A Small Intervention on Arthur Street

A small intervention, poking its nose out into the city.

We’re delighted to see this new addition to Belfast’s street frontage taking its place on Arthur Street. The new balcony at Thompson’s reaches out over the pavement, creating a place to drink, people-watch and be seen, while also doing a little more than might first meet the eye.

It is a relatively small intervention doing quite a few jobs at once: extending the life of the building out towards the street, creating activity at first-floor level and helping to animate the public realm below. Pleasingly, it also seems to have encouraged a few more kiosks, terraces and bits of life to begin popping up around it.

Below, it provides shelter to the kiosk, new entrances and passers-by. After dark, integrated lighting brings a warm glow to the footpath, adding a little passive security and a touch of theatre to the street.

For us, that is often where the interest lies. Architecture does not always have to be about grand gestures. Sometimes a carefully considered addition can change how a building meets the city, how a street feels and how people use the space around it.

Something a little different, with a lot of heart.

Many thanks to Michael Graham from Tetra tech for helping get the planning over the line, and to Aughim Building for bringing it to life.