Henning Larsen Architects has been selected to design a new 2.6-hectare redevelopment scheme for the areas surrounding a currently underutilized stretch of Belfast's River Lagan waterfront. 

The project, recently approved by the Belfast City Council, will bring a mix of offices, housing, and public spaces to the district with the goal of using buildings and a "microclimate"-focused site design to drastically increase the number of weeks the area is suitable for comfortable outdoor habitation. 

“We saw a truly special opportunity in this ambitious project to bring a Nordic understanding of the public realm to Belfast,” states Henning Larsen partner Jacob Kurek, adding, “From Copenhagen, we know that harbors and rivers have enormous potential to attract and activate public life in a city. River Lagan will no longer be a division in Belfast but a connection – a hub – instead.”

Renderings for the project depict a mix of glassy, mid-rise buildings with prominently detailed retail areas, masonry finishes, and stepped geometries. Certain historical elements, including a brick smokestack, will be retained in the scheme.

In total, the Belfast Waterside project will bring 750 housing units, several hotels, and offices to the site with the total project containing 158,000 square meters of built spaces. The site is designed with the taller office buildings on one edge to block out urban noise, with lower-scaled housing and river-adjacent commercial areas creating welcoming outdoor spaces that will anchor the "year-round vibrant community." According to the architects, the scheme will help make the area more comfortable to occupy for up to 25 weeks per year, up from the current nine week period. 

“The scale-gradient strategy is the direct result of thermal microclimate analysis,” explains Kurek. “By placing the tallest office buildings along the north, facing the railway, we will create a noise blocking acoustic barrier. The lower buildings facing south keep the riverfront pedestrian friendly and human-scaled. Every building gets a view of the water and good daylight – and people get a more comfortable setting at the ground level.”