9 Adelaide, Belfast City Council H.Q., Belfast

9 Adelaide is Belfast City Council’s new headquarter offices, located adjacent to its existing base in Adelaide Street in central Belfast.

The 100,000sqft, nine storey development was designed for local developer MRP in response to a requirement issued through the Council for a new building to bring together various disparate departments located around the city centre under one roof.

The open plan office accommodation is wrapped around a central vertical circulation / toilet core, with workstations arranged along the perimeter, to maximise the benefit of natural light and contributing to the building’s BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

The external treatment is consciously restrained, combining white limestone and grey framed loor to ceiling screens at lower levels, topped by a dark grey clad, set-back penthouse.

The project, that also involved the complex demolition of an existing eight storey structure, was successfully delivered on time and budget with a very demanding 18 month contract period.

It was the first office building to be completed in Belfast since the 2008 recession.