Custom House Square

Custom House Square is defined by the massive, carved stone facade of the Belfast Custom House, which anchors the space with its heavy Corinthian columns. Built in the eighteen fifties to handle the city's exploding trade, the building was designed by Charles Lanyon. During the building's construction, the laborers had to deal with an unstable, swampy riverbed, requiring a foundation of thousands of timber piles driven deep into the mud. It remains a stark reminder of the engineering required to support Belfast's industrial ambitions.