuse of vacant properties and sites, in line with the needs identified in the Village Plan. On Saturday 9th May, 12noon - 2pm we popped up alongside Portavogie Harbour to discuss these opportunities with residents, visitors and local groups. There was also freshly prepared seafood from The Quays Restaurant and free kids activities from Young at Art. |
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The Open Source 2015
8 -10 May 2015 The Open Source is a performance space, music venue and workshop hub bringing life back into an underused space in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter during the annual Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. The Open Source 2015, in association with Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, brought together contributions that explored alternative economics, waste reduction, community resilience, and building social capital. The Open Source 2015 took place at 'The Big Table' on Lower Garfield Street. To find out more about The Open Source, visit opensourceni.com. |
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Exhibition Launch: The Unbearable Lightness of Beeing
8 April 2015 PLACE led a design competition, The Unbearable Lightness of Beeing, in search for a 3D printable, biodegradable beehive. This was an exhibition of the top entries and an opportunity for people to see our 3D printer in action. The Unbearable Lightness of Beeing project was supported by the NIEA Challenge Fund. |
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City Saturdays: How to Design a Building, Children's Workshop
28 March 2015 Jenny Russell, writer and illustrator of How to Design a Building led a kids drawing workshop that explored the big questions an architect has to think of when designing a building; Why? Who? What? Where? When? How? Participants (aged 7 - 11) were encouraged to think about and design their own building. This workshop was part of PLACE’s City Saturdays programme, supported by Belfast City Council Arts & Heritage Small Grants. |
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City Saturdays: Urban Filmmaking Workshop
21 March 2015 This workshop offered guidance and opportunity to capture and explore local built heritage through film-making. Participants were provided with basic training in film making and gain unique insights into many of Belfast's most well-known heritage buildings. This workshop was part of PLACE’s City Saturdays programme, supported by Belfast City Council Arts & Heritage Small Grants. |
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Templetopia
18 & 19 March 2015 Templetopia was a series of creative workshops designed to engage 16-24 year olds with Temple, a major art project that took place in Derry~Londonderry during March 2015. The free workshops explored the context of Temple using filmmaking, photography and sound recording. Templetopia explored the interface areas of Top of the Hill and Irish Street surrounding Temple, and gave participants the chance to share ideas and discuss the future of the area. A short film documenting the two workshops was produced illustrating life for these young people, their experience of Temple, the conversations they have and the questions they provoke. These workshops were a part of activity surrounding Artichoke's Temple and were supported by NIEA’s Challenge Fund. |
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Shaping a better London, and ideas for Northern Ireland
18 March 2015 PLACE and QUB ArcSoc presented a lecture by Mark Brearley. Mark is an architect, the Head of Cass Cities and an Associate Professor at London Metropolitan University. Mark talked about his experience pushing forward a spatial approach to planning and regeneration in London, through the Design for London team which he led, and by working with the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority who he advised for over 10 years. There was a showing of what can be achieved through a a range of strategies and initiatives, charming some money as well as making do, being persuasive with good ideas, constructively challenging, looking with care, focusing on high streets and sorting out public realm projects. The talk was timed to coincide with the establishment of 11 new councils in NI and the formation of new planning and regeneration teams. |
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City Saturdays: Cycling Saturday
14 March 2015 A leisurely cycle through Belfast with a discussion led by Jonathan Hobbs, NI Greenways. The cycle was documented by Paddy Cahill, the producer of the “Cycling with...” interview series. This cycle was part of PLACE’s City Saturdays programme, supported by Belfast City Council Arts & Heritage Small Grants. |
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Urban Photo Walk
7, 8, 14 & 15 March 2015 All ages and experiences were invited to join PLACE on a walk through central Belfast. With some of Belfast’s best known heritage buildings as the backdrop, participants were guided and encouraged to create stunning architectural images. These walks were part of the Family Friendly Belfast 2015 series of events. Family Friendly Belfast 2015 is run by Belfast Strategic Partnership and Belfast City Centre Management with support from the Public Health Agency. More info: www.makinglifebettertogether.com. |
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Urban Explorers
7, 8, 14 & 15 March 2015 The whole family were invited to walk through Belfast city centre, become urban explorers, 'look up' and uncover Belfast's wealth of architectural gems. A limited edition map (designed by Eve Russell) with fun architectural commentary was published for this series of walks. These walks were part of the Family Friendly Belfast 2015 series of events. Family Friendly Belfast 2015 is run by Belfast Strategic Partnership and Belfast City Centre Management with support from the Public Health Agency. More info: www.makinglifebettertogether.com. |
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City Saturdays: Urban Sound Workshop
28 February 2015 A workshop with researchers from the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) at Queen's University. Participants explored sound as a key part of the city's atmosphere and learned how sound artists work in the city and get hands on experience in field recording, sound mapping, urban sound art and sound design. The workshop was led by Conor McCafferty and Matilde Meireles. Conor is a creative practitioner working in sound art, film and architecture. He co-produced the film Drawing on Life, which uses the world of drawing to explore Irish architecture. Matilde is a sound artist whose work explores the conceptual and creative crossover between visual arts and sound encompassing areas such as site-specificity, soundscape and design. This workshop was part of PLACE’s City Saturdays programme, supported by Belfast City Council Arts & Heritage Small Grants. |
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City Saturdays: 3D Printing Workshop
21 February 2015 Alongside a design competition - The Unbearable Lightness of Beeing - in search of a 3D printable, biodegradable beehive we hosted a 3D printing workshop with our brand new 3D printer. Rose Kane (Doodlebread) facilitated this workshop on the basics of 3D printing and explained the basics of how to design, programme and print. This workshop was part of PLACE’s City Saturdays programme, supported by Belfast City Council Arts & Heritage Small Grants. |
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City Saturdays: Urban Photo Walk
14 February 2015 All ages and experiences were invited to join Aidan McGrath, a partner in McGonigle McGrath Architects, whilst walking through central Belfast. With some of Belfast’s best known heritage buildings as the backdrop, participants were guided through the various techniques required to create stunning architectural images. Participants were invited to bring camera phones, disposable cameras or digital cameras. This walk was part of PLACE’s City Saturdays programme, supported by Belfast City Council Arts & Heritage Small Grants. |
