SquaresRenew 14: Titanic

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Titanic Belfast glimpsed across the Lagan

Titanic Belfast is probably the biggest symbol of the city’s renewal as a tourist destination. Opened in 2012 to mark the centenary of the Titanic’s fateful voyage, it is a six-storey aluminium clad building centred around the former yard where the ship was built and launched by Harland & Wolff. You can see from the images that there is still much reconstruction going on nearby.

I’m not too keen on the sort of “experience” the museum offers, being a bit old-fashioned, so we didn’t go in. We did look at some of the other Titanic–related heritage roundabout, including the former headquarters and drawing offices of Harland & Wolff (now a hotel), the SS Nomadic (the last surviving White Star Line ship), Titanic’s Dock and Pump House (now a distillery) and the Titanic Olympic and Britannic slipways. There was plenty to do!

Part of Becky’s SquaresRenew Challenge, using images from our April 2024 trip to Northern Ireland to illustrate one or more of the following:

  • Move forward
  • Reconstruct
  • Renew
  • Burgeoning
Northern Ireland, UK , ,

31 Comments »

  1. I wonder how the “experience” was. I’ve also been to a number of Titanic exhibits (an especially good one in Nova Scotia), but, like you, I’m not keen on “interactive” experiences myself.

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    • Experience = interactive, which is probably great with kids but I prefer a straight museum setting. To quote the website: “The Titanic Experience is the world’s most authentic retelling of the iconic story. The self-guided tour extends over ten interactive galleries where you discover the sights, sounds, smells and stories of the ship, as well as the people and city that made her.” I also feel a bit uncomfortable having something that resulted in so many deaths being presented in a fun way!

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      • Yes, it seems as if they’re offering the tragedy as a form of entertainment, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be a part of that either. A museum dedicated to such a horrific incident ought to be a bit respectful, in my opinion.

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  6. I’m all in for Titanic as I have read about that ship since I wad a kid. I’d definitely go in and actually been to one where you saw artifacts and read about the Titanic. I loved what they found on the floor if the Titanic and they had this block of “ice” that you place your hand on to get a sense of the cold water..yikes! I would havevgone to everything there.

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  8. I like the style of the Titanic museum building so I think I’d be curious to go inside, although like you I usually prefer to see more of a city than what can be found inside its museums.

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  9. I must admit, in areas like that, in a new city, I’m just as happy wandering around outside and save the museums for either a wet day or when I’ve seen everything around me first. I like exploring docks, abandoned, old or even brand new ones. Always something of interest around them. Bob. BSS.

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  10. Definitely lots of reconstruction and renewal going on there. A nice looking building, weren’t you a little bit curious about what was inside?

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  12. oh that first square, feels so daunting. I wonder if the Titanic felt that when it headed out. Great shots of the outside, and I am with you on the inside – sometimes I think curators and museum directors head too far the other direction

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