The Titanic Hotel has been announced as the winner of the Tourism and Leisure category of the RICS Awards 2018, Northern Ireland, for bringing a unique piece of Belfast’s history into contemporary life.
The annual awards, run by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, recognise exemplary built projects, and the teams behind them, that contribute positively to Northern Ireland.
The £33m Connswater Community Greenway and East Belfast Flood Alleviation Scheme was highly commended in the Community Benefit category of the awards.
The Titanic Hotel, which opened last September, saw the Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices and headquarters building restored to the highest standards. As the jewel in the crown of the heritage assets on Queen’s Island, it is the centrepiece for a heritage area which attracts tourists from around the world.
Sammon Surveyors and RMI Architects carried out the project with Abercorn Construction.
Judges said: “It is stylish, not overstated, it is respectful not humble and most critically it brings a unique piece of Belfast’s history into contemporary life.”
Meanwhile the Connswater Community Greenway was praised by judges for “its massive contribution to the lives of residents and visitors to the area”. They added that the project had improved life chances and biodiversity and creating healthier communities while catalysing regeneration and community cohesion.
Those who worked on the Greenway project included surveyors from Belfast City Council, architectural firm Paul Hogarth and Farrans Construction.
Michael Hannaway, Chair of the RICS Awards Northern Ireland judging panel, said: “These eight exciting winning schemes are all having an extremely positive impact on their local communities.
“The teams behind them have worked tirelessly and with incredible vision to create projects which provide tremendous benefit across areas as diverse and important as healthcare, education, housing, the workplace and tourism.
“Through collaborating with other professionals, local surveyors have shown that they have the talent to deliver exemplary and in many cases world-class built projects.”
All category winners will now go on to compete against other regional winners at the national RICS Awards Grand Final in November 2018 for the chance to be crowned the overall UK winners in their respective category.
