Grand Opera House

‘I see it as one of Belfast’s spiritual as well as physical landmarks…like a beacon in the city.’

— Poet Michael Longley on the Grand Opera House

The Grand Opera House is one of Belfast’s most iconic buildings and a star player in the story of this evolving city.

In 2018, Tandem were appointed to help the Grand Opera House develop interpretive proposals as part of a National Lottery Heritage Fund Round 2 application (formerly Heritage Lottery Fund) to restore and redevelop the theatre since it was last conserved in the 1980s. Working closely with the client team and a dedicated researcher we uncovered the unique and exciting stories from the building’s history — from its establishment as one of the most beautiful Victorian theatres in the world, to the famous faces who have performed on its stage. 

Our role during the funding application phase was to identify the
key stories to be told and how best to tell these within the overall
renovation project for the Grand Opera House. In addition to carving out a dedicated heritage exhibition area, we made proposals for interpretive interventions throughout the public theatre spaces, allowing visitors to find out a little bit more on a number of levels, depending on their interest.

Following the success of the NLHF application, Tandem were retained as the Interpretive Designer within a multidisciplinary team to deliver on our initial proposals for the site. Working closely with the project architect and interior designer, we developed an interpretive scheme that married seamlessly with the grandeur of the renovation project, including a beautifully presented architectural illustration of the theatre, light boxes showing some of the well-known actors who have performed at the Grand Opera House, and bespoke interpretive displays in thoroughfares and gathering spaces. 

The dedicated heritage exhibition area within the Gods encourages visitors to understand more about the inner workings of the theatre, including a time-lapse projection of a theatre set being assembled, interactive props and set pieces, and interviews with Northern Ireland’s most revered pantomime star May McFetridge. 

Touchscreens provide additional content in a dedicated archive of programmes, photographs and videos over the decades, along with a quiz to test visitors’ knowledge on the building. 

The interpretation and visual language enhance the stunning renovation project and help to commemorate and celebrate more than 125 years of history of one of Northern Ireland’s cultural icons.