Progress is being made at last on Belfast’s historic Assembly Rooms, with a programme of remedial conservation, public realm improvements, and future planning now underway.
The developments are part of a wider programme of works to get Belfast looking its best, as the city prepares to host the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, from 2-9 August.
Vacant since 2000, the Assembly Rooms is a Grade B1 listed heritage building on the corner of North Street and Waring Street which dates to 1769 and is one of Belfast’s most architecturally and socially significant public buildings, purchased by Belfast City Council last October.
Belfast City Council has partnered with World Monuments Fund (WMF) on the development of a conservation project to safeguard the Assembly Rooms for future generations.
Initial work includes the development of a conservation management plan by Belfast-based James Grieve Architects to establish a framework that will guide the building’s future conservation, maintenance, and sustainable use.
As part of this process, new exterior signage will support understanding and interpretation of the building’s significance for visitors, both local and international, while improving its public presence ahead of the development of a full capital works project.
In this first phase, Belfast City Council, and WMF thanks to The Paul Mellon Fund for Architectural Preservation in Great Britain have supported the remedial façade works, which involved weatherproofing the building and repainting the façade based on historic paint analysis.
The Department for Infrastructure has also commenced resurfacing work on Donegall Street, including the footpaths from the Assembly Room’s Bank Manager House to Royal Avenue and main traffic lanes.
Alongside these immediate physical works, the Council is moving ahead with plans to determine the long-term future of the Assembly Rooms and wider cluster which will be informed by further stakeholder engagement.
Councillor Joe Duffy, Chair of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee said: “In tandem with the progress we are making on the nearby Belfast Stories – set to be a world-class visitor attraction, public space and creative hub, integrating the Art Deco former Bank of Ireland building when it opens in 2030 – we are investing in these wonderful heritage assets to ensure that they are given life, purpose and relevance for generations to come.
“There is clear public and political support to bring the Assembly Rooms back into use in a way that reflects both its historical and cultural significance. Its conservation will be an important catalyst for the surrounding area’s regeneration.
“In this sense, it is particularly enthusing to hear that remedial conservation and public realm improvements to the Assembly Rooms are now underway. Our council cleansing team has already completed a deep clean of the surrounding pavements, and contractors are carrying out emergency façade conservation, window treatment, repainting and new planting. This work is due for completion by the end of July, in time for the Fleadh celebrations, when we look forward to welcoming around 800,000 visitors and showing them the very best of our city.
“This iconic venue was the heart of the famous Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in 1792, a pivotal moment in the preservation of Ireland’s harp tradition – so it is fitting that Belfast harpist and composer Ursula Burns will be performing outside the Assembly Rooms on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 August during the Fleadh, reconnecting past and present in the centre of the city.
“The venue will also host a stage for free pop-up sessions throughout the festival, from 11am to 9pm daily, for all those who want to perform, while the city’s harping heritage will also be the focus of a talk and recital, focusing on organist Edward Bunting’s transcriptions of the 1792 festival, on Tuesday 4 August at St Anne’s Cathedral, as well as a historical talk and music at Clifton Street on the same date. Further info on all events is available from fleadhcheoil.ie/whatson
“We are also looking at an interior lighting scheme to enhance the Assembly Rooms’ prominence on the streetscape and specifying essential works that will need to be carried out to make the building structurally sound.
“Having included the Assembly Rooms in their 2025 World Monuments Watch, a biennial programme highlighting 25 global heritage sites facing urgent challenges, World Monuments Fund has given us both financial and expert support. WMF has also commissioned and supported a comprehensive Conservation Management Plan, which we expect to be completed later this summer, to help guide future restoration, funding applications and long-term development decisions.”
A parallel Conservation Management Plan funded by the Council is also underway for the neighbouring Braddell’s Building, also grade B1 listed.
“Belfast’s Assembly Rooms is a building of great historic significance and architectural merit and represents exactly what World Monuments Fund is there to protect,” said Magnus von Wistinghausen, Executive Director of World Monuments Fund Britain.
“We are delighted to be working alongside Belfast City Council to safeguard the Assembly Rooms’ future, and to help return a remarkable part of the city’s heritage to the life of the community. It is a privilege to be part of this work at such an important moment for the building and for Belfast.”
The restoration, repurposing and reuse of heritage buildings is a key priority for council and in addition to the council’s recent Vacant to Vibrant city centre funding programme, Scottish activewear retailer Restock3d is now trading from the ground floor unit at 35-39 Royal Avenue, another listed building purchased by council last year.
Plans are also progressing to transform the upper floor of the council-owned listed building 2 Royal Avenue into a new LGBTQIA+ Hub for Belfast, funded by PEACEPLUS and Expressions of interest on the future use of 2 Royal Avenue’s ground floor are also being considered.