Historic Belfast Landmark Faces Threat: Assembly Rooms at Risk

Campaigners have said an iconic Belfast landmark being placed on a global 'at risk' buildings list is 'a game changer.'

Assembly Rooms on the Watch List

Campaigners have said an iconic Belfast landmark being placed on a global 'at risk' buildings list is 'a game changer.' The Assembly Rooms, located on the corner of North Street and Waring Street, have been placed on the 2025 'watch list' by the World Monuments Fund (WMF). The list identifies sites across the world that face major challenges such as climate change, tourism, conflict and natural disaster. The historic building is owned by Castlebrooke Investments, the company behind the delayed Tribeca development in Belfast's city centre.

History and Importance

The Assembly Rooms were originally built as a single-story market house in 1769, with an additional floor added in 1776. It lay at the very centre of the 18th-century town and became pivotal in our cultural life during the enlightenment era. In the 19th century, the building was converted for banking, but even those changes retained the neo-classical style and it was listed in 1975 after being acclaimed as Belfast’s Best Kept Public Building in 1979. Over the years, it has been used for concerts, exhibitions, and by theatre. The Ulster Architecture Heritage organisation has said that general maintenance of the building has 'fallen by the wayside and has suffered from vandalism.'

Preservation Efforts

Campaigners for the preservation of the Assembly Rooms have welcomed the WMF's support to save it, with John Gray from the Assembly Rooms Alliance describing the move as 'a game changer.' He said: 'Amongst 25 projects world-wide which they are backing this is the only one in Ireland. They have clearly been convinced by the importance of the building but also by our ambitions for its future use as a multi-cultural arena, a place to explore our enlightenment heritage, and as a home for the planned Museum of the Troubles and Peace.'