After 20 years in planning limbo, the Northern Irish town of Bangor is finally set to undergo a massive $98 million redesign. In an effort to revitalize the quaint seaside resort, the Newcastle-based architects FaulknerBrowns are hoping to completely transform its “Queen’s Parade” waterfront area. Ultimately, the firm hopes to make the mixed-use development a popular destination for locals and international tourists alike.

Among the proposal’s most promising features is the addition of a four-star hotel, which will directly overlook the waterfront and be able to house 80 guests at a single time. The latter point is particularly important to the Queen’s Parade area, whose shortage of suitable accommodations has plagued its tourism industry for decades now. The hotel will be operated by Beannchor, a local group that already runs a number of successful lodgings across Ireland. Guests of the hotel will be able to access an adjoining family entertainment center that has its own virtual reality area, adventure playground, and indoor surf rider. While the kids are busy in the entertainment center, the parents might want to venture into the nearby public square, which will boast a movie theater and a concert venue!
The FaulknerBrowns proposal is looking to capitalize on and prolong the region’s recent spurts of tourism, which can be attributed to Northern Ireland’s many appearances in the popular TV show Game of Thrones. As a part of the ...