Manifesto
This Thesis Project will engage with the abandoned Crumlin Road Courthouse in order to reclaim it for the citizens of Belfast. This prominent building under current conditions can not be redeveloped due to its current state of decay making it uneconomical to redevelop despite being sold for £1. This thesis project unfolds within a hypothetical scenario marked by a recent incident of arson and vandalism, resulting in severe damage to the rear section of the building. Flipping the capitalist thinking on its head turning this previously private locked up government building into a non profit commodity all for the people.
Plan of the Present Work
The courthouse is located on Crumlin Road opposite the Crumlin Road Gaol to the northwest of Belfast City Centre. The building is bounded by Crumlin Road to the north and Hopewell Avenue to the south. The courthouse is located within a modern residential area with civic amenity buildings interspersed amongst the modern semi-detached dwellings.
The Crumlin Road Courthouse was designed by the architect, Charles Lanyon and completed in 1850, at a cost of £16,500. It was built in the Neo-Palladian classical style. The courthouse underwent significant alterations and additions by Young and Mackenzie in 1905. The remodelling was aimed at enlarging the building as it had been criticised for being insufficient in size to deal with the increasing population of Belfast. The remodelling led to a change of footprint of the building with the building’s footprint forming a stepped-in T-shape fronting onto Crumlin Road. The remodelling involved the construction of two wings, despite the extension the majority of Lanyon’s early Victorian courthouse remained
intact. The Courthouse served as the main Crown Court for Belfast, with a below-ground tunnel used to transfer prisoners between the courthouse and Crumlin Road Gaol.
The building closed in June 1998, after 150 years of continual usage, following a feasibility study in 1993 which concluded that extending and refurbishing the building to make it appropriate for modern use would cost too much. Despite the closure of the courthouse in 1998 the building continues to be utilised for public events, having been used as a theatre in the early 2000s.
It was sold to local investor Barry Gilligan in September 2003 for £1. His plans for the courthouse included redeveloping it as a tourist
attraction and a hotel but these plans never progressed. Planning permission was previously granted in 2004 to convert it into offices, and then in 2007 to a 161-bedroom hotel but these never materialised.
Fires
On March 12, 2009, something quite puzzling happened to the courthouse – it was engulfed in a mysterious fire, causing significant damage.
As if that wasn’t enough, a few months later in August 2009, a series of additional fires broke out, dealing even more massive blows to the building’s structure. Despite facing these unusual and destructive fires, the courthouse still stands and refusing to crumble. It’s almost as if the building has a will of its own, a resilient spirit that defies the odds and protects it from total destruction.
The courthouse remains one of Northern Ireland’s best-known listed buildings. The Courthouse is listed as a grade B plus. Weathering and further degradation of the historic fabric both internally and externally such that the building as a whole is in very poor structural condition making it very expensive to refurbish and economically unvaible.
Crumlin Road Community Hub
This Thesis project will take this listed courthouse building and bring it back to life despite it being economically unvaible. Where else do you find a building like this in Belfast, a building that sold for £1 but still cant be developed as it is too expensive. This an be seen exactly like the other examples in Detroit and Slab City. This building will be reclaimed for the people. The collage to the left is an imagined idea of what the building can be perceived as. The re purposed building becomes a communal haven built to align with the daily lives of its citizens, echoing the ideals by Henri Lefebvre.
The aim is to create an anarchic type commune space where communal well-being comes first.
The main function will be a library, inspired by the anarchy spaces featured in Paul Dobraszczyk book ‘Architecture and Anarchism: Building without authority’. Despite the anarchic nature, individuals voluntarily still choose to build and maintain a library—a testament to the value we place on intellectual freedom and shared learning. The building will also serve as a haven for homelessness. Providing a supportive environment for a period, offering individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives. In return, they actively participate in the community by working in areas of the building fostering a sense of responsibility. The creche will allow those with limited money to leave their child
in a secure place. The market will encourage economic exchange within the community, fostering self-sustainability and cooperation. The multifunctional space will support emerging musicians and artists, providing a platform for creativity to thrive. These areas can be adapted to accommodate a variety of activities, from art exhibitions to live performances, enriching the cultural fabric of the community.
In essence, our anarchic commune is a dynamic ecosystem where diversity, creativity, and compassion converge. It’s a space where individuals are free to pursue their passions, support one another, and collectively contribute to the well-being of the community.
This thesis project unfolds within a hypothetical scenario marked by a recent incident of arson and vandalism, resulting in severe damage to the rear section of the building. Unlike previous occurrences, the rear portion did not withstand the destructive forces, leaving only the front section depicted above, which remains structurally sound. The aftermath reveals the compromised condition of the rear part, now in a state of deterioration that necessitates its demolition. The visible decay and instability of the rear structure underscore the imperative need for its removal.