Design ID were the lead structural and marine engineers behind the innovative DRIFT Belfast 2024 project. This temporary floating pavilion brought sonic art, cinema, and even stargazing to the River Lagan.
DRIFT was a project commissioned by Belfast 2024 for Belfast's River Lagan. A collaboration between OGU, MMAS and sound artist Matilde Meireles, DRIFT hosted a series of listening sessions and related events in August and September 2024.
The pavilion was open daily as a floating public space for the city to use. DRIFT was designed to be adaptable to a variety of different site conditions along the river. From its first location at Stranmillis Weir in South Belfast, DRIFT was partially dismantled and towed downstream to be reassembled in a different form at its second location in the city centre.
Collaborating with Drift Space Limited we helped bring this multi-sensory experience to life, allowing visitors to connect with the waterfront and explore wildlife-friendly urban spaces. As marine engineers, we ensured DRIFT’s floating design was safe, functional, and environmentally sustainable.
Working closely with both the pontoon designer and scaffold designer we ensured the structural adequacy of the combined system to ensure this unique installation can be enjoyed safely without risk of it overturning or floating away.
The floating pavilion was design in a modular fashion so that its layout could be changed as it was located at different sites. Utilising off the shelf modular pontoon units which were specially modified to allow them to be arranged in unique shapes, while still being fully reusable after the project was finished.
The mooring design utilised readily available kentledge which was kept to a minimum in terms of weight to ensure it could be easily lifted in and out of the river to enable it reuse.
Key Technical Contributions
- Lead designer coordinating scaffold, pontoon, and mooring design.
- Mooring Design
- Scaffold Design CAT 3 check & pontoon interface design.
This project was successful run at two locations on the River Lagan over the summer of 2024, with over 20 public events held on the floating structure including film screening and musical performances.
The project was shortlisted for the RIBA McEwen Award in 2025.
Client: Drift Space Limited & Belfast City Council
A collaboration between OGU, MMAS and sound artist Matilde Meireles.
Photographer: Joe Laverty
