University and College Lecturers visit Belfast's Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC)
09 March 2011
Picture (left) Martin Cushnahan, Northern Centre Chair, leads a group of lecturers from various colleges and universites in the north of Ireland, during the Regional Student Challenge held in Belfast on Friday, 4th February 2011.
As CIOB in Ireland’s regional challenge in Belfast kicked off for students with a blast on Friday 4th February, the Northern Centre had arranged a site visit to a cultural part of Belfast for those lecturers who attended with their team that day.
Seven lecturers from South Eastern Regional College, BMC, University of Ulster Jordanstown, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Northern Regional College, North & West Regional College and WYG Training, joined Robert Price, Project Manager and Stephen Lee, Site Manager, both of Bowen Mascott Constructionc to Belfast’s new arts building, the much talked about Belfast Metropolitan Arts Centre, the ‘MAC’. Situated in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarters, the Mac will be opening its doors early next year.
Led by Martin Cushnahan, Northern Centre Chair, the group took on a tour of the site to learn first hand about the challenges and plans for what is going to be a world class home for the arts and cultural institution for Belfast. The MAC is a six storey building with its beacon tower standing at an impressive 105 ft and can be seen from the north side of the city from the motorway and surrounding area.
The construction work has provided employment for 420 people and at a cost of £17.7 million, the project is due to end in early 2012. It will house two theatres, dance studios, three major visual art space, education room with offices, cafe and bar in an area of recent commercial development. It is designed by Hackett, Hall and McKnight Architects. This is a very exciting joint venture with Mascott Construction of Belfast and Bowen Construction of Cork.
Bronagh McCotter, Centre Administrator, later commented, “Visitors can see from the last visit the building is really taking shape creating a unique public space for the arts. Built in an area of new commercial development, the Cathedral Quarters historically was an area of trade and warehousing in the heart of Belfast which has recently undergone extensive regeneration over the past few years. The CIOB in Ireland would like to thank Bowen Mascott Construction, Stephen Lee and Robert Price, for a second visit to an exceptional building.”