22 August 2024
Following our award of the RSUA Early Career Architects competition in October 2023, design work on the refurbishment of the listed K6 telephone kiosk on Waring Street into a small gallery space has now progressed through a Listed Building Consent application and technical design development.
The RSUA Design Box project will include a faithful restoration of the external appearance of the listed telephone kiosk, with alterations to its existing lighting to enhance a new gallery space within showcasing Northern Irish design. The new gallery ‘vessel’ inside the kiosk is to be constructed of mint green ‘Valchromat’, a coloured-through MDF product, accompanied by new perimeter adjustable track lighting to support exhibitions. New soffit hood lighting will illuminate the iconic signage of the telephone kiosk, the text updating with changing exhibition displays.
In addition to the telephone kiosk, the design team have been working with CQ Bid to develop a temporary landscape strategy for this corner of Warning/North Street, which has fallen into disrepair. New planters and benches will be installed to provide public seating and new visual interest to the space, with some existing features (bicycle stands, bollards) relocated to improve public accessibility. The design team and CQ Bid are also liaising with Belfast City Council to improve the visual appearance of the space through cleaning of the ground surface and repainting of existing metal railings. Utilizing the existing window reveals of the Assembly Rooms behind, new information panels will also provide a brief history of the telephone kiosk design and the current exhibition on display.
The project has now received Listed Building Consent with Obin Specialist Joinery appointed to deliver the project. Construction work will begin in late Summer and be completed on site in October 2024. The team invited John Donnelly (Model Citizen) to open the Design Box with an inaugural exhibition focusing on lost or ‘At-Risk’ heritage buildings in Northern Ireland. We look forward to welcoming all RSUA members to view the first exhibition of the Design Box.
James Boyd, Erl Johnston & Julian Manev, with Mark Todd Architects.
