City Hall

City Hall Review

After an ?11 million, two-year restoration that saw the marbles freshly cleaned, the massive dome repainted, and the chandeliers polished, the exuberant Renaissance Revival-style City Hall has attracted sightseers in large numbers since reopening its doors in 2009. Built of Portland stone between 1898 and 1906 and modeled on St. Paul's Cathedral in London, the edifice was designed by Brumwell Thomas (who was knighted but had to sue to get his fee). Before you enter, take a stroll around Donegall Square, to see statues of Queen Victoria; a monument commemorating the Titanic, which was built in Belfast; and a column honoring the U.S. Expeditionary Force, which landed in the city on January 26, 1942—the first contingent of the U.S. Army to land in Europe during World War II. Enter under the porte cochere at the front of the building. From the entrance hall (the base of which is a whispering gallery), the view up to the heights of the 173-foot-high Great Dome is a feast for the eyes. With its complicated series of arches and openings, stained-glass windows, Italian-marble inlays, decorative plasterwork, and paintings, this is Belfast's most ornate public space—a veritable homage to the might of the British Empire. Now the modernized building has been brought into the 21st century. It comes replete with the Bobbin coffee shop and the "Waking a Giant" exhibition, in which historic photographs tell the story of Belfast's industrial development. Another exhibition, "No Mean City," an interactive and photographic display, celebrates 68 inspirational people of the last 100 years, including Thomas Andrews (the designer of the Titanic), singer Van Morrison, and footballer George Best. In the courtyard a 60-jet fountain has been dedicated to Belfast City Council members killed during the Troubles. Free, guided one-hour tours are given.