With Grand Central Station, John McAslan + Partners, working with Arup and Juno, has created a multi-modal ‘post-Troubles’ transport hub for the city of Belfast​
by Rebecca Jane McConnell

Appointed with Arup by Translink in 2014, John McAslan + Partners was engaged to design a new integrated transport hub for Belfast, combining rail and bus facilities and increasing capacity to become the largest transit hub on the island of Ireland. The ambition was to create a welcoming new front door to this capital city that would become a major new civic landmark and support the creation of a new neighbourhood with the wider Weavers Cross masterplan.

There is something stirring about arriving in a place blurry with motion, where steel and glass are conduits for flows of people and energy. September 2024 saw the opening of the new Belfast Grand Central Station, which has taken shape as a symbol of a city on the rise and represents a new era of public transport in one of Europe's most car-congested regions. With eight rail platforms, 26 bus stands and over 200 parking spots for bicycles, it replaces Great Victoria Street Station on a site dating back to 1839 that encountered various updates before replacement by the Europa Bus Centre in 1995. Designed by John McAslan + Partners in collaboration with Arup and Juno for also be one for dwelling. Often, transport schemes focus on function over experience, Translink, the 7,500m station offers the city a but here the two coexist. An unexpected gateway that was missing before.

"This passenger-focused station is designed around a singular unified roof with minimal structure internally. It prioritises intuitive wayfinding with unencumbered views from one decision point to the next and makes the most of the long vistas out of the building and to the surrounding landscape. Importantly, the building also establishes a focal point and catalyst for the new Weavers Cross urban quarter.
Inside, Belfast Grand Central Station shows how a generosity of spaces that include an elevated dining area and generous seating areas throughout can significantly improve the civic character of a place and the way travel is experienced by commuters and visitors alike."
Ross Harrison, Belfast studio lead, John McAslan + Partners

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image: ©Donal McCann