Waterfront Hall
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| Location | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Capacity | Studio: 330 Auditorium: 2,250 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1999 |
| Opened | 2001 |
The Waterfront Hall is a concert hall and exhibition centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect.
The hall is located in Lanyon Place, the flagship development of the Laganside Corporation. The development is named after the architect Charles Lanyon. Planning for the building began 1989, with the hall being completed in 1997 for the sum of £32 million. The main circular Auditorium seats 2,241 and is based on the Berlin Philharmonic Hall designed by Hans Scharoun. However the flexible design of the Auditorium allows the stalls seating to be moved to create a larger arena. The smaller adjoining Studio seats 380. The dome of the building is coated in copper. This is so the exterior will eventually turn green and reflect the dome of Belfast City Hall and other Victorian buildings in the city centre. The building also contains bars and a restaurant.
In 2002, the hall was voted the second best conference centre in the world in the Apex Awards.[citation needed] A 2006 socio-economic impact study commissioned by Belfast City Council found that the hall had generated £10 for the city for every £1 spent on operational costs.[citation needed]
Notable events
During their 2002 tour in promotion of their album Right Now, famous pop trio Atomic Kitten recorded their Right Here, Right Now DVD in the auditorium The hall is a key venue for the Belfast Festival at Queen's and for concerts given by the Ulster Orchestra. Other acts to appear at the venue include Girls Aloud, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sugababes, James Morrison, Status Quo, Mel C, Dannii Minogue, Charlie Landsborough, Chuck Berry, James Brown, B.B. King and Blur. Paolo Nutini, The Script, Charley Pride, Paul Potts and Will Young are also scheduled to give concerts there in 2009. Mika is also scheduled to give concerts there in Feb 2010. Many plays take place every year in the 350 seated capacity studio, including Operas and Pantomimes.
External links
54°35′51″N 5°55′13″W / 54.59750°N 5.92028°W
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