Belfast Stories Experience Design Team Competition 2026
Competition Brief
Belfast City Council is searching for expert design professionals who will create the visitor experience design for the upcoming Belfast Stories cultural center which will be built in Northern Ireland. The procurement focuses on interior experience design, exhibition systems, and interpretive storytelling across the historic Bank of Ireland building in central Belfast.
The selected team will advance the existing interpretive masterplan and concept design from RIBA Stages 3 to 7, translating earlier strategic work into a deliverable visitor environment. The project forms part of a wider culture-led regeneration initiative tied to the Belfast Region City Deal.
The experience design together with exhibition content will establish how visitors navigate through the space while interacting with exhibits and connecting with both the structure and its urban environment.
Intent
The competition aims to appoint a multidisciplinary team capable of transforming an approved interpretive framework into a complete interior visitor experience strategy.
Purpose
The project intends to create immersive public storytelling environments supported by exhibition design, multimedia systems, and civic social spaces within the future Belfast Stories venue.
Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate experience in exhibition delivery, visitor interpretation, multimedia installations, and large-scale cultural infrastructure. The appointed team will continue the design process from RIBA Stage 3 through completion and operational readiness.
The venue will function as a 5000 square meter cultural space which includes exhibition spaces, public areas for civic use, a digital display center, and dining services.
Jury
- Belfast City Council Procurement and Project Team serves as the client authority responsible for selecting vendors.
- The Cultural Infrastructure Programme Representatives function as stakeholders who support regeneration efforts and public investment projects.
Fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Entry Fee | Free |
Rewards
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Design Contract Value | £1.5 million (excluding VAT) |
| Project Scope | Delivery of RIBA Stages 3–7 for the visitor experience design |
Dates
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| First Round Deadline | 24 March 2026 |
| Projected Building Completion | 2030 (planned) |
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
Belfast City Council organizes The Belfast Stories Experience Design Team Competition 2026 with cultural program stakeholders and technical advisors overseeing the event which permits limited access to information about jury member duties. The competition serves as a professional procurement-based competition which aims to create an entire visitor experience for a major cultural destination instead of evaluating design concepts. The design contract value of £1.5 million reflects the scale and complexity of requirements, providing substantial real-world benefit through project implementation rather than portfolio-building alone. The jury consists of client and specialist evaluators who assess candidates based on their ability to deliver projects and the quality of their designs and their readiness for operation.
Conclusion
The Belfast Stories Experience Design Team Competition demonstrates how major cultural projects now treat exhibition strategy and visitor experience planning as essential design elements which function as foundation components for their main operations. The project assigns a team to create interpretive systems, which shows that organizations now regard narrative planning, multimedia integration, and public engagement as essential elements for modern civic projects.
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