Kings Hall rolls back time with original façade and restored clock
The front façade of the Kings Hall in Belfast has been revealed after being restored to its original glory, complete with working clock.
The iconic building, which was the home of the Balmoral Show as well as playing host to a raft of world-renowed bands such as The Beatles, Nirvana and U2, is being redeveloped by developers Benmore Octopus into Kings Hall Life Sciences and has been repainted to the same shade of white used when the building was first built in 1933/34.
In addition, the art deco clock on the front of the building has also been restored and is working again for the first time in many years.
The redevelopment is the latest stage in the build out of Kings Hall Life Sciences which sees the site transformed to become a global hub for established and early-stage companies from throughout the sector.
It has already seen the completion of Dataworks, the grade A medical and shared space building which sits adjacent to the Kings Hall. Dataworks acts as the headquarters for London-listed precision medicine company Diaceutics and will soon welcome other life sciences companies, research groups and healthcare organisations.
Kings Hall Life Sciences also includes a range of age-appropriate living accommodation, a mixed-use medical facility, a multi-storey car park and childcare nursery – Malone Kindergarten – to support employees working in the park.
David Burrows, Director at Benmore Octopus, said: “We’re excited to reveal the newly-painted façade of the Kings Hall, restored back to its original glory. The building is a landmark in Northern Ireland and we wanted to make sure our development retains as much of the original features as possible, including the iconic clock.
“As the development of Kings Hall Life Sciences continues, we are breathing new life into the site and creating a hub for life sciences companies in Northern Ireland. Our proximity to local hospitals and univerisities, the success of precision medicine hub Dataworks and the rich life sciences startup scence here in Northern Ireland have prompted significant interest from companies in the sector of all sizes and we look forward to progressing the development in the coming months.
Benmore Octopus is a joint venture between local developers Benmore Group and Octopus Real Estate.
