The Belfast premiere of a short documentary film showcasing Gilbert-Ash’s Northern Ireland’s landmark buildings has taken place at the Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT).
The chartered building company’s film, Building Culture, celebrates five iconic buildings, which were previously shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Stirling Prize.
It includes the Lyric Theatre, the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre, the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, the National Portrait Gallery and Cambridge Central Mosque.
Building Culture aimed to bring to people’s attention the levels of collaboration required to bring ambitious designs to life as buildings.
In addition to the premiere, the event also included a Q&A session with some of the film’s contributors which was hosted by experienced Arts journalist, Marie-Louise Kerr.
The panel included Ray Hutchinson, managing director of Gilbert-Ash; Morag Keating, senior producer at the Lyric Theatre; and Graham Thompson, who was project director of the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre.
Hutchinson said: “These five projects are among the best work we have delivered at Gilbert-Ash. We have been privileged to work with some of the UK’s leading organisations and architects to bring them to life.
“Our teams were challenged by each design, pushing the boundaries of what could be built. Through partnership and collaboration, we worked as one to deliver outstanding buildings for our clients.”
Hutchinson also drew attention to further projects in NI. “In addition to the two projects in the film, we have a rich portfolio of work here. This includes the iconic Waterfront Hall, the five-star Fitzwilliam Hotel, the AC Hotel by Marriott, as well as the refurbishment of the Grand Opera House. More recently we completed the fit out of PwC’s stunning new headquarters at Merchant Square in Belfast.”
Gilbert-Ash’s portfolio of landmark projects continues with the ongoing redevelopment of Tate Liverpool and a major refurbishment of RIBA’s Grade II-listed London headquarters.
