Belfast Grand Central Station by John McAslan + Partners opens to the public, supporting 20 million journeys annually as the largest integrated transport hub in Northern Ireland.

Specialist contractors, Williaam Cox, installed bespoke Schüco systems FW 80+ XR and FW 50+ FR60 across over 9,000 m² of glass.

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Donal McCann

Belfast Grand Central Station has opened to the public, designed by John McAslan + Partners and Arup with RPP as delivery architects. A defining moment in Northern Irish infrastructure architecture, the station is an eight hectare facility that integrates rail platforms and 26 bus stands with newly carved out public space. The hub is ten times larger than its predecessor at 7,500 square metres, serving 20 million journeys annually.

The generous, step-free concourse is covered by a single roof structure with minimal internal support, establishing a clear architectural language of accessibility, transparency, and efficiency. This deliberate design decision sought to turn away from traditional transport hubs, towards an ‘urban gateway’, in line with Belfast’s contemporary regeneration goals.

Weaving together functionally with civic regeneration, the concourse’s long vistas and clear wayfinding open up the station to the surrounding Weavers Cross quarter. This reinforces the station’s role in the broader masterplan for the area, where transport, mixed-use development, and public space meet.

The building envelope is developed with equal consideration, using a bespoke high-performance curtain wall system supplied and installed by Williaam Cox using Schüco systems across 9,000 square metres of glass. In achieving transparency, thermal and acoustic efficiency, and fire performance at such a span and scale, the façade becomes an enabling architectural tool, balancing robustness with seamless visual continuity.

As Northern Ireland’s largest integrated transport hub, Belfast Grand Central Station is an example of infrastructure-driven urbanism, in which rigorous engineering, ambitious architecture, and civic growth combine to shape a city’s future.

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