Titanic Belfast has already been nicknamed The Iceberg. A neck-craning 38m tall, resembling the immense hulls of four ocean liners and clad in glistening silver shards, it’s not difficult to see why.
This 14 000m² exhibition space, which cost almost £100 million (R1.3 billion) to build, opened its doors on March 31, marking the centenary of the Titanic’s completion. The world’s biggest Titanic attraction, it rises from the dockside where its namesake was created in what was once the busiest shipyard in the world.
Standing outside on the redundant slipway, it’s hard to imagine the glory days of the early 20th century, when Belfast was a thriving international hub for the linen, tobacco and rope-making industries.
But walk through the exhibition’s glass-roofed entrance hall, enter Gallery One and you’re back in boom-time Belfast, striding to work next to flat-capped yard workers, swerving at the clatter of horses’ hooves on the cobbles and jumping at the whistle of steam behind you.
It’s a sensory experience that encourages visitors to empathise with the people of the era. You can really feel the optimism that filled Belfast’s streets back then.
Across nine galleries altogether, visitors are guided on a journey through the Titanic’s lifespan, from her conception and construction to her resting place on the Atlantic seabed.
“This is not a traditional museum,” says local tour guide Dee Morgan. “You won’t find any old spoons and dusty suitcases here.”
And she is right, I realise, as I dance around on the interactive floor panels, ride a steel cart through the giant gantry and pilot a submersible craft in search of underwater artefacts – experiences that bring the Titanic back to life through 3D film and talking holograms rather than rusty relics.
In Gallery Seven, icy air fills your nostrils as you look down to find watery ripples licking at your shoes.
But rather than dramatise the sinking, this exhibition is about celebrating the craftsmanship behind the boat. “In Belfast, everyone’s granddaddy built the Titanic,” Dee explains. “We’re proud to be reviving our heritage.”
Every so often, the exhibition reconnects with the landscape outside – the dry dock beneath, the original drawing offices, the River Lagan where the Titanic first set sail – reminding visitors that this building could not have been placed anywhere else in the world.
Until recently, “Titanic” was a dirty word in Belfast, and the city was eager to erase its connection with the greatest maritime disaster in history. But this innovative exhibition is about bringing the Titanic back to the Belfast of today, using the epic story of her creation to put Northern Ireland’s capital back on the map. – Daily Mail