The transformation of City Hall: from Unionism’s sacred space to a shared space for all

The transformation of City Hall: from Unionism’s sacred space to a shared space for all
Dr. Paul Mullan discusses how Belfast City Council has, through its reimagining of Belfast City Hall, reshaped public space to speak to all its citizens.

The demographics of Belfast have changed over many decades to create a more plural city which is no longer dominated by any single community. To reflect this Belfast City Council has shown, through its reimagining of Belfast City Hall, that public space can be reshaped to speak to all its citizens. What was quite remarkable was that this transformation was achieved with full political agreement from all the parties on Council.

Paul Mullan will discuss his research which looked at Belfast City Hall as well as the wider work of the National Lottery Heritage Fund during the Decade of Centenaries to reflect the challenge of how we remember the past in a divided society. He will argue that a better understanding of the past is essential to moving society forward. Consequently, the process of remembering better, or remembering honestly, is vital for the health of any democratic society.

Paul is Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and has worked in heritage for the last 30 years. He is a Visiting Professor at Ulster University and Professor of Practice at Queen’s University of Belfast. Working closely with the Community Relations Council, Paul chaired the Decade of Centenaries Roundtable which included many organisations who sought to navigate the challenges of how the past is remembered.