Clear Progress at City Quays 3 as almost Two Thousand Panes of Glass are Installed

Belfast Harbour has reached a milestone in the construction of City Quays 3 as almost two thousand windows are set to be installed in the largest Grade A office development in Northern Ireland.

City Quays 3, which will accommodate 1,800 people, represents Belfast Harbour’s largest property development project to date and is the latest component of the City Quays waterfront scheme which is already home to 1,100 office workers. 

The new building is now in the process of having 1879 panes of glass installed, with each panel averaging 5m in length, 1.5m wide and weighing 720kg.

The bespoke panels have been designed and manufactured by UK specialist architectural glazing contractor Walsin Ltd. The Lisburn-based manufacturer provides single sourced, designed, fabricated and project managed façade solutions.

Construction work on City Quays 3 is expected to be completed by Farrans in the fourth quarter of 2021. The project is being developed to comply with BREEAM Excellent ratings which will place it in the top 10% of sustainable new buildings in the UK.

Joe O’Neill, Belfast Harbour’s CEO, said:

“City Quays 3 is one of the largest strategic investments ever undertaken by Belfast Harbour and we’re delighted to be working with local suppliers as the development progresses.  In addition to supporting 500 local construction jobs, the development will build upon City Quays’ success by providing strategic accommodation to meet demand for quality office space following a year of extended periods of working from home.”

Damien Kelly, contracts director for Walsin Ltd, said:

Walsin is delighted to be a part of this prestigious project, working collaboratively with the client team and our supply chain partners to bring the façade design to life and see how the unitised installation transforms the Belfast skyline. Having recently reached the important milestone of completing manufacture of all 1879 glazed unitised panels at our Lisburn facility, we look forward to topping out the façade installation onsite and the successful conclusion to an inspiring project.”

Noel Cosgrove, project manager from Farrans, said:

“Construction is progressing well on City Quays 3 and people in Belfast will now be able to see what a striking and impressive structure it will be on the city’s skyline. Each panel is meticulously moved into place and the bespoke design will provide a bright and airy workspace. This is one of the largest office buildings ever to be built in Northern Ireland and we are proud to be the main contractor delivering it for Belfast Harbour.”