Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry/Londonderry (1960).
Ulster Hospital, Dundonald (1962).
Queen’s Bridge, Belfast (1966).
The North-West Transport Hub, Derry/Londonderry (2019).
City Quays 3, Belfast Harbour (2021)
local housing functions in 1972. In spite of the challenges of the Troubles, by 1996, 80,000 new homes had been built. In Belfast, the landmark Europa Hotel, which would go on to achieve the title of most bombed hotel in Europe, was completed in 1971 by Farrans. The following year, the Ulster Museum reopened, with a standout contemporary extension to its traditional architecture constructed by McLaughlin & Harvey. New business premises were erected in Derry and Belfast including Windsor House, one of Belfast’s tallest buildings at the time, built by John Laing in 1972. Heron Brothers completed an arts venue in Coleraine, the Riverside Theatre. And the educational institution, the Ulster Polytechnic, now Ulster University, was completed in Jordanstown by Farrans. In 1975, the creation of a new CITB training facility at Nutts Corner in Antrim was instrumental in equipping the industry with the necessary skills for success. In 1978, construction began on the Belfast City Hospital tower by McLaughlin & Harvey. Although it would go on to be named one of the ugliest buildings in the UK, it is an unmistakable landmark for the city.
important road skirting Belfast and connecting the M1 to the M2. This project harnessed the work of Charles Brand, Farrans and Grahams. And as the 1980s began, work started on the Foyle Bridge – an essential second crossing for Derry, which would alleviate congestion and create growth on both sides of the river. It was another historic project for the Graham family, in partnership with RDL. And the global trend for shopping centres saw exciting new projects in towns including Ballymena, Newry, Newtownards and Belfast City Centre. There was a long-awaited change in 1982, when the first pension scheme for the construction industry was introduced, marking a sea change in workplace benefits for construction workers. In another leap forward for the sector, the CEF launched the Building Guarantee Scheme in 1987, which provided protection for customers in the form of a list of registered builders whose work was insured. And with a growing membership and remit, the Construction Employers Federation as we now know it came into being in 1990. One of its key drivers has been to elevate health and safety in construction. It’s hard to believe
it was only 35 years ago in 1990 that hard hats became a legal requirement. In the 1990s, new architecture was springing up and enhancing leisure and civic society, from the restoration of the Grand Opera House to the Maiden City’s impressive new Foyleside Shopping Centre, built by O’Hare & McGovern. There was a major development led by a joint venture between Grahams and Farrans, with the Cross Harbour Bridges linking Belfast’s road and rail networks. 1996 saw most major roads and residential streets across Northern Ireland involved in the rolling construction of utilities infrastructure. In response to increasing requirements across the UK, the CEF launched the Construction Skills Register in 1997, aimed at further raising health and safety standards. 1998 saw Tracey Brothers transforming housing in Enniskillen, and the Peace Process and the Good Friday Agreement brought increased investment, with Belfast Waterfront Hall carving out its place as a new city landmark, under the craftsmanship of Gilbert-Ash. And as we entered a new Millennium, Farrans and Gilbert Ash’s Odyssey Arena transformed the docklands area and the live music
Full-scale works began on the Westlink in 1979, an incredibly
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