The MAC arts centre in Belfast was built following an International design competition in 2007 won by Hackett and Hall. Finished in 2012 by Hackett Hall McKnight the building forms a key part of the arts infrastructure in Belfast. The galleries are among the largest arts spaces in the region, the main theatre is asymmetric and multileveled to allow flexibility without losing its primary intimacy as a theatre space.

The site is bound on two sides and is awaiting future development on its flank wall, this constraint led to the foyer having the enclosed and urban character of the nearby narrow lanes of the city’s cultural quarter.

The building received an RIBA national award and in 2013 it was awarded the Downes Medal by the Architectural Association of Ireland. It was nominated for the EU contemporary architecture prize, the Mies van der Rohe award.

The AAI commissioned a film on the MAC by Henrietta Williams, link below:

https://vimeo.com/96136953