The Harland and Wolff headquarters on Queens Island in Belfast, where the RMS Titanic was designed, is set to be turned into a four-star luxury hotel.
Using a £4.9m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) the vacant building, which was used as the control centre for the largest shipyard in the world, will now be turned into an 84-bedroom hotel.
The design of the hotel will aim to tell the story of Belfast’s industrial heritage, focusing on authentic spaces – including a board room, telephony room and entrance lobby – as well as fixtures and fittings that relate to the local shipbuilding industry.
Kerrie Sweeney, chief executive of Titanic Foundation, said: “Titanic Foundation in partnership with Titanic Quarter has been working on this project over the last two years. It has been a long process but worth it.
“With HLF’s support we will safeguard the Drawing offices for future generations and unlock the commercial potential of the entire building as a boutique hotel with heritage at its core. This is a truly unique and authentic project for Belfast that could not have happened without the support from Heritage Enterprise Scheme.”
Paul Mullan, head of HLF Northern Ireland, said: “This is an exciting project that will see one of Belfast’s most historic buildings reborn as a major tourist destination. This, like many of the city’s historic buildings, has incredible potential to act as a driver of regeneration and economic growth.”
The restoration of the B-listed building is expected to create over 100 jobs in the local community.