Queen's Arcade, Belfast

Queen's Arcade is a Grade B1 listed shopping arcade in the centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It runs from 29 to 33 Donegall Place to 32 Fountain Street.[1]

Queen's Arcade, Belfast
An ornate shopping arcade, lit up by ground floor shop windows, shop signs and fairy lights from above, in the tall ceiling space. The floor is surfaced with white tiles, with linear patterns along the edges of the walkway and diamonds interspersed along the centre.
Queen's Arcade in December 2009.
Map of the greater Belfast area, with the building location highlighted.
Map of the greater Belfast area, with the building location highlighted.
Location in Belfast.
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeShopping arcade
AddressRoyal Avenue
Town or cityBelfast
CountryNorthern Ireland
Coordinates54.598166°N 5.930985°W / 54.598166; -5.930985
Completed1880
OwnerJohn H Lunn (Jewellers) Ltd
Technical details
Floor count4
Design and construction
Architect(s)James McKinnon
DeveloperGeorge Fisher
Website
www.queensarcadebelfast.com
References
[1]

History

The arcade and the building above it were designed by James McKinnon in 1880, for developer George Fisher.[1]

In 1919 it was acquired by Frederick W. Henry, who operated the adjacent Carlton Cafe & Restaurant at 25-27 Donegall Place.[1]

In the 1930s, Hobart & Heron Architects carried out alterations for then resident Austin Reed Ltd. The monogram "AR", in reference to the company, is still visible today on the third floor of the Donegall Place façade. The same architects carried out further works in 1937, following fire damage.[1] The architectural firm still exists today as Hobart Heron.[2]

During the 1980s and 1990s, the arcade was owned by Prudential Portfolio Managers Ltd. In 1987 they refurbished the building façades and installed canopies over the Donegall Place and Fountain Street entrances. They carried out further refurbishment works during 1994.[1]

An ornate Victorian 4-storey building, painted pastel yellow, featuring muted copper spires on the roof, a small white clockface in the centre of the 2nd floor, and ground floor shopping units framed in black, either side of the arched entrance to an arcade. On the third floor is an Art-Deco-influenced monogram with the letters "A.R.".
The Royal Avenue entrance, in March 2011. The monogram "AR" for Austin Reed Ltd is clearly visible on the third floor.

The building gained Grade B1 listed status in June 1993.[1]

In August 2002, John H. Lunn (Jewellers) Ltd acquired Queen's Arcade and the adjacent building at 25-27 Donegall Place.[1] The company had been started in the arcade nearly 50 years beforehand.[3]

  • Close-up photograph of a wall-mounted clock with a white face and black Roman numerals, on a pastel-yellow wall.
  • Close-up photograph of a black Victorian-style bollard in the centre of the arcade walkway. A semi-circular mosaic on the floor spells out the letters "Queen's Arcade" around the bollard.
    Mosaic in the entrance of the arcade.
  • A two-storey building fronting onto a pedestrian street. The building is painted pastel-yellow and features black-framed shop fronts. An ornate black-framed semi-circular canopy protrudes above the entrance to the arcade, with gold lettering spelling out "Queen's Arcade".
    Fountain Street entrance.
  • Close-up of a castle sculpture situated below the apex of a roof. The sculpture and surrounding wall are all painted the same pastel-yellow.
    Architectural detail at the top of Donegall Place façade.

See also

References
  1. "Queens Arcade – Future Belfast". www.futurebelfast.com. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  2. "Hobart Heron website". Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  3. Mulgrew, John (20 September 2016). "Jewellery boss John Lunn: 'Our number one focus is to provide the best customer experience'". belfasttelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
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