Terminal Building

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-storey building in a modern style, constructed of a steel frame with a prominent roof of serrated profile, originally with clearly visible two-storey main elevations detailed in black painted steel, aluminium and grey brick, but now surrounded by later extensions which obscure most of the original elevations. Soffits of roof are faced with timber slats. Main entrance faces north, but now located in a large later ‘check-in’ area.

SETTING: The building stands at the northern edge of an airport in a rural area, with an extensive area of carparks to the front beyond a lateral covered concourse.

Historical information

Opened 1963; architects W.H. McAlister and Partners; previously known as Belfast Civil Airport; gained the RIBA Architectural Award for the Ulster Region in 1966.
The airport at Aldergrove was originally opened in 1918 as an Aircraft Acceptance Park to facilitate the final assembly and test flying of military aircraft being constructed in Belfast by Harland and Wolff. It was the chairman of Harland and Wolff, Lord Pirrie, who made the choice of Aldergrove as the site. Initially it was used almost exclusively for military purposes becoming the home base for no. 502 (Ulster) Special Reserve Squadron R.A.F. on its formation in 1925, but in May 1933 Scottish Air Ferries began operating regular passenger carrying flights between Aldergrove and Renfrew, before transferring their activities to the new Ards Airport just over a year later. A major portion of the airfield was later taken over for civil operations, and in October 1963 the new Belfast Civil Airport was officially opened.

References – Primary Sources
1. OS Map 1966, Plan 112-13.
2. Information from the Ulster Aviation Society, 97 Largy Road, Crumlin, Co Antrim.

Secondary Sources
1. UAHS, West Antrim (Belfast, 1970), p 10.
2. R.J. McKinstry, ‘Contemporary Architecture’, in Causeway: The Arts in Ulster, ed by M. Longley (Belfast, 1971), pp 35 and 39.
3. D. Evans. An Introduction to Modern Ulster Architecture (Belfast, 1977), pp vii, 21 and 22.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This is a 20th century building which still retains its original roof structure which is clearly visible on the entrance elevation and in the interior, but the building has otherwise been altered and subdivided to the extent that it has lost its original spatial qualities and elevational appearance.