THE WEATHER WAS TERRIBLE WHEN I VISITED IN DECEMBER 2025
CITY QUAYS GARDEN DECEMBER 2025 [THE WEATHER WAS SO BAD THAT I WAS ADVISED TO LEAVE FOR SAFETY REASONS]
Because of the weather conditions, back in December 2025, and flying debris I was advised to leave the Donegall Quays area so I abandoned the planned session and returned to my hotel.
Located along Donegall Quay in the heart of the historic docklands, City Quays Gardens is a transformative two-acre urban park that officially opened in 2025. This multi-million-pound regeneration project by Belfast Harbour has successfully converted a former surface car park into a vibrant, biodiverse "eco-space" designed to reconnect the city with its maritime waterfront.
As the first public space in Northern Ireland to achieve "One Planet Living" accreditation, the gardens serve as a landmark for sustainable urban design, blending modern digital connectivity with deep historical roots.
"The Gateway Nest" Sculpture
A central feature of the gardens is the striking Gateway Nest installation (frequently called "The Birds Nest"), which stands as a symbolic entrance to the park. Designed by Gillespies and engineered by Mule Studio, this sculptural pavilion is an intricate marriage of organic forms and industrial materials.
Design Symbolism: It was crafted to represent both a bird's nest—signifying the return of nature and biodiversity to the docklands—and a ship's "crow's nest," paying homage to the maritime lookouts of the vessels that once lined the quay.
Structure: The sculpture is composed of interwoven oak glulam rings suspended between slender, angled steel columns.
Atmosphere: At night, integrated interactive lighting softly illuminates the timber rings, creating a glowing beacon for wayfinding along the River Lagan.
"Echoes Below" by Holger C. Lönze
Complementing the verticality of the Nest is "Echoes Below" by artist Holger C. Lönze. This evocative series of sculptural bronze boat hulls appears to emerge from the garden’s landscape, as if the ghosts of Belfast’s seafaring past are rising through the soil.
Maritime Memory: The pieces represent traditional wooden vessels, acting as a physical "echo" of the maritime activity buried beneath the modern quay.
Tactile Art: The bronze material is designed to weather and age alongside the garden, inviting visitors to touch the textured surfaces and engage directly with the area's heritage.
Because of the weather conditions, back in December 2025, and flying debris I was advised to leave the Donegall Quays area so I abandoned the planned session and returned to my hotel.
Located along Donegall Quay in the heart of the historic docklands, City Quays Gardens is a transformative two-acre urban park that officially opened in 2025. This multi-million-pound regeneration project by Belfast Harbour has successfully converted a former surface car park into a vibrant, biodiverse "eco-space" designed to reconnect the city with its maritime waterfront.
As the first public space in Northern Ireland to achieve "One Planet Living" accreditation, the gardens serve as a landmark for sustainable urban design, blending modern digital connectivity with deep historical roots.
"The Gateway Nest" Sculpture
A central feature of the gardens is the striking Gateway Nest installation (frequently called "The Birds Nest"), which stands as a symbolic entrance to the park. Designed by Gillespies and engineered by Mule Studio, this sculptural pavilion is an intricate marriage of organic forms and industrial materials.
Design Symbolism: It was crafted to represent both a bird's nest—signifying the return of nature and biodiversity to the docklands—and a ship's "crow's nest," paying homage to the maritime lookouts of the vessels that once lined the quay.
Structure: The sculpture is composed of interwoven oak glulam rings suspended between slender, angled steel columns.
Atmosphere: At night, integrated interactive lighting softly illuminates the timber rings, creating a glowing beacon for wayfinding along the River Lagan.
"Echoes Below" by Holger C. Lönze
Complementing the verticality of the Nest is "Echoes Below" by artist Holger C. Lönze. This evocative series of sculptural bronze boat hulls appears to emerge from the garden’s landscape, as if the ghosts of Belfast’s seafaring past are rising through the soil.
Maritime Memory: The pieces represent traditional wooden vessels, acting as a physical "echo" of the maritime activity buried beneath the modern quay.
Tactile Art: The bronze material is designed to weather and age alongside the garden, inviting visitors to touch the textured surfaces and engage directly with the area's heritage.
CITY QUAY GARDENS