McCue has finished the refurbishment of the Titanic Suite at Titanic Belfast, the opening phase of a wider staged investment across the attraction's event and hospitality spaces on Levels 5 and 6. As principal fit-out contractor, McCue delivered specialist joinery, wall panelling and interior finishes for the venue, which features the building's replica Grand Staircase.

McCue, headquartered in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, was founded in 1954 and reported turnover of £40.3 million and a pre-tax profit of £1.5 million in its most recent accounts.

The building is owned by Maritime Belfast Trust, a registered charity formerly known as Titanic Foundation, and opened as a £76 million visitor attraction in March 2012. The venue welcomed almost 900,000 visitors last year.

The scheme was designed by Belfast studio Garuda Design, led by Suzanne Garuda, and delivered with a local supply chain including Rainey & Best, Ulster Carpets and W. Stevenson & Son.

The scope included new wall panelling and detailed joinery echoing traditional timber craftsmanship, alongside large bas relief panels illustrating moments from the story of RMS Titanic, bespoke carpet and curtains, and new LED screens to improve wayfinding.

In the North Viewing Gallery overlooking the historic slipways, a compass motif has been inlaid into the timber floor beneath a starlit ceiling, alongside a bespoke Irish linen wallcovering created by a third-generation decorator whose grandfather worked on RMS Titanic.

The structural driver is sequencing complex bespoke joinery around a live events calendar rather than closing the venue, preserving Titanic Belfast's booked event revenue throughout the works.

"The bigger challenge was programme and the level of bespoke joinery we had to manufacture in house within the timeline. Titanic Belfast stayed open the whole way through and had events booked either side of us, so we sequenced the works around the venue rather than expecting the venue to work around us," said Tim Patton, contracts manager at McCue.

Judith Owens MBE, chief executive of Titanic Belfast, said the organisation was "delighted with the finished result," describing the reopening as a key milestone in the growth of the venue's events business.

For the sector, the phased Titanic Suite works illustrate how heritage visitor attractions are delivering bespoke fit-out programmes without interrupting an active events calendar.

Source: Construction Ireland / Irish News / Statista