The Ulster Museum

The Ulster Museum as it stands today, set within the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, is the result of three main phases of development which, remarkably, coincide with defining periods in the history of the province: the birth of Northern Ireland, the outbreak of ‘The Troubles’ and post-Good Friday Agreement. However, the museum has evolved not only amidst political revolution, but during a time of radical change within architecture.
First shown in Belfast in 2014, this exhibition was originally organised in collaboration with the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. The theme of that Biennale was ‘Absorbing Modernity: 1914–2014’ and by casting your eye from right to left across the Ulster Museum’s north façade you can see the literal representation of this theme.
As an exploration of the evolution of architectural styles across the twentieth century – from Edwardian Classicism to 1960s modernist Brutalism – this exhibition is a worthy addition to the Irish Design 2015 programme.