Assembly Buildings (Presbyterian Church in Ireland)

The Assembly Buildings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, are the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Although there was a decision taken to move to a new location the General Assembly, in 2005, voted to overturn the decision. Since the refurbishment, in 1992, the Assembly Buildings are now open for functions as a commercial conference centre.

Location

The building is located near the centre of Belfast at the junction of Fisherwick Place, Great Victoria Street, Howard Street and Grosvenor Road. It was built in 1905, in the Gothic style, and opened by the Duke of Argyll. It is dominated by a 40m high clock tower, which contains Belfast's only peal of 12 bells.

It is home to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Assembly Hall is oval-shaped with a gallery, and can seat 1,300 people. The hall is illuminated by a glass skylight, which is now illuminated artificially.

The Spires

Following its refurbishment in 1992 it also functions as a commercial conference centre, Assembly Buildings Conference Centre. The city centre location close to major hotels makes it an ideal conference location. In recent years it has hosted such major events as the International Housing Conference, Tom Peters Business Seminar and the European Union Women's Conference, May 1998.

External links

• The Presbyterian Church in Ireland homepage
• Assembly Buildings information page
• The Spires homepage for the old conference centre
• Homepage for the current conference centre