Floral Hall, Zoological Gardens, Antrim Road, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT36 7PN

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large, two storey, modernist style concert/dance hall of 1935-36 by David W. Boyd, consisting of a circular shallow domed hall with angular three to single level flat-roofed foyer and stage/service blocks to north and south and a semicircular portico. Finished in plain painted render with large rectangular metal-framed windows in the hall section (and elsewhere) all boarded. T he property last served as a concert venue in 1972 and is now largely disused and in poor repair. It is set within the grounds of Belfast Zoo, on the high ground to the west of Antrim Road.

The entire façade is finished in plain painted render. The hall has a relatively shallow domed roof which is covered in bituminous felt. To the centre of this roof projects what appears to be a circular ventilator. The coverings of the flat roofs of the other sections of the building could not be seen. Metal rw goods.

To the N end of the hall is a large symmetrical flat-roofed projection with a central three-storey block flanked by flat-roofed two-storey sections. Projecting from ground floor of the taller section is a semicircular flat-roofed entrance portico having plain columns with a curving taper supporting a tall plain rendered frieze. Within the portico (and following the semicircular plan form) there are a series of doors which have now been completely boarded over (see interior description). Stone semicircular steps fan out from the base of the portico.

To the first floor of the three-storey block (directly above the porch) there is a large rectangular metal framed window with panes now boarded up. All the windows are similar in style to this, though of varying size and shape - all appear to retain their original frames but all panes have been boarded up in the same fashion. To far left on the first floor is a much smaller window with another to far right. There are similar ‘outer’ windows to the second floor, whilst to the centre of this floor there is a small painted moulding of the coat of arms of Belfast. The moulding and the large window to the first floor are both set within a broad but shallow bay which rises to a typically Art Deco stepped parapet upon which is set the words ‘floral hall’ in large (possibly metal) letters set on a projecting frame. These letters are in a sans-serif lowercase typeface and do not appear to be original, being a more modern typeface. Behind these letters (and directly above the coat of arms) is a tall, angular, typically Art Deco pediment moulding with reducing edges.

The E face of the three-storey block is only exposed at second floor level. This could not be seen clearly but it appears to have one large window. The equivalent W face (which could be seen in its entirety) has a boarded up doorway to left with two small windows to right. To right again there is a small projection with an opening to its N face. This opening is boarded over but it appears to have been a doorway.

The two storey flanking sections both have a large rectangular window to their respective first floors. There is a similar window to the first floor of the E face of the E section with a much smaller window to the ground floor, but the W face of the W section is much larger in area and has a (boarded up) doorway and three small unevenly spaced windows to the ground floor, with two larger windows to the first floor.

The E elevation of the main hall proper consists of an unbroken curve with ten very large openings to the ground floor and ten more (but slightly squatter) to the first floor. All of these openings are boarded up. Two of the ground floor openings appear to have acted as large door screens as they stretch to ground level. A terrace/walkway enclosed by a short rendered wall stretches the length of this elevation of the hall. The lower ground to the N means that the terrace becomes a raised platform (over 1.5m in height) reached from the NE by a broad flight of steps

The W elevation of the hall proper consists of a much shorter, shallower curve with six large windows set at an intermediate level with a broad doorway to far left and far right on the ground floor.

The stage/service projection to S is much larger in scale than the entrance section to N and consists of two and three-storey blocks (the three-storey block being the same height as the hall section itself - as the three storey section to N). The two-storey section projects from the S side of the three-storey one. Because of the rising ground level to this side the ground floor level of the two-storey block is actually set slightly below actual ground level. Thus the (boarded up) doorway to far left of the S face of the block is reached by means of a flight of steps with rendered flanking walls. To right on the ground floor are three relatively small windows. To the centre of the first floor is another doorway (reached via a flight of steps rising W to E) with two relatively small windows either side. To both the E and W faces of this block there are two windows to each floor, with those to the ground floor smaller.

The S face of the three storey block is only exposed at second floor level. Here there is a central doorway flanked by pilaster-like piers. To both the E and W faces there are two storey flat-roofed bays. That to the E has a large window to the first floor and a much smaller one to the ground floor, whilst that to W has one large window at first floor level.

Historical information

The Floral Hall was built in 1935-36 by Belfast Corporation to designs by David W. Boyd, as a concert/dance venue with cafe facilities. It is situated on land which belonged to the Belfast Street Tramway Company in the early 1900s and which was later transferred to the Belfast Corporation when it acquired the company. The Corporation decided to build a playground and pleasure gardens – Bellevue Gardens - at the ‘end of the line’ to encourage customers and provide a recreational area. During the 1920s and 30s Bellevue was a popular destination for day excursions and in 1933 it was decided to have a ‘representative zoological collection’ on the site. In 1934 twelve acres on either side of the Grand Floral Staircase was laid out as Bellevue Zoo, with the hall itself following two years later just to the south of the zoo itself. The building boasted a spacious stage, seating for up to 1,000 people and a striking interior colour scheme with blue, gold and tangerine dominating.

The hall continued in regular use as a ballroom and concert venue during WW2 - with blackouts fitted to the windows so that dances could continue - and retained its popularity in the austere post-war years, attracting up to 130,000 people in 1947. In the 1950s and 1960s it became a regular venue for show bands and, occasionally, more groundbreaking acts - the original ‘Pink Floyd’ line up played there in April 1967. Roller skating was introduced to the hall in 1965.

With the outbreak of the Troubles in 1969 audiences declined and the hall was closed in April 1972. Despite being used as a counting centre for the Northern Ireland Border Poll in 1973 and occasional dances in the mid 1970s, the building has largely remained closed to the public. In recent years it has been used occasionally as a store by the zoo, which has expanded to occupy the land surrounding the hall itself.

Secondary sources
1 Paul Larmour, ‘Belfast- An illustrated architectural guide’ (Belfast, 1987), p.103 [This book includes a photograph of the Floral Hall in c.1936- without the lettering to the front elevation.]
2 Information supplied by Belfast City Council

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
Z. Rarity

Evaluation

Large, two storey, modernist concert/dance hall of 1935-36 by David W. Boyd, consisting of a circular shallow domed hall with several angular blocks to north and south and a semicircular portico. The building was a well-known venue and is the only example of this type of building in the Art Deco style in the Province and one of a very few remaining Art Deco structures of any type.

General comments

This building was previously listed in the wrong ward as HB26/44/066.