The Meter House in Belfast is an exemplar of what is possible when built heritage is treated as a primary asset for regeneration, writes Paul Harron
At the heart of Belfast’s Victorian Gasworks site, there is a small but perfectly formed gem of a former industrial building which has been lovingly restored and put to stylish new use. The Meter House recently garnered the RSUA Conservation Design Award and a RIBA Design Award both 2008 – an unparalleled achievement and plaudit for Belfast architects twenty two over seven (Elliott, McGrath, McGonigle). The practice is also responsible for the crisp and striking BATIK Design Showroom situated next door, which won a 2004 RIBA Award (the sole one from Northern Ireland that year), and for the restoration and conversion of the nearby Ormeau Baths which won RIBA and RSUA Awards in 1998. All three projects are for the same client
