tribute to the titanic
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TRIBUTE TO THE TITANIC
Explore shipbuilding history at a gleaming new museum In 1912, the Titanic sailed into history as one of the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disasters. Located near the spot
Belfast beacon: The museum has become a spectacular feature on the city’s skyline
5 things to see
where the ship was built a century ago, the Titanic Belfast museum commemorates the catastrophe and celebrates the thousands of men and women who helped to build the great ships in Belfast. In 1900, Harland & Wolff was the largest shipbuilding firm in the world and its site on Queen’s Island, Belfast, covered 80 acres and employed almost 10,000 people. Today the area is known as the Titanic Quarter, home to the new waterfront-regeneration project. Belfast’s skyline has been dominated since the 1960s by two giant Harland & Wolff gantry frames known as Samson and Goliath but now the pair have competition, as all
TITANIC’S FIT-OUT TOOK 3,000 MEN MORE THAN 10 MONTHS TO COMPLETE complete, is documented in the next
hundreds of passengers who lost
fascinating overview of the city’s
gallery. The fit-out included boilers,
their lives in the freezing ocean.
industry and workers during its
engines, propellers, the Marconi
38.5m tall and covers 14,000m2.
prosperity and expansion period in
wireless and navigation equipment.
quest to find the 52,000-ton wreck
Four enormous hulls, clad in
the late 19th century. It is here that
A central feature is a 360°
which was discovered in 1985,
thousands of aluminium plates,
we are introduced to the Harland &
computer-generated tour, which
two-and-a-half miles below the
radiate out from a central glass
Wolff, White Star Line and Cunard
takes visitors on a journey through
surface of the North Atlantic. The
structure. From a distance, the
companies. An interactive floor
the decks – from the engine-room at
gallery displays interviews and
shimmering giant resembles a ship
shows off the grandiose
the bottom to the dining saloons
previously unseen footage. There’s
– it really is a visual treat.
construction plans for the Titanic,
and the bridge on top. Replicas of
also a glass floor where visitors can
along with original drawings and
first-, second- and third-class
observe a mosaic of the Titanic as it
scale models of the ship.
cabins offer a glimpse into the past.
rests on the seabed.
eyes are on the new museum. The shard-shaped structure is
Inside, the £97 million building continues to impress, with a soaring
Boomtown Belfast provides a
»T he interactive floor Step across the construction plans and drawings for the Titanic. »T he dark ride This nine-minute ride offers a fun insight into the five stages of shipbuilding. »T he 360º tour Take this computer-generated tour which whisks visitors upwards through the Titanic’s magnificent decks. »T he cinematic experience Get up close and personal with the wreck of the Titanic – a mecca for treasure hunters and tourists. » The panorama Take the lift to the top floor to discover the beautiful views that Belfast has to offer.
atrium which attempts to recall the
Meanwhile, the Building the
awesome size of Titanic’s engine-
Titanic exhibition looks at the five
the Maiden Voyage gallery. Haunting
uppermost floors are not to be
rooms. It pierces up through five
stages of the shipbuilding process:
SOS Morse code plays in the
missed. There’s a full-sized
floors – you could be forgiven for
laying the keel, framing, plating and
background, while moody lighting
reproduction of the Titanic’s grand
thinking you’ve entered a lofty
riveting, bulkheads and decking,
patterns the floor with ripples.
staircase in one of the suites, while
modern art gallery.
and fitting the rudder. Nearby, there
Images of the sinking ship are
the high vantage point provides a
are queues for one of the museum’s
paired with audio of survivors
panorama of the historic shipyards,
four angular levels of the museum.
top attractions – the “dark ride”.
recounting their experiences.
river and Belfast city.
Each explores the Titanic story in a
Visitors hop inside a cabin which
refreshingly fun and modern way:
glides around a mock-up of Titanic’s
lifeboats takes centre stage in the
from conception in the early 1900s
shipyard and a full-scale replica of
Finding the Answers exhibition. It’s a
through to construction, the
the ship’s 23.7m-high rudder.
poignant reminder of just how
timed tickets costing £13.50.
insufficient the few small rescue
For more information see:
boats were. Tributes are paid to the
www.titanicbelfast.com
Nine galleries are spread across
catastrophic maiden voyage and the discovery of the wreck.
Titanic’s fit-out, which took 3,000 men more than 10 months to
76 MAY 2012 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
There’s a distinct chill in the air in
Titanic Beneath documents the
A full-size replica of one of the
A last couple of surprises on the
Lana Bozovic
»A dmission to the museum is by
TRIBUTE TO THE TITANIC
Explore shipbuilding history at a gleaming new museum In 1912, the Titanic sailed into history as one of the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disasters. Located near the spot
Belfast beacon: The museum has become a spectacular feature on the city’s skyline
5 things to see
where the ship was built a century ago, the Titanic Belfast museum commemorates the catastrophe and celebrates the thousands of men and women who helped to build the great ships in Belfast. In 1900, Harland & Wolff was the largest shipbuilding firm in the world and its site on Queen’s Island, Belfast, covered 80 acres and employed almost 10,000 people. Today the area is known as the Titanic Quarter, home to the new waterfront-regeneration project. Belfast’s skyline has been dominated since the 1960s by two giant Harland & Wolff gantry frames known as Samson and Goliath but now the pair have competition, as all
TITANIC’S FIT-OUT TOOK 3,000 MEN MORE THAN 10 MONTHS TO COMPLETE complete, is documented in the next
hundreds of passengers who lost
fascinating overview of the city’s
gallery. The fit-out included boilers,
their lives in the freezing ocean.
industry and workers during its
engines, propellers, the Marconi
38.5m tall and covers 14,000m2.
prosperity and expansion period in
wireless and navigation equipment.
quest to find the 52,000-ton wreck
Four enormous hulls, clad in
the late 19th century. It is here that
A central feature is a 360°
which was discovered in 1985,
thousands of aluminium plates,
we are introduced to the Harland &
computer-generated tour, which
two-and-a-half miles below the
radiate out from a central glass
Wolff, White Star Line and Cunard
takes visitors on a journey through
surface of the North Atlantic. The
structure. From a distance, the
companies. An interactive floor
the decks – from the engine-room at
gallery displays interviews and
shimmering giant resembles a ship
shows off the grandiose
the bottom to the dining saloons
previously unseen footage. There’s
– it really is a visual treat.
construction plans for the Titanic,
and the bridge on top. Replicas of
also a glass floor where visitors can
along with original drawings and
first-, second- and third-class
observe a mosaic of the Titanic as it
scale models of the ship.
cabins offer a glimpse into the past.
rests on the seabed.
eyes are on the new museum. The shard-shaped structure is
Inside, the £97 million building continues to impress, with a soaring
Boomtown Belfast provides a
»T he interactive floor Step across the construction plans and drawings for the Titanic. »T he dark ride This nine-minute ride offers a fun insight into the five stages of shipbuilding. »T he 360º tour Take this computer-generated tour which whisks visitors upwards through the Titanic’s magnificent decks. »T he cinematic experience Get up close and personal with the wreck of the Titanic – a mecca for treasure hunters and tourists. » The panorama Take the lift to the top floor to discover the beautiful views that Belfast has to offer.
atrium which attempts to recall the
Meanwhile, the Building the
awesome size of Titanic’s engine-
Titanic exhibition looks at the five
the Maiden Voyage gallery. Haunting
uppermost floors are not to be
rooms. It pierces up through five
stages of the shipbuilding process:
SOS Morse code plays in the
missed. There’s a full-sized
floors – you could be forgiven for
laying the keel, framing, plating and
background, while moody lighting
reproduction of the Titanic’s grand
thinking you’ve entered a lofty
riveting, bulkheads and decking,
patterns the floor with ripples.
staircase in one of the suites, while
modern art gallery.
and fitting the rudder. Nearby, there
Images of the sinking ship are
the high vantage point provides a
are queues for one of the museum’s
paired with audio of survivors
panorama of the historic shipyards,
four angular levels of the museum.
top attractions – the “dark ride”.
recounting their experiences.
river and Belfast city.
Each explores the Titanic story in a
Visitors hop inside a cabin which
refreshingly fun and modern way:
glides around a mock-up of Titanic’s
lifeboats takes centre stage in the
from conception in the early 1900s
shipyard and a full-scale replica of
Finding the Answers exhibition. It’s a
through to construction, the
the ship’s 23.7m-high rudder.
poignant reminder of just how
timed tickets costing £13.50.
insufficient the few small rescue
For more information see:
boats were. Tributes are paid to the
www.titanicbelfast.com
Nine galleries are spread across
catastrophic maiden voyage and the discovery of the wreck.
Titanic’s fit-out, which took 3,000 men more than 10 months to
76 MAY 2012 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
There’s a distinct chill in the air in
Titanic Beneath documents the
A full-size replica of one of the
A last couple of surprises on the
Lana Bozovic
»A dmission to the museum is by
