"The Bank Buildings was a five-storey, Grade B1 listed red Dumfries sandstone building located at 1-27 Castle Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The building was owned by Primark, and was used as their flagship store in Northern Ireland from 1979 until it was destroyed by fire on 28 August 2018.
As a part of renovations between 2016 and 2018, 29-43 Castle Street (formerly Commonwealth House) was demolished and a new building built in its place which was set to be merged with the original Bank Buildings. The new wing of the building appeared relatively undamaged following the fire of August 2018. The fire damaged Bank Buildings is currently undergoing a complete restoration and repair of the building.
On 28 August 2018, a fire broke out at roughly 11:00 BST on the fifth floor or roof of the building, during business hours. Shoppers and staff were evacuated from the ground and first floors, and 11 fire appliances attended. The area around was cordoned off for public safety, and due to falling debris. The roof collapsed and the clock face was burnt out with the hands staying still at about 11:05. The fire was still spreading and had covered all floors of the building by 15:00 with more appliances called in to assist. The building suffered extensive damage to all levels. The new wing of the building appeared relatively undamaged following the fire, due to the fact there was a gap between the two as the merge had not yet been complete. On 9 October 2018 it was reported that Bank Buildings is currently awaiting approval from Belfast City Council for an application of planning permission for a complete restoration undertaken directly by Primark of the fire damaged Belfast Bank Buildings. This work was green-lit on 26 October 2018, with the initial stages aimed at reducing the safety cordon due to commence ''immediately''. It is understood that this will involve the removal of the top two storeys of the building, deemed to be the most unstable, which will then allow a façade retention scheme to be put in place. The stonework recovered during the removal of the top two storeys will be numbered and labelled, to be reused later in reconstruction. The iconic clockface will also be removed for restoration and eventual reinstatement.
England based demolition firm Keltbray have been appointed to carry out the emergency safety works, stone salvage, façade retention and structural demolition works.
On 3 December 2018 Keltbray were successful in delivering the first milestone of the project, the area around Bank Buildings was reopened to pedestrians, with concrete-filled shipping container tunnels being used to protect the public from any potential collapse.
Phase 1 of the salvage works (removal of levels 4 and 5 façade) was completed by Keltbray ahead of schedule.
Keltbray have now commenced the installation of the Façade Retention System that will stabilise the building and allow the internal demolition to commence in mid 2019."
"Symmetrical multi-bay five-storey with attic red sandstone and polished granite classically-styled department store, built between 1885 and 1900, to the designs of W.H. Lynn. Rectangular on plan facing east onto Castle Place with multi-bay side elevations fronting onto Castle Street and Bank Street. Occupying the site of a former bank founded in the late eighteenth-century, Bank Buildings replaced a four-storey Italianate bank dating from 1855. Often cited as Ireland’s first steel-framed building, the structural method is clearly expressed through the grid-like fenestration and high window to wall ratio, while the decorative stonework is still clearly of the late nineteenth-century. This is a fine example of High Victorian style reflecting the aspirations of Belfast as a mercantile centre well as a testimonial to the achievements of W.H. Lynn."