A NEW online tour to discover the ‘Glamour and Gloom’ of 1930s architecture in Belfast has been championed by a local architectural group.
Based on the popular book Glamour & Gloom: 1930s Architecture in Belfast, edited by Tanja Poppelreuter, and published by Ulster Architectural Heritage in 2017, the free tour was presented online.
The new tour highlighted Art Deco gems of Belfast; both well-known landmarks and lesser-known buildings.
THIRTIES GEM: Art Deco buildings in Belfast are often under-appreciated.
It is hoped that the tour will reinvigorate public interest in Belfast’s 1930s architecture and inspire better understanding of this architectural era in Belfast.
While a great deal of the buildings of this era are well maintained and in use, the tour revealed the vulnerability of others such as The North Street Arcade which is highly significant as it represents the only example of a 1930s shopping arcade in the North of Ireland.
Nikki McVeigh, Chief Executive of Ulster Architectural Heritage (UAH) said: “UAH is excited to be supported by Belfast City Council to deliver the new Glamour and Gloom tour.
BIG PICTURE: The Strand Cinema in East Belfast
“The 1930s saw a wave of architectural and social innovations, and it is fantastic to have the opportunity to promote the quality and variety of 1930s architecture which still exists in Belfast. We hope the tour will reawaken an interest in these buildings so that they may be preserved for future generations.”
An exhibition supporting the tour is also expected to be launched in 2021 following the easing of Covid 19 restrictions, after which it will travel around libraries in the Belfast area.
You can keep up to date by following UAH on social media or via its website.
