Expo West Belfast - shortlist announced

Northern Ireland Department for Social Development Belfast Regeneration Office working in partnership with West Belfast Partnership Board (WBPB), PLACE the Architecture & Built Environment Centre and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) are pleased to confirm that the following teams have been invited to make design submissions in the second stage of this competition.  In alphabetical order they are:-

Grafton Architects with Adam Kara Taylor

Hawkins Brown Architects with North Seven

Kennedy Fitzgerald Architects with Carmody Groarke

Neils Torp with WDR & RT Taggart

URS Scott Wilson with Hackett Hall McKnight

The Andersonstown Police Station (now demolished) was a looming presence in the area for many years, and its commanding location at the junction of the Falls and Glen Roads in west Belfast provides a first class opportunity to construct a landmark building.  The previous concrete watchtowers and walls were dominant features of west Belfast. The Expo Centre will be a venue to showcase the wider regeneration and transformation of west Belfast and a building that will set a new standard in west Belfast in terms of innovation and design. 

Daniel Libeskind, Chair of the Assessment Panel commented ‘I was very impressed with the overall high quality of the submissions. The jury worked in an extraordinary, congenial, and informed manner. We are sure a great scheme will emerge!’

Alex Attwood MLA, the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development said “I see the EXPO West building as a statement of my own and my department’s determination to regenerate an area that witnessed the terrible trauma of terror and conflict.  It will be a building to showcase the wider regeneration of west Belfast and I am delighted with the response to the competition and very keen to see how the ideas of the 5 successful design teams develop.

I am looking for an iconic building, one that defines the future of West Belfast and captures the character of the Andersonstown community.”

Each of the 5 shortlisted teams will be invited to produce design proposals for the new £12m project and will each be paid an honorarium of £6000 plus VAT.  Daniel Libeskind will also chair the judging panel for the design phase of the competition which will be assessed on the 1^st August 2011.

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